1 00:00:04,004 --> 00:00:06,634 Tonight, a series of unexplained deaths 2 00:00:06,715 --> 00:00:10,885 near Chicago in 1982 starts a nationwide panic. 3 00:00:11,011 --> 00:00:14,601 The victims are connected by one frightening detail. 4 00:00:17,643 --> 00:00:19,193 - It looks like all these people 5 00:00:19,269 --> 00:00:22,609 took Tylenol and died that day. 6 00:00:22,731 --> 00:00:24,981 - Every hospital and every home in America 7 00:00:25,067 --> 00:00:26,777 probably had a Tylenol in their cabinet. 8 00:00:28,111 --> 00:00:31,031 Now we uncover the top theories 9 00:00:31,114 --> 00:00:35,334 surrounding an ongoing FBI investigation. 10 00:00:35,410 --> 00:00:38,330 - What if these people weren’t killed at random? 11 00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:41,253 - Whoever had done it had just been dormant 12 00:00:41,375 --> 00:00:43,045 for things to quiet down. 13 00:00:43,126 --> 00:00:44,666 - He looks very similar 14 00:00:44,753 --> 00:00:47,133 to Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. 15 00:00:47,256 --> 00:00:50,926 Can the elusive killer finally be identified 16 00:00:51,009 --> 00:00:52,139 and brought to justice? 17 00:00:52,261 --> 00:00:54,511 - It’s really a race against time 18 00:00:54,596 --> 00:00:57,886 to try and figure out who’s doing this and why. 19 00:00:59,643 --> 00:01:01,143 Who actually committed 20 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:03,810 the Chicago Tylenol murders? 21 00:01:18,620 --> 00:01:21,660 September 29th, 1982. 22 00:01:21,790 --> 00:01:26,380 At30 a.m. in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, 23 00:01:26,461 --> 00:01:30,971 12-year-old Mary Kellerman awakens with a sore throat. 24 00:01:31,049 --> 00:01:32,549 - Mary Kellerman wakes up 25 00:01:32,634 --> 00:01:34,684 and tells her parents she’s not feeling well. 26 00:01:34,803 --> 00:01:38,013 She has sniffles. She’s coughing. 27 00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:43,190 And to alleviate her symptoms, she takes a Tylenol. 28 00:01:43,312 --> 00:01:46,822 - Her dad is downstairs and he hears a thud, 29 00:01:46,898 --> 00:01:48,148 runs back upstairs 30 00:01:48,233 --> 00:01:50,863 and Mary is sprawled on the bathroom floor. 31 00:01:50,986 --> 00:01:52,946 They rush Mary to the hospital. 32 00:01:53,030 --> 00:01:55,910 When she finally gets there, Mary was pronounced dead 33 00:01:55,991 --> 00:01:59,161 at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. 34 00:02:02,205 --> 00:02:05,245 A few hours later in nearby Arlington Heights, 35 00:02:05,334 --> 00:02:09,214 27-year-old postal worker, Adam Janus collapses 36 00:02:09,338 --> 00:02:11,758 after complaining of minor chest pains. 37 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,760 He’s rushed to Northwest Community Hospital. 38 00:02:15,844 --> 00:02:18,434 - Adam arrives in critical condition. 39 00:02:18,513 --> 00:02:19,853 Shortly thereafter, 40 00:02:19,931 --> 00:02:21,891 he dies of what doctors thought was heart failure. 41 00:02:24,019 --> 00:02:25,399 In shock, 42 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,070 Adam’s brother Stanley and sister-in-law Theresa 43 00:02:29,191 --> 00:02:31,191 return home from the hospital 44 00:02:31,318 --> 00:02:33,948 and take Tylenol for headaches. 45 00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:39,370 That same day, they also collapse and die. 46 00:02:39,451 --> 00:02:40,831 - The police are baffled. 47 00:02:40,911 --> 00:02:43,831 We have three victims in the same family in the same house. 48 00:02:43,914 --> 00:02:46,884 They initially suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. 49 00:02:46,958 --> 00:02:48,128 They called the technicians, 50 00:02:48,210 --> 00:02:50,340 but no carbon monoxide was detected. 51 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:52,800 So the police called the public health department 52 00:02:52,881 --> 00:02:54,631 looking for some medical guidance 53 00:02:54,716 --> 00:02:56,796 and they send nurse Helen Jensen 54 00:02:56,885 --> 00:02:58,465 to the Janus family. 55 00:02:58,553 --> 00:02:59,933 Jensen finds a bottle 56 00:03:00,055 --> 00:03:01,765 of extra-strength Tylenol 57 00:03:01,890 --> 00:03:04,930 with six capsules missing. 58 00:03:05,060 --> 00:03:07,600 - Three doses taken from a bottle, three people dead. 59 00:03:07,729 --> 00:03:10,649 So Jensen takes this bottle back to the medical center 60 00:03:10,732 --> 00:03:13,072 to get it tested because she feels 61 00:03:13,151 --> 00:03:15,151 that this could be something of importance. 62 00:03:15,237 --> 00:03:18,237 - Authorities at Northwest Community Hospital 63 00:03:18,365 --> 00:03:21,745 turn it over to law enforcement. 64 00:03:21,868 --> 00:03:25,658 - Helen Jensen suspects the Tylenol from the beginning. 65 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,537 And she actually says this to the investigating officers. 66 00:03:28,625 --> 00:03:31,375 "I think it’s something in the Tylenol." 67 00:03:31,461 --> 00:03:34,671 - The Janus family, having no idea what has killed 68 00:03:34,756 --> 00:03:38,426 three members of their family so far, they’re terrified. 69 00:03:38,552 --> 00:03:40,352 So they’re brought to the hospital, 70 00:03:40,429 --> 00:03:43,309 put under observation, and officials went so far 71 00:03:43,432 --> 00:03:45,682 as to give them their last rights 72 00:03:45,767 --> 00:03:48,557 because they didn’t know what was killing these people. 73 00:03:48,645 --> 00:03:50,855 And they didn’t know if they were next. 74 00:03:52,149 --> 00:03:54,439 While the Janus family remains under watch, 75 00:03:54,526 --> 00:03:57,486 18 miles away in the suburb of Winfield, 76 00:03:57,612 --> 00:03:59,912 Mary Reiner arrives home. 77 00:03:59,990 --> 00:04:04,160 She’s recently given birth and wants pain relief. 78 00:04:04,286 --> 00:04:07,036 - Soon after taking extra-strength Tylenol, 79 00:04:07,122 --> 00:04:09,752 Mary Reiner collapses. 80 00:04:09,833 --> 00:04:14,753 She’s rushed to the hospital and she also dies soon after. 81 00:04:14,838 --> 00:04:18,878 Five fatalities, each an apparent mystery. 82 00:04:18,967 --> 00:04:21,547 Authorities are confounded. 83 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:23,966 - The Januses and Mary Kellerman 84 00:04:24,055 --> 00:04:25,805 all died in Cook County, 85 00:04:25,932 --> 00:04:28,602 which meant they all ended up in the same morgue. 86 00:04:28,685 --> 00:04:30,895 There were also two bottles of Tylenol-- 87 00:04:30,979 --> 00:04:34,269 the Tylenol bottle that was used by the Januses 88 00:04:34,357 --> 00:04:35,817 and the Tylenol bottle 89 00:04:35,901 --> 00:04:39,321 that Mary Kellerman got her Tylenol from. 90 00:04:39,404 --> 00:04:41,704 Both bottles have the same lot number, 91 00:04:41,823 --> 00:04:46,203 which is MC2880. 92 00:04:46,328 --> 00:04:50,668 They also have another weird thing in common. 93 00:04:50,749 --> 00:04:52,749 - They both had the distinctive smell 94 00:04:52,834 --> 00:04:54,004 of bitter almonds, 95 00:04:54,127 --> 00:04:55,747 and they’re trained professionals who know 96 00:04:55,837 --> 00:04:59,217 about poisons and contaminants, and that bitter almond smell 97 00:04:59,341 --> 00:05:03,181 could only mean one thing: cyanide. 98 00:05:03,261 --> 00:05:05,811 - It’s a real mystery. Who would do this? 99 00:05:05,889 --> 00:05:07,179 Why did this happen? 100 00:05:07,265 --> 00:05:11,015 Why cyanide? Police have tons of questions. 101 00:05:11,102 --> 00:05:14,612 - What cyanide does is blocks the cells in your body 102 00:05:14,689 --> 00:05:17,279 from absorbing and transporting oxygen. 103 00:05:17,359 --> 00:05:18,989 And it does it very quickly. 104 00:05:19,069 --> 00:05:22,909 It’s a very fast-acting, very dangerous poison. 105 00:05:23,031 --> 00:05:24,781 Tests performed on capsules 106 00:05:24,866 --> 00:05:28,156 confirmed the investigators’ fears. 107 00:05:28,245 --> 00:05:31,545 - Not only were the Januses and Mary Kellerman 108 00:05:31,665 --> 00:05:35,385 killed with cyanide, but it was a dose of cyanide 109 00:05:35,502 --> 00:05:38,842 that was about a thousand times more potent 110 00:05:38,922 --> 00:05:41,842 than what you would need to kill a person. 111 00:05:41,925 --> 00:05:45,015 - Authorities are panicked because they don’t know 112 00:05:45,095 --> 00:05:47,815 how far this is gonna go. 113 00:05:47,889 --> 00:05:50,219 Is it just in Chicago suburb? 114 00:05:50,308 --> 00:05:52,598 Is it nationwide? They don’t know. 115 00:05:52,727 --> 00:05:55,437 While authorities struggle to connect the dots, 116 00:05:55,564 --> 00:05:57,114 there’s another incident. 117 00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:02,530 - At around00 a.m., a woman named Mary McFarland 118 00:06:02,612 --> 00:06:05,242 was working at her telephone company job. 119 00:06:05,323 --> 00:06:08,833 Not feeling great, so she took a Tylenol. 120 00:06:08,910 --> 00:06:12,040 And almost immediately, she passes out 121 00:06:12,122 --> 00:06:15,672 and has to be rushed to the hospital where she died. 122 00:06:15,750 --> 00:06:18,500 - After Mary McFarland collapses, 123 00:06:18,587 --> 00:06:22,007 they’re looking to see, is this another victim? 124 00:06:22,090 --> 00:06:26,430 And sure enough, there are poison pills in there 125 00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:27,933 just like the others. 126 00:06:28,013 --> 00:06:29,103 That morning, 127 00:06:29,222 --> 00:06:31,722 deputy medical examiner Edmund Donoghue 128 00:06:31,808 --> 00:06:33,178 addresses the public. 129 00:06:33,268 --> 00:06:34,638 - Definitely, someone tampered with the capsules, 130 00:06:34,769 --> 00:06:36,479 but we have no idea of where that occurred. 131 00:06:36,605 --> 00:06:39,445 - Donoghue hits the airwaves, letting everyone know 132 00:06:39,524 --> 00:06:42,574 that if you have Tylenol from this certain lot number, 133 00:06:42,652 --> 00:06:46,362 whatever you do, do not take that Tylenol. 134 00:06:46,448 --> 00:06:50,198 Remember, it’s 1982. There’s no social media. 135 00:06:50,285 --> 00:06:51,995 There’s three networks. 136 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:53,370 To get the word out, police were even 137 00:06:53,455 --> 00:06:55,005 going around with loudspeakers, 138 00:06:55,123 --> 00:06:57,083 making announcements in the streets 139 00:06:57,167 --> 00:07:00,287 to make sure people would not be taking Tylenol 140 00:07:00,378 --> 00:07:01,998 from this lot number at this time. 141 00:07:02,130 --> 00:07:04,550 - This is a huge deal because Tylenol is probably 142 00:07:04,633 --> 00:07:07,723 the number one pain medicine in the country at the time. 143 00:07:07,802 --> 00:07:09,932 Every hospital and every home in America 144 00:07:10,013 --> 00:07:13,103 probably had a Tylenol in their cabinet. 145 00:07:13,183 --> 00:07:16,233 - Johnson & Johnson moves quickly to recall 146 00:07:16,311 --> 00:07:21,521 4.7 million capsules from lot number MC2880-- 147 00:07:21,650 --> 00:07:23,990 had all been manufactured in Pennsylvania. 148 00:07:24,069 --> 00:07:26,569 At this point, they’re treating it like a homicide. 149 00:07:26,655 --> 00:07:31,455 They just have no idea how to figure out who’s doing it. 150 00:07:31,534 --> 00:07:32,914 The next day, 151 00:07:32,994 --> 00:07:36,374 authorities form a coordinated multi-agency task force. 152 00:07:36,498 --> 00:07:40,168 - Chicago PD is involved and it ends up being something 153 00:07:40,251 --> 00:07:43,751 like 140 law enforcement officials who are involved, 154 00:07:43,838 --> 00:07:46,258 including the FBI. 155 00:07:46,341 --> 00:07:48,591 - Not only were they investigating 156 00:07:48,677 --> 00:07:50,337 multiple homicides, 157 00:07:50,428 --> 00:07:51,928 but they were also trying to figure out, 158 00:07:52,013 --> 00:07:54,603 are there any more bottles on the shelves out there, 159 00:07:54,683 --> 00:07:56,233 which was key. 160 00:07:56,351 --> 00:07:59,311 - Before this task force can even mobilize 161 00:07:59,396 --> 00:08:02,516 and hit the streets, there’s another incident. 162 00:08:02,607 --> 00:08:06,437 In Old Town, Chicago around00 p.m. that day, 163 00:08:06,528 --> 00:08:09,568 a woman named Paula Prince is found dead 164 00:08:09,698 --> 00:08:11,948 on the floor of her home. 165 00:08:12,033 --> 00:08:14,493 And there is an open bottle of Tylenol 166 00:08:14,577 --> 00:08:17,077 on her bathroom counter. 167 00:08:17,205 --> 00:08:19,915 But this bottle is different. 168 00:08:20,041 --> 00:08:22,631 - It was actually manufactured in Texas. 169 00:08:22,711 --> 00:08:27,591 And the number on that particular bottle was 1920MD. 170 00:08:27,716 --> 00:08:30,216 Now we have a different lot number 171 00:08:30,301 --> 00:08:32,301 that’s been tainted with cyanide. 172 00:08:32,387 --> 00:08:35,677 And of course, now all the red flags go up. 173 00:08:35,765 --> 00:08:38,015 - They now know that this isn’t contained to a single lot. 174 00:08:38,101 --> 00:08:42,981 It is spread and they don’t know how far it might go. 175 00:08:43,064 --> 00:08:45,404 That night, Mayor Jane Byrne 176 00:08:45,525 --> 00:08:49,895 orders all Tylenol removed from Chicago shelves. 177 00:08:49,988 --> 00:08:51,488 - People, of course, were panicked. 178 00:08:51,573 --> 00:08:54,493 So they were calling up, "I just took a Tylenol. 179 00:08:54,576 --> 00:08:55,906 Am I going to die?" 180 00:08:55,994 --> 00:08:57,704 Emergency responders on the other end would say, 181 00:08:57,787 --> 00:09:00,577 "Well, if you’re able to call, you’re gonna be okay, 182 00:09:00,707 --> 00:09:02,827 but don’t take any more." 183 00:09:02,917 --> 00:09:06,707 - The first problem for police is where do you start? 184 00:09:06,796 --> 00:09:10,876 Is it just a random lunatic? Is it a serial killer? 185 00:09:10,967 --> 00:09:15,217 The obvious first place to look is to see if maybe 186 00:09:15,305 --> 00:09:18,435 it’s something that happened in the supply chain. 187 00:09:21,603 --> 00:09:23,023 Investigators start 188 00:09:23,104 --> 00:09:26,774 with the Chicago offices of Johnson & Johnson. 189 00:09:26,858 --> 00:09:28,728 Police interview several current 190 00:09:28,818 --> 00:09:31,448 and former Johnson & Johnson employees 191 00:09:31,571 --> 00:09:35,531 looking for anyone bearing a grudge. 192 00:09:35,617 --> 00:09:38,617 - Johnson & Johnson put out a $100,000 reward 193 00:09:38,703 --> 00:09:42,543 and for any tips that might lead to whoever was doing this. 194 00:09:42,624 --> 00:09:43,714 Nothing came of it. 195 00:09:43,792 --> 00:09:45,792 - They’re also concerned about 196 00:09:45,877 --> 00:09:48,337 if there are other pills still. 197 00:09:48,463 --> 00:09:50,423 Their interviews with employees 198 00:09:50,507 --> 00:09:51,587 don’t get them anywhere. 199 00:09:51,674 --> 00:09:54,844 So a drastic step has to be taken. 200 00:09:56,304 --> 00:09:57,854 On October 5th, 201 00:09:57,972 --> 00:10:02,942 Johnson & Johnson recalls all Tylenol products nationwide-- 202 00:10:03,019 --> 00:10:05,899 a total of 31 million bottles 203 00:10:05,980 --> 00:10:10,190 valued at more than $100 million. 204 00:10:10,318 --> 00:10:13,698 - They were able to test them. 50 pills were contaminated. 205 00:10:13,822 --> 00:10:16,532 Those 50 pills were only in eight bottles. 206 00:10:16,658 --> 00:10:19,578 Two of the bottles had been returned in the recall. 207 00:10:19,661 --> 00:10:22,711 One other bottle was found after the fact still 208 00:10:22,831 --> 00:10:26,131 on a shelf, but hadn’t been sold yet. 209 00:10:26,209 --> 00:10:29,959 They’re lucky somebody else didn’t buy those three bottles. 210 00:10:30,046 --> 00:10:32,626 - They know these tainted pills were only produced 211 00:10:32,715 --> 00:10:36,425 in Pennsylvania or Texas in these two lot numbers. 212 00:10:36,511 --> 00:10:41,601 One thing they don’t find is any evidence of pills 213 00:10:41,683 --> 00:10:43,813 that are tainted with cyanide 214 00:10:43,893 --> 00:10:48,063 outside the Chicago Metro area. 215 00:10:48,189 --> 00:10:52,149 And while Johnson & Johnson is testing all of this, 216 00:10:52,235 --> 00:10:54,575 they make another huge breakthrough. 217 00:10:54,696 --> 00:10:57,446 A chemist at J&J discovers 218 00:10:57,532 --> 00:11:01,702 that when you put cyanide inside a Tylenol capsule, 219 00:11:01,786 --> 00:11:05,116 it degrades within 24 hours, 220 00:11:05,206 --> 00:11:09,166 which means these crimes had to happen locally 221 00:11:09,252 --> 00:11:12,092 because the amount of time it takes for that pill 222 00:11:12,213 --> 00:11:14,553 to dissolve after you put the cyanide in it, 223 00:11:14,674 --> 00:11:17,434 doesn’t allow for shipping it out from a factory 224 00:11:17,552 --> 00:11:19,802 and waiting until it hits store shelves. 225 00:11:19,888 --> 00:11:21,558 You gotta act fast. 226 00:11:21,639 --> 00:11:23,059 At this time, 227 00:11:23,141 --> 00:11:26,391 pill bottles didn’t have tamperproof seals on them. 228 00:11:26,477 --> 00:11:28,937 So anyone could open a medicine bottle 229 00:11:29,063 --> 00:11:33,153 without detection virtually anywhere. 230 00:11:33,234 --> 00:11:34,694 - If it’s not an inside job, 231 00:11:34,777 --> 00:11:37,987 this case becomes much more difficult. 232 00:11:38,072 --> 00:11:41,532 Now they have to canvass the entire Chicago area 233 00:11:41,618 --> 00:11:42,278 for any suspect. 234 00:11:46,206 --> 00:11:49,286 Early October, 1982. 235 00:11:49,417 --> 00:11:51,747 Media coverage of the Chicago Tylenol murders 236 00:11:51,878 --> 00:11:54,758 is constant and frenzied. 237 00:11:56,507 --> 00:11:59,927 - This is a huge story. Mass hysteria breaks out. 238 00:12:00,053 --> 00:12:03,763 It’s like the Kennedy assassination in the coverage 239 00:12:03,890 --> 00:12:08,230 and the way it just captivates America’s attention. 240 00:12:08,311 --> 00:12:09,771 - Well, there was somewhere in the area 241 00:12:09,896 --> 00:12:12,936 of a 100,000 different newspaper articles 242 00:12:13,024 --> 00:12:15,784 that were done on this particular case. 243 00:12:15,902 --> 00:12:18,362 - The scariest thing is that seven days have passed 244 00:12:18,446 --> 00:12:21,116 and they still have no viable suspect. 245 00:12:21,199 --> 00:12:23,949 Then on Wednesday, October 6th, 246 00:12:24,077 --> 00:12:28,537 investigators finally receive what they hope will be a clue. 247 00:12:28,623 --> 00:12:33,133 - A ransom letter arrives at the Johnson & Johnson offices. 248 00:12:33,253 --> 00:12:36,963 And this letter claims to be from the person 249 00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:39,470 who is poisoning these Tylenol pills. 250 00:12:39,592 --> 00:12:42,302 So finally, police have a suspect. 251 00:12:44,472 --> 00:12:47,642 - In the letter, "the Tylenol killer" 252 00:12:47,725 --> 00:12:50,895 appears to be bragging about his prowess. 253 00:12:50,979 --> 00:12:54,019 It only takes him ten minutes to contaminate a bottle. 254 00:12:54,148 --> 00:12:57,488 He’s only spent $50 to kill all of these people. 255 00:12:57,568 --> 00:12:58,988 And, "Hey, Johnson & Johnson, 256 00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:01,160 "if you don’t want the killings to continue, 257 00:13:01,239 --> 00:13:04,529 "you better wire a million dollars to this bank account. 258 00:13:04,659 --> 00:13:06,989 And don’t tell the FBI." 259 00:13:07,078 --> 00:13:08,828 And the tone is so creepy. 260 00:13:08,913 --> 00:13:12,173 He says, "It’s so easy to get buyers 261 00:13:12,292 --> 00:13:14,462 to swallow the bitter pill." 262 00:13:14,544 --> 00:13:16,924 Ugh. It’s a sociopath. 263 00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:19,666 - This is not a smart crime. 264 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:22,339 If this is a genuine ransom letter, 265 00:13:22,468 --> 00:13:24,008 the person who sent it put 266 00:13:24,095 --> 00:13:28,435 their actual bank account number in the letter. 267 00:13:28,516 --> 00:13:30,346 The account belongs to a man named 268 00:13:30,476 --> 00:13:32,766 Frederick Miller McCahey. 269 00:13:32,854 --> 00:13:36,904 Could the Tylenol killer finally have a name? 270 00:13:37,025 --> 00:13:39,075 - So investigators follow the trail 271 00:13:39,193 --> 00:13:41,613 and speak to Frederick Miller McCahey. 272 00:13:41,696 --> 00:13:45,866 And he’s an heir to the Miller Brewing fortune. 273 00:13:45,950 --> 00:13:50,290 Clearly, he’s not likely to be the Tylenol killer. 274 00:13:50,371 --> 00:13:54,211 - So they analyze this letter and police find a fingerprint 275 00:13:54,334 --> 00:13:57,804 and it traces back to a man named Robert Richardson. 276 00:13:57,879 --> 00:14:02,629 On October 13th, 1982, police issue a warrant 277 00:14:02,717 --> 00:14:05,507 for his arrest over extortion charges. 278 00:14:06,804 --> 00:14:08,394 - There’s a big, big manhunt 279 00:14:08,473 --> 00:14:10,433 looking for this Robert Richardson. 280 00:14:10,558 --> 00:14:13,058 They have over 100 law enforcement officers, 281 00:14:13,144 --> 00:14:15,904 but at this point, he’s in the wind, he’s a ghost. 282 00:14:15,980 --> 00:14:17,570 A few days later, 283 00:14:17,690 --> 00:14:21,110 the alleged killer makes contact again. 284 00:14:21,235 --> 00:14:23,485 A second threatening letter shows up, 285 00:14:23,571 --> 00:14:25,951 this time at the White House. 286 00:14:26,074 --> 00:14:27,164 - This letter matches 287 00:14:27,241 --> 00:14:28,581 the handwriting of the first letter. 288 00:14:28,701 --> 00:14:31,831 It also includes a death threat to President Reagan. 289 00:14:31,913 --> 00:14:33,413 - President Reagan! 290 00:14:33,498 --> 00:14:36,998 - In the letter, he demands a taxation overhaul 291 00:14:37,085 --> 00:14:39,675 or else the killings will continue. 292 00:14:39,754 --> 00:14:42,804 Within days, a third letter arrives, 293 00:14:42,924 --> 00:14:45,844 this time to the "Chicago Tribune." 294 00:14:45,927 --> 00:14:47,507 But unlike the other letters, 295 00:14:47,595 --> 00:14:51,095 this one is an attempt to clear his name. 296 00:14:51,224 --> 00:14:55,444 - And he basically identifies himself as James Lewis, 297 00:14:55,561 --> 00:14:58,441 sends a thumbprint in, a copy of his driver’s license. 298 00:14:58,564 --> 00:14:59,774 Everything’s there 299 00:14:59,899 --> 00:15:01,979 for law enforcement to identify who he is. 300 00:15:02,110 --> 00:15:04,190 Lewis’ thumbprint is a match 301 00:15:04,278 --> 00:15:05,858 and investigators find out 302 00:15:05,947 --> 00:15:09,117 that Robert Richardson is an alias. 303 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,790 - And he says, "You know, I was just being opportunistic. 304 00:15:12,912 --> 00:15:14,792 I have nothing to do with this." 305 00:15:14,872 --> 00:15:16,832 It was really a crime of opportunity, 306 00:15:16,958 --> 00:15:22,168 not a mass-murdering, at least as far as he was concerned. 307 00:15:22,296 --> 00:15:23,626 - So James Lewis is now 308 00:15:23,756 --> 00:15:25,796 at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. 309 00:15:25,925 --> 00:15:28,885 They take his photo and they circulate it nationwide. 310 00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:31,100 They have a massive, massive manhunt 311 00:15:31,180 --> 00:15:33,560 looking for this Lewis. 312 00:15:33,641 --> 00:15:36,641 - And they arrest him on December 13th of 1982. 313 00:15:36,727 --> 00:15:39,147 So he’s in custody at this point. 314 00:15:39,272 --> 00:15:40,732 The next day, 315 00:15:40,815 --> 00:15:44,405 his wife Leann turns herself in to the Chicago police. 316 00:15:44,485 --> 00:15:48,065 Her bail is also set at $5 million. 317 00:15:48,156 --> 00:15:50,566 - They were probably relieved that they had 318 00:15:50,658 --> 00:15:53,158 a really strong suspect in custody. 319 00:15:53,244 --> 00:15:55,914 It didn’t seem that more people were dying 320 00:15:55,997 --> 00:15:59,117 of the same ailments. 321 00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:01,498 - Lewis admits to sending the ransom letters, 322 00:16:01,586 --> 00:16:05,256 but he denies any involvement in the murders. 323 00:16:05,339 --> 00:16:06,839 He was simply trying to frame McCahey 324 00:16:06,924 --> 00:16:08,344 because he felt he was crooked 325 00:16:08,426 --> 00:16:10,676 and he was trying to get the FBI to look at him. 326 00:16:10,761 --> 00:16:11,931 And hopefully that they would 327 00:16:12,013 --> 00:16:15,023 look into any of his financial activities. 328 00:16:15,099 --> 00:16:17,689 - Now, Lewis has been interviewed multiple times 329 00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:19,938 and he basically sticks to his story 330 00:16:20,021 --> 00:16:21,861 that he didn’t have anything to do with it. 331 00:16:21,981 --> 00:16:25,861 Tainting of the pills-- we find out that Lewis’ wife 332 00:16:25,985 --> 00:16:29,195 who’s in custody, worked for McCahey. 333 00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:31,032 There was a falling out. 334 00:16:31,157 --> 00:16:33,367 Apparently, the wife’s last check, 335 00:16:33,493 --> 00:16:37,873 which was for-- in the area of $511 bounced. 336 00:16:37,955 --> 00:16:40,285 So for $511, 337 00:16:40,374 --> 00:16:43,294 this guy goes after this individual McCahey 338 00:16:43,377 --> 00:16:49,047 and basically implicates him in the Tylenol murders. 339 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:53,225 Is Lewis simply inventing an elaborate defense 340 00:16:53,304 --> 00:16:56,724 or could his story actually be true? 341 00:16:56,849 --> 00:17:00,389 - To defend himself, Richardson/Lewis says, 342 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,060 "You know, this would be really easy to do. 343 00:17:03,147 --> 00:17:04,897 Let me show you how." 344 00:17:04,982 --> 00:17:09,322 And he talked them through opening up capsules, 345 00:17:09,403 --> 00:17:12,663 replacing the powder inside with cyanide, 346 00:17:12,740 --> 00:17:13,990 closing it back up. 347 00:17:14,075 --> 00:17:16,585 "See, it’s so simple. Anyone could do it," 348 00:17:16,702 --> 00:17:19,502 wasn’t the smartest move because now police 349 00:17:19,580 --> 00:17:23,170 were really feeling comfortable that this was their guy. 350 00:17:23,251 --> 00:17:27,171 - And what’s crazy about this whole thing is you start 351 00:17:27,255 --> 00:17:31,015 looking at Lewis’s background, and at one point in time, 352 00:17:31,092 --> 00:17:33,012 he actually had some involvement 353 00:17:33,094 --> 00:17:35,264 in the pharmaceutical industry. 354 00:17:35,388 --> 00:17:39,928 - He also had a short-lived business venture 355 00:17:40,017 --> 00:17:43,517 where he was importing pill-making machines 356 00:17:43,604 --> 00:17:45,274 from India. 357 00:17:45,356 --> 00:17:46,816 Lewis’ criminal record 358 00:17:46,941 --> 00:17:49,781 also gets investigators’ attention. 359 00:17:49,860 --> 00:17:51,610 - James Lewis had a troubled past. 360 00:17:51,696 --> 00:17:55,946 He had committed assaults as a teenager, 361 00:17:56,033 --> 00:17:59,453 chased after his stepfather with an axe, 362 00:17:59,537 --> 00:18:01,617 tried to kill himself. 363 00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:03,327 He would later say that he did those things 364 00:18:03,457 --> 00:18:06,037 to try to get out of the Vietnam War draft. 365 00:18:06,127 --> 00:18:08,707 But a lot of people questioned that. 366 00:18:08,796 --> 00:18:11,626 - He also served two years for tax fraud, 367 00:18:11,757 --> 00:18:14,587 but he was very prolific. 368 00:18:14,677 --> 00:18:16,887 Investigators have all they need to prosecute 369 00:18:16,971 --> 00:18:20,471 Lewis for extortion, including a confession. 370 00:18:20,558 --> 00:18:23,638 Now they need to prove he’s a murderer. 371 00:18:25,396 --> 00:18:27,726 - So law enforcement starts to build a timeline of this guy’s 372 00:18:27,815 --> 00:18:30,475 whereabouts the months before the poisoning. 373 00:18:30,568 --> 00:18:33,818 They find out that this guy is running from law enforcement 374 00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:36,986 in Kansas City back in December of 1981. 375 00:18:37,116 --> 00:18:39,826 - When he left Kansas City, this is when he started 376 00:18:39,910 --> 00:18:42,660 using the alias of Robert Richardson 377 00:18:42,747 --> 00:18:46,997 and his wife also used the same Richardson alias. 378 00:18:47,126 --> 00:18:48,496 - James Lewis’ main alibi 379 00:18:48,586 --> 00:18:51,166 for not committing the Tylenol murders 380 00:18:51,255 --> 00:18:53,335 is that he wasn’t anywhere near Chicago 381 00:18:53,466 --> 00:18:54,716 when the killings occurred. 382 00:18:54,842 --> 00:18:56,932 In early September, 1982, 383 00:18:57,011 --> 00:19:00,761 he and his wife booked cash tickets on Amtrak, 384 00:19:00,848 --> 00:19:03,428 left Chicago for New York City 385 00:19:03,517 --> 00:19:07,147 using the aliases William and Karen Wagner. 386 00:19:07,229 --> 00:19:10,729 They lived there in Manhattan for weeks at the same time 387 00:19:10,858 --> 00:19:13,528 these Tylenol killings were happening. 388 00:19:13,611 --> 00:19:15,531 Investigators confirm 389 00:19:15,655 --> 00:19:18,825 the couple did indeed rent a New York hotel room, 390 00:19:18,908 --> 00:19:21,448 but suspicion remains. 391 00:19:21,535 --> 00:19:23,245 - They’ve gotta figure out, okay, 392 00:19:23,371 --> 00:19:25,371 he’s in New York on September 4th. 393 00:19:25,498 --> 00:19:27,788 Could he possibly have come back to Chicago, 394 00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:30,705 tainted the pills, and then went back to New York? 395 00:19:30,795 --> 00:19:35,055 - The problem is no one can prove that hypothesis 396 00:19:35,174 --> 00:19:37,384 because we didn’t have the technology back then 397 00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:39,090 that we have now. 398 00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:42,060 There aren’t cameras on every street light. 399 00:19:42,139 --> 00:19:44,219 But there is one camera 400 00:19:44,308 --> 00:19:46,638 that might hold the answer. 401 00:19:50,564 --> 00:19:52,324 It’s now 2 1/2 months 402 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,820 after the Chicago Tylenol murders. 403 00:19:54,902 --> 00:19:57,492 Police have a potential suspect, 404 00:19:57,571 --> 00:20:00,161 James William Lewis in custody, 405 00:20:00,241 --> 00:20:03,161 but can they prove he’s the killer? 406 00:20:03,244 --> 00:20:07,004 - Police have James Lewis on extortion. 407 00:20:07,081 --> 00:20:08,331 I mean, he’s confessed to it. 408 00:20:08,416 --> 00:20:10,786 It’s a pretty open and close case, 409 00:20:10,918 --> 00:20:13,048 but he is adamant that he had nothing to do 410 00:20:13,129 --> 00:20:14,339 with the poisonings, 411 00:20:14,422 --> 00:20:17,512 and they cannot place him in Chicago. 412 00:20:17,591 --> 00:20:20,301 His alibi is really pretty strong. 413 00:20:20,428 --> 00:20:24,098 Until new evidence surfaces. 414 00:20:24,223 --> 00:20:27,563 - When Paula Prince bought her bottle of Tylenol, 415 00:20:27,643 --> 00:20:29,853 there actually was surveillance video. 416 00:20:29,937 --> 00:20:32,017 - And this is a key part of this investigation 417 00:20:32,106 --> 00:20:35,226 because they’re able to go back and find that 418 00:20:35,317 --> 00:20:40,197 she purchased her Tylenol on September 28th of 1982. 419 00:20:40,281 --> 00:20:41,531 And what’s interesting here 420 00:20:41,615 --> 00:20:44,025 is they actually have security camera video, 421 00:20:44,118 --> 00:20:48,328 and it’s at the register where she’s paying for her Tylenol. 422 00:20:48,456 --> 00:20:49,956 - This was huge. 423 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,540 There’s a gentleman a couple feet behind her 424 00:20:52,626 --> 00:20:55,876 who looks an awful lot like James Lewis. 425 00:20:55,963 --> 00:20:58,513 - So if he’s there during the time that Paula Prince 426 00:20:58,632 --> 00:21:01,392 bought her tainted bottles, then that’s it, right? 427 00:21:01,469 --> 00:21:05,219 You’d think you would have enough to close this case. 428 00:21:05,306 --> 00:21:06,806 Unfortunately, 429 00:21:06,891 --> 00:21:10,271 the video isn’t clear enough for a positive ID. 430 00:21:10,352 --> 00:21:13,232 - Lewis presents himself as an opportunist, 431 00:21:13,314 --> 00:21:17,734 as a conman, as a hustler, but he says he’s not a killer. 432 00:21:17,818 --> 00:21:20,568 That’s not in his repertoire. 433 00:21:20,654 --> 00:21:22,414 But when police dig deeper, 434 00:21:22,490 --> 00:21:24,370 they discover Lewis isn’t quite as innocent 435 00:21:24,492 --> 00:21:26,082 as he claims. 436 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,660 - As police unfold his background, 437 00:21:28,788 --> 00:21:30,578 they find that he actually 438 00:21:30,664 --> 00:21:34,254 had been charged with murder before. 439 00:21:34,335 --> 00:21:35,675 - In the mid ’70s, 440 00:21:35,795 --> 00:21:38,305 Lewis was running a little tax and bookkeeping firm 441 00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:41,630 with his wife Leann in Kansas city. 442 00:21:41,717 --> 00:21:43,637 And one of their favorite clients 443 00:21:43,719 --> 00:21:48,139 was an elderly guy named Raymond West. 444 00:21:48,224 --> 00:21:52,194 - On July 23rd, 1978, Raymond West disappears. 445 00:21:52,269 --> 00:21:56,109 His friend Charles Banker goes to Raymond West’s house 446 00:21:56,190 --> 00:21:59,110 to see how he’s doing, see if he’s turned up. 447 00:21:59,193 --> 00:22:02,113 There is a letter on Raymond’s door. 448 00:22:02,196 --> 00:22:05,776 - "Ray’s out of town. For further, call Jim." 449 00:22:05,866 --> 00:22:08,736 And it’s on the Lewis & Lewis stationery. 450 00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:12,039 That’s pretty weird according to his friend. 451 00:22:12,164 --> 00:22:14,464 So, you know, Ray doesn’t go out of town-- 452 00:22:14,542 --> 00:22:16,462 certainly not without telling him about it. 453 00:22:16,544 --> 00:22:18,844 Banker calls police. 454 00:22:18,921 --> 00:22:21,631 When the police come, they enter the house. 455 00:22:21,715 --> 00:22:23,125 Police look around the house. 456 00:22:23,217 --> 00:22:26,137 They don’t see anything strange so they leave. 457 00:22:27,721 --> 00:22:29,891 - Three weeks passed and Charles Banker 458 00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:35,345 came back to Raymond’s house on August 14th, 1978. 459 00:22:35,437 --> 00:22:38,977 And he opened the door. There was a terrible odor. 460 00:22:39,066 --> 00:22:42,146 He went and got the police who were experienced enough 461 00:22:42,236 --> 00:22:45,486 that they knew from the smell what they were dealing with. 462 00:22:45,573 --> 00:22:48,243 - So police in the basement, 463 00:22:48,325 --> 00:22:52,655 they find a bloody lawn chair, rope, 464 00:22:52,746 --> 00:22:56,536 and a garbage bag containing his toupee, 465 00:22:56,625 --> 00:22:59,995 eyeglasses, and a blood-stained sheet. 466 00:23:00,087 --> 00:23:03,377 Upstairs, officers notice a stain 467 00:23:03,465 --> 00:23:06,585 running from the ceiling to the wall. 468 00:23:06,677 --> 00:23:08,547 - In the attic, they find a body 469 00:23:08,637 --> 00:23:11,057 with its legs dismembered. 470 00:23:11,140 --> 00:23:14,600 There’s white rope around the remains, 471 00:23:14,685 --> 00:23:16,405 bags covering parts of his body, 472 00:23:16,478 --> 00:23:20,018 and the decomposition is tremendous. 473 00:23:20,107 --> 00:23:22,357 - They knew it was the work of a killer. 474 00:23:22,443 --> 00:23:24,903 They just didn’t know why or who. 475 00:23:24,987 --> 00:23:27,857 - As they continue the search to gather more evidence, 476 00:23:27,948 --> 00:23:32,948 they find a $5,000 check made out to guess who? 477 00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:36,078 The payee is James Lewis. 478 00:23:36,165 --> 00:23:39,925 - So the police ask if they can search his car. 479 00:23:40,002 --> 00:23:41,882 And he says, "Sure." 480 00:23:41,962 --> 00:23:46,592 In his trunk, they find 20 feet of white rope, 481 00:23:46,675 --> 00:23:50,545 trash bags like the ones found in Raymond’s house, 482 00:23:50,638 --> 00:23:53,888 a briefcase with Raymond West papers, 483 00:23:53,974 --> 00:23:58,734 and a stack of Raymond West’s checkbooks. 484 00:23:58,812 --> 00:24:00,942 In late August, 1978, 485 00:24:01,023 --> 00:24:04,613 the Jackson County grand jury charges James Lewis 486 00:24:04,693 --> 00:24:06,703 with capital murder. 487 00:24:06,820 --> 00:24:08,410 - Before the case had even started, 488 00:24:08,489 --> 00:24:10,739 before any evidence was even presented, 489 00:24:10,824 --> 00:24:14,334 his attorney gets the case thrown out on a technicality. 490 00:24:14,411 --> 00:24:17,121 - Once they arrested him, they failed to read him 491 00:24:17,206 --> 00:24:21,996 his Miranda rights, so every bit of that evidence 492 00:24:22,086 --> 00:24:24,746 that they had found would be thrown out. 493 00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:26,968 And without it, there was no case. 494 00:24:27,049 --> 00:24:29,429 And James Lewis walked out the door. 495 00:24:29,510 --> 00:24:31,300 Despite the lack of a conviction, 496 00:24:31,387 --> 00:24:33,757 investigators working the Tylenol case 497 00:24:33,847 --> 00:24:37,137 now believe Lewis is capable of murder. 498 00:24:37,226 --> 00:24:39,976 But do they have enough evidence to prove it? 499 00:24:40,062 --> 00:24:43,652 - So this guy gets off on a murder in ’79, and in 1982, 500 00:24:43,732 --> 00:24:46,442 they have him for extortion, and the authorities 501 00:24:46,527 --> 00:24:49,527 can’t connect him to these Tylenol cases 502 00:24:49,655 --> 00:24:51,745 because all they have is circumstantial evidence 503 00:24:51,865 --> 00:24:55,945 because his alibi says he was in New York. 504 00:24:56,036 --> 00:24:58,456 Can you believe that? 505 00:24:58,539 --> 00:25:01,039 In October of 1983, 506 00:25:01,125 --> 00:25:03,635 one year after the Tylenol killings, 507 00:25:03,711 --> 00:25:06,961 Lewis is tried for extortion and convicted. 508 00:25:07,047 --> 00:25:11,007 He serves 13 years of his 20-year sentence. 509 00:25:11,093 --> 00:25:13,643 - So after that, police have another chance 510 00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:17,351 to maybe find some closure in the Tylenol case. 511 00:25:17,433 --> 00:25:19,183 So they look for more evidence. 512 00:25:19,268 --> 00:25:22,648 Again, they searched his house in 2009. 513 00:25:22,730 --> 00:25:26,980 They confiscated some computers and paperwork 514 00:25:27,067 --> 00:25:29,487 that they hoped would point to him 515 00:25:29,570 --> 00:25:34,320 as having been the mastermind of this poisoning scheme. 516 00:25:34,408 --> 00:25:38,368 In 2010, they got a court order to get DNA 517 00:25:38,454 --> 00:25:40,334 from James Lewis and his wife, Leann. 518 00:25:40,414 --> 00:25:42,374 Charges never came. 519 00:25:42,458 --> 00:25:46,338 - Is Lewis on the Walgreens video behind Paula Prince? 520 00:25:46,420 --> 00:25:49,380 And is Lewis the individual 521 00:25:49,465 --> 00:25:52,345 that tainted the pills or is he not? 522 00:25:57,431 --> 00:26:00,771 When the Tylenol murders rock Chicago in 1982, 523 00:26:00,851 --> 00:26:04,941 investigators initially believe it’s an isolated event, 524 00:26:05,022 --> 00:26:06,272 but as they dig deeper, 525 00:26:06,356 --> 00:26:10,276 they unravel an unsettling possibility. 526 00:26:10,402 --> 00:26:13,782 The killer has been active before. 527 00:26:13,864 --> 00:26:16,374 In fact, he could be 528 00:26:16,450 --> 00:26:20,450 one of the most infamous criminals in U.S. history. 529 00:26:21,455 --> 00:26:23,965 One week into the initial investigation, 530 00:26:24,041 --> 00:26:26,331 a Chicago detective is dispatched 531 00:26:26,460 --> 00:26:29,630 to Sheridan, Wyoming to follow a lead. 532 00:26:29,713 --> 00:26:32,843 - On October 9th in 1982, "New York Times" released 533 00:26:32,966 --> 00:26:37,216 an article that talked about a lead up in Wyoming. 534 00:26:37,304 --> 00:26:40,644 There was a very similar homicide that occurred 535 00:26:40,766 --> 00:26:44,306 using tainted extra-strength Tylenol with cyanide. 536 00:26:44,436 --> 00:26:46,516 So they sent a team of investigators up there 537 00:26:46,647 --> 00:26:50,647 to go ahead and look at this particular case. 538 00:26:50,734 --> 00:26:52,154 - As it turns out, 539 00:26:52,236 --> 00:26:55,656 a couple months before the Chicago murders happened, 540 00:26:55,781 --> 00:26:59,241 on July 26th in Sheridan, Wyoming, 541 00:26:59,326 --> 00:27:03,246 19-year-old janitor Jay Adam Mitchell 542 00:27:03,330 --> 00:27:06,500 is found dead of cyanide poisoning, 543 00:27:06,583 --> 00:27:09,003 just like the cases in Chicago. 544 00:27:09,086 --> 00:27:10,206 - According to his mom, 545 00:27:10,337 --> 00:27:12,007 the only thing he had taken prior 546 00:27:12,131 --> 00:27:15,181 was extra-strength Tylenol. 547 00:27:15,259 --> 00:27:17,339 - Chicago PD and the FBI 548 00:27:17,427 --> 00:27:19,347 couldn’t make a direct connection 549 00:27:19,471 --> 00:27:21,851 other than circumstantial evidence between 550 00:27:21,974 --> 00:27:25,524 the Sheridan, Wyoming poisoning of Mitchell 551 00:27:25,602 --> 00:27:29,612 and the Tylenol murders two months later in Chicago. 552 00:27:29,690 --> 00:27:34,530 - The case kind of goes cold for about 30 years. 553 00:27:34,611 --> 00:27:37,111 Then, a very high-profile suspect 554 00:27:37,197 --> 00:27:39,367 is thrust into the spotlight. 555 00:27:39,449 --> 00:27:42,199 - On May 19th, 2011, 556 00:27:42,327 --> 00:27:48,417 dozens of news agencies pick up on a story about a new suspect. 557 00:27:48,542 --> 00:27:52,462 The FBI was seeking DNA from none other 558 00:27:52,546 --> 00:27:56,216 than Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. 559 00:27:59,136 --> 00:28:02,136 Kaczynski was a reclusive mathematician 560 00:28:02,222 --> 00:28:03,562 convicted of sending bombs 561 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,310 through the mail for nearly 20 years, 562 00:28:06,393 --> 00:28:10,483 killing three people and wounding 23. 563 00:28:10,564 --> 00:28:14,234 He’s currently serving eight life sentences for his crimes 564 00:28:14,318 --> 00:28:17,648 in a prison medical facility in North Carolina. 565 00:28:19,198 --> 00:28:21,238 - In 1978 through 1980, 566 00:28:21,325 --> 00:28:23,585 Ted Kaczynski was living with his parents 567 00:28:23,660 --> 00:28:26,910 in Lombard, Illinois, right outside of Chicago. 568 00:28:27,039 --> 00:28:29,169 And obviously, we have the first four attacks 569 00:28:29,249 --> 00:28:33,169 that occurred right there in the Chicago metropolitan area, 570 00:28:33,253 --> 00:28:36,053 but he also intermittently stayed with his parents 571 00:28:36,131 --> 00:28:38,011 after that timeframe. 572 00:28:38,091 --> 00:28:40,931 Lombard could also be an ideal home base 573 00:28:41,011 --> 00:28:42,471 for the Tylenol killer. 574 00:28:42,596 --> 00:28:46,096 - All of the stores where those Tylenol bottles were purchased 575 00:28:46,183 --> 00:28:48,813 were all within a 20-mile drive 576 00:28:48,936 --> 00:28:51,596 from Kaczynski’s parents’ home. 577 00:28:51,730 --> 00:28:54,270 - And so he would’ve known these stores. 578 00:28:54,399 --> 00:28:56,939 He would’ve known easily how to get to them. 579 00:28:57,027 --> 00:28:59,107 He would’ve been comfortable in the area. 580 00:28:59,238 --> 00:29:00,948 And that’s something else to think about-- 581 00:29:01,031 --> 00:29:03,741 poisoning within a particular radius. 582 00:29:03,825 --> 00:29:06,285 - When you look at the video of the individual 583 00:29:06,370 --> 00:29:09,540 standing behind Paula in Walgreens, 584 00:29:09,623 --> 00:29:11,043 not only does he look like Lewis, 585 00:29:11,124 --> 00:29:14,794 but he also looks like Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. 586 00:29:14,878 --> 00:29:18,128 - The overlap between what Kaczynski is convicted of 587 00:29:18,215 --> 00:29:20,685 and the Tylenol deaths, people started to wonder, 588 00:29:20,801 --> 00:29:24,551 okay, they’re both domestic terrorism cases. 589 00:29:24,638 --> 00:29:26,638 And actually, some of Kaczynski’s 590 00:29:26,723 --> 00:29:32,313 first terrorist attacks originated in Chicago. 591 00:29:32,437 --> 00:29:34,477 There is also another reason 592 00:29:34,606 --> 00:29:37,476 authorities think Kaczynski could be responsible. 593 00:29:37,609 --> 00:29:39,649 - When you look at where Kaczynski was arrested 594 00:29:39,736 --> 00:29:41,146 in Montana 595 00:29:41,238 --> 00:29:44,068 and you follow I-90 to go to Chicago, 596 00:29:44,157 --> 00:29:47,197 almost in that direct line is Sheridan, Wyoming, 597 00:29:47,327 --> 00:29:49,407 which is just off I-90. 598 00:29:49,496 --> 00:29:52,246 So here we have another circumstantial connection 599 00:29:52,332 --> 00:29:54,502 for Kaczynski to be involved 600 00:29:54,626 --> 00:29:56,836 in at least the Sheridan, Wyoming murder 601 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,170 and the 1982 Tylenol murders in Chicago. 602 00:30:00,257 --> 00:30:03,427 - Could Ted Kaczynski have committed this 603 00:30:03,510 --> 00:30:08,060 Sheridan, Wyoming crime as a run-up or practice 604 00:30:08,181 --> 00:30:10,851 to his much bigger crimes later? 605 00:30:10,934 --> 00:30:13,444 - Ted Kaczynski was a really good planner. 606 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:18,020 He tested stuff out before he actually committed the crime. 607 00:30:18,108 --> 00:30:20,358 You know, he tested his bombs out, 608 00:30:20,444 --> 00:30:24,244 and could the Sheridan, Wyoming homicide be the precursor 609 00:30:24,364 --> 00:30:28,374 to what occurred in Chicago two months later in 1982? 610 00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:29,953 Could very well have been. 611 00:30:30,037 --> 00:30:33,537 That’s the way Ted Kaczynski operates. 612 00:30:33,623 --> 00:30:35,883 Kaczynski denies any involvement 613 00:30:36,001 --> 00:30:38,041 with the Tylenol case. 614 00:30:38,170 --> 00:30:42,260 - Now, Kaczynski claims he never had potassium cyanide 615 00:30:42,382 --> 00:30:43,632 in his possession 616 00:30:43,717 --> 00:30:48,557 and they didn’t find any in his cabin in Montana. 617 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,390 Since 2011, police haven’t filed 618 00:30:51,475 --> 00:30:54,895 any new charges against Ted Kaczynski. 619 00:30:54,978 --> 00:30:59,068 So it’s possible that there wasn’t a DNA match, 620 00:30:59,191 --> 00:31:02,241 but it’s possible that they’re still building a case. 621 00:31:05,947 --> 00:31:07,027 One month into the hunt 622 00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:08,735 for Chicago’s Tylenol killer, 623 00:31:08,825 --> 00:31:12,325 investigators ask a new and provocative claim. 624 00:31:12,412 --> 00:31:14,752 - What if these people weren’t killed at random? 625 00:31:16,792 --> 00:31:18,712 Investigators look into the victims’ 626 00:31:18,794 --> 00:31:20,384 friends and family, 627 00:31:20,462 --> 00:31:22,762 searching for any potential motive. 628 00:31:22,839 --> 00:31:25,009 - Does someone’s husband or wife 629 00:31:25,092 --> 00:31:26,762 have a reason to commit murder? 630 00:31:26,843 --> 00:31:31,723 Does an employee who is disgruntled with their job 631 00:31:31,807 --> 00:31:33,807 have a reason to do this? 632 00:31:33,934 --> 00:31:34,984 Most of the victims 633 00:31:35,102 --> 00:31:38,482 don’t seem to have any enemies. 634 00:31:38,605 --> 00:31:42,525 - But Mary Reiner might have a connection 635 00:31:42,609 --> 00:31:45,279 to a possible suspect. 636 00:31:45,362 --> 00:31:47,322 His name is Roger Arnold, 637 00:31:47,447 --> 00:31:52,367 and he’s a self-proclaimed closet chemist. 638 00:31:52,452 --> 00:31:54,082 Around the time of the murders, 639 00:31:54,162 --> 00:31:56,412 he’s heard openly bragging 640 00:31:56,498 --> 00:32:00,208 about having access to cyanide. 641 00:32:00,293 --> 00:32:01,503 - He’s a bar fly, 642 00:32:01,628 --> 00:32:03,838 so he hangs out at one particular tavern, 643 00:32:03,964 --> 00:32:05,514 knows all the bartenders. 644 00:32:05,632 --> 00:32:07,382 And he’s constantly talking about 645 00:32:07,467 --> 00:32:09,717 how easy it is to poison people 646 00:32:09,803 --> 00:32:13,683 and basically goes into detail as to how it could be done. 647 00:32:13,807 --> 00:32:15,727 - One of the people listening at the bar 648 00:32:15,809 --> 00:32:19,229 thought his theories were a little too close to plausible 649 00:32:19,312 --> 00:32:20,812 and called in a tip, 650 00:32:20,897 --> 00:32:23,187 asking for investigators to look at Arnold. 651 00:32:26,653 --> 00:32:29,743 Things that raised eyebrows about Arnold were 652 00:32:29,823 --> 00:32:33,453 he worked in a warehouse for Jewel grocery stores, 653 00:32:33,535 --> 00:32:36,455 a place one of the bottles of Tylenol was found. 654 00:32:36,538 --> 00:32:38,538 At the warehouse where he worked, 655 00:32:38,665 --> 00:32:40,165 he was a colleague 656 00:32:40,250 --> 00:32:42,420 with the father of one of the victims. 657 00:32:42,502 --> 00:32:46,422 So we have a little bit of a tangential relationship. 658 00:32:46,506 --> 00:32:50,756 - This is the first time police have identified a suspect 659 00:32:50,844 --> 00:32:53,394 who might have a connection to one of the victims. 660 00:32:53,513 --> 00:32:57,433 Did he have some sort of beef with the Reiner family? 661 00:32:57,517 --> 00:33:01,307 Was this a revenge killing? It could be. 662 00:33:01,396 --> 00:33:03,606 One thing police will tell you all the time 663 00:33:03,690 --> 00:33:06,440 is there’s no such thing as coincidences. 664 00:33:06,526 --> 00:33:09,486 Officers act on the tip immediately 665 00:33:09,571 --> 00:33:12,701 and bring Arnold in for questioning. 666 00:33:12,782 --> 00:33:15,372 - At the time, Arnold was out on an assault complaint, 667 00:33:15,494 --> 00:33:18,544 so the police had good reason to check in on him. 668 00:33:18,663 --> 00:33:20,003 They talked about 669 00:33:20,081 --> 00:33:21,501 what Arnold thought about the Tylenol killings and, 670 00:33:21,583 --> 00:33:23,793 "Hey, guy, did you have anything to do with this?" 671 00:33:23,877 --> 00:33:26,297 And he said, "Absolutely not." 672 00:33:26,379 --> 00:33:29,969 - Roger did tell police, "Yeah, I had cyanide, 673 00:33:30,050 --> 00:33:31,590 but I got rid of it in August." 674 00:33:31,718 --> 00:33:34,428 And the crimes weren’t until late September. 675 00:33:34,554 --> 00:33:36,764 So according to him, it was all gone by then. 676 00:33:38,558 --> 00:33:42,148 - This is all circumstantial, but it’s very alarming. 677 00:33:42,229 --> 00:33:48,149 We have a suspect who fancies himself as a "closet chemist." 678 00:33:48,235 --> 00:33:51,865 And he has a connection to one of the victims. 679 00:33:51,947 --> 00:33:54,817 And he worked in the perfect spot 680 00:33:54,908 --> 00:33:56,578 to pull off a crime like this. 681 00:33:56,660 --> 00:34:00,370 And he admits to handling and having cyanide. 682 00:34:00,455 --> 00:34:01,995 It’s enough to get a search warrant 683 00:34:02,082 --> 00:34:04,212 for Arnold’s apartment. 684 00:34:04,292 --> 00:34:09,632 - They found chemicals, weapons, 685 00:34:09,756 --> 00:34:14,086 how-to guides for various criminal activities. 686 00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:16,677 - And they also find two one-way tickets to Thailand. 687 00:34:16,763 --> 00:34:18,683 They find five unregistered guns, 688 00:34:18,765 --> 00:34:22,685 chemistry equipment, and white powder. 689 00:34:22,769 --> 00:34:24,269 - They find potassium carbonate, 690 00:34:24,354 --> 00:34:26,904 which is not the same as potassium cyanide. 691 00:34:26,982 --> 00:34:31,192 But if you modify it a little bit, it can be deadly. 692 00:34:31,278 --> 00:34:33,568 You can make a synthetic version 693 00:34:33,655 --> 00:34:36,415 using other ingredients. 694 00:34:36,491 --> 00:34:38,161 Arnold doesn’t help himself either 695 00:34:38,285 --> 00:34:39,835 because he won’t tell police 696 00:34:39,953 --> 00:34:44,333 why he has this potassium carbonate in his possession. 697 00:34:44,457 --> 00:34:46,207 He just says, "It wasn’t illegal. 698 00:34:46,293 --> 00:34:47,793 Don’t worry about it." 699 00:34:47,877 --> 00:34:50,457 Investigators next ask Arnold 700 00:34:50,547 --> 00:34:53,297 to take a polygraph exam. 701 00:34:53,425 --> 00:34:55,135 - Obviously, he refuses. 702 00:34:55,218 --> 00:34:58,968 So he ends up charged with the assault and weapons violations. 703 00:34:59,055 --> 00:35:02,555 While he’s awaiting trial on those charges, 704 00:35:02,642 --> 00:35:07,812 he’s released on a $6,000 bond and he’s very angry. 705 00:35:07,939 --> 00:35:09,569 - Well, when he was being interviewed 706 00:35:09,649 --> 00:35:11,149 by law enforcement, 707 00:35:11,234 --> 00:35:12,784 he made a very interesting quote. 708 00:35:12,861 --> 00:35:15,741 And he said, "I’d like to be in on the homicide 709 00:35:15,822 --> 00:35:17,702 of the guy that turned me in." 710 00:35:19,326 --> 00:35:23,156 In the early morning of June 18th, 1983, 711 00:35:23,288 --> 00:35:25,618 Arnold snaps. 712 00:35:25,707 --> 00:35:28,417 - Roger Arnold becomes convinced 713 00:35:28,501 --> 00:35:30,421 that the bar owner, Marty Sinclair, 714 00:35:30,503 --> 00:35:34,013 is the guy who turned him in, so he starts to stalk him, 715 00:35:34,090 --> 00:35:38,050 approaches him, and pulls out a gun, says, 716 00:35:38,178 --> 00:35:40,138 "You turned me in." And he fires. 717 00:35:42,349 --> 00:35:46,769 The man drops dead, but it’s not Marty Sinclair. 718 00:35:46,853 --> 00:35:49,773 The man he killed was a computer consultant 719 00:35:49,856 --> 00:35:51,106 named John Stanisha. 720 00:35:51,191 --> 00:35:52,781 He was a father of three kids. 721 00:35:52,859 --> 00:35:56,779 He had absolutely no connection to the case whatsoever. 722 00:35:56,863 --> 00:35:59,533 Arnold is sentenced to 30 years in prison 723 00:35:59,658 --> 00:36:02,158 for killing Stanisha. 724 00:36:02,243 --> 00:36:07,333 - He ends up serving 15 years and then dies in 2008 725 00:36:07,415 --> 00:36:10,035 without ever admitting any guilt 726 00:36:10,126 --> 00:36:13,086 or involvement in the Tylenol case. 727 00:36:13,213 --> 00:36:16,883 - The case files remain closed to public or press inspection. 728 00:36:16,966 --> 00:36:19,086 It’s still an open investigation. 729 00:36:19,219 --> 00:36:22,139 So we’ll never know how many prime suspects 730 00:36:22,222 --> 00:36:25,812 may have been looked at in the Tylenol murders. 731 00:36:25,892 --> 00:36:28,732 Lewis remains a person of interest 732 00:36:28,812 --> 00:36:30,982 for many people involved in the case. 733 00:36:31,064 --> 00:36:34,734 Roger Arnold--he’s dead now. We’ll never know. 734 00:36:46,037 --> 00:36:48,867 In the years since the Chicago Tylenol murders, 735 00:36:48,957 --> 00:36:52,537 many have wondered if the suspect is still out there, 736 00:36:52,627 --> 00:36:54,917 why have the killings stopped? 737 00:36:55,004 --> 00:36:59,014 - So since no other tainted pills show up in Chicago, 738 00:36:59,092 --> 00:37:02,932 that has led some people to assume maybe the killer died 739 00:37:03,054 --> 00:37:05,604 or maybe he just gave up. 740 00:37:05,682 --> 00:37:09,892 But there is another really frightening possibility. 741 00:37:09,978 --> 00:37:13,608 In the aftermath of the Tylenol murders, 742 00:37:13,732 --> 00:37:16,282 there are hundreds of copycat attempts 743 00:37:16,359 --> 00:37:17,939 all across the country-- 744 00:37:18,027 --> 00:37:21,777 at least, that’s what police categorized them as. 745 00:37:21,906 --> 00:37:23,866 But what if they weren’t copycats? 746 00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:25,910 Maybe the killer didn’t stop. 747 00:37:31,166 --> 00:37:35,206 In 1986, four more deaths occur 748 00:37:35,295 --> 00:37:38,595 due to tampered pain pills. 749 00:37:38,673 --> 00:37:41,183 - Two of the victims are attributed to a killer 750 00:37:41,301 --> 00:37:45,391 in Seattle named Stella Nickell. 751 00:37:45,472 --> 00:37:49,562 She used cyanide-laced Excedrin to kill her husband 752 00:37:49,642 --> 00:37:51,892 and a woman named Sue Snow. 753 00:37:53,855 --> 00:37:55,525 But there are two more deaths 754 00:37:55,648 --> 00:37:58,728 that are a little more intriguing. 755 00:37:58,818 --> 00:38:02,528 In Austin, Texas in May, 1986, 756 00:38:02,655 --> 00:38:05,905 a college student named Kenneth Faries dies 757 00:38:05,992 --> 00:38:09,082 after taking cyanide-laced Anacin. 758 00:38:09,162 --> 00:38:11,502 - His death was ruled a suicide 759 00:38:11,581 --> 00:38:16,921 because he had supposedly had access to cyanide at his work. 760 00:38:17,003 --> 00:38:20,553 And so the thinking was that he had tainted 761 00:38:20,673 --> 00:38:25,683 an Anacin pill himself and intentionally taken it. 762 00:38:25,804 --> 00:38:29,024 It does seem like a very horrific way 763 00:38:29,140 --> 00:38:33,020 to die by suicide, but that’s what it was ruled. 764 00:38:33,144 --> 00:38:37,904 - The one that probably stood out for people was in Yonkers. 765 00:38:38,024 --> 00:38:41,034 On February 8th, 1986, 766 00:38:41,152 --> 00:38:45,032 Diane Elsroth took some extra-strength Tylenol 767 00:38:45,156 --> 00:38:49,286 that had been laced with cyanide and she dropped dead. 768 00:38:49,369 --> 00:38:52,459 - The tainted bottles were found in stores 769 00:38:52,539 --> 00:38:54,289 in Westchester County, 770 00:38:54,374 --> 00:38:57,634 and fortunately, they were able to get them all off the shelves 771 00:38:57,710 --> 00:38:59,630 before anyone else was killed. 772 00:38:59,712 --> 00:39:03,222 - Investigators looked at the New York cases 773 00:39:03,341 --> 00:39:05,301 to see if maybe this was a continuation 774 00:39:05,385 --> 00:39:07,355 of the Chicago cases. 775 00:39:07,428 --> 00:39:08,968 Maybe whoever had done it 776 00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:13,635 had just been dormant for things to quiet down. 777 00:39:13,726 --> 00:39:15,556 - There hasn’t been a direct connection made 778 00:39:15,645 --> 00:39:19,485 between that case and the Chicago Tylenol murders, 779 00:39:19,566 --> 00:39:21,896 but it’s eerie that it’s very similar. 780 00:39:22,026 --> 00:39:24,396 - If the New York cases were connected 781 00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:27,739 to the Chicago cases, that would’ve thrown a wrench 782 00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:30,696 in all of the theories up to date 783 00:39:30,785 --> 00:39:34,205 because Roger Arnold was in prison 784 00:39:34,289 --> 00:39:36,829 and James Lewis was in prison. 785 00:39:36,916 --> 00:39:40,336 - Or as the FBI currently believes, 786 00:39:40,420 --> 00:39:43,090 maybe it is just a copycat and there still are 787 00:39:43,172 --> 00:39:46,512 two poisoning suspects out there at large. 788 00:39:46,593 --> 00:39:50,013 Thankfully these days, it’s very unlikely 789 00:39:50,096 --> 00:39:53,886 that we’ll have another epidemic of poisoned pills. 790 00:39:55,768 --> 00:39:58,228 In the wake of the Tylenol murders, 791 00:39:58,313 --> 00:39:59,563 the U.S. government passed 792 00:39:59,647 --> 00:40:04,067 the Federal Anti-Tampering Act in 1983. 793 00:40:04,152 --> 00:40:09,072 - This case and the bill that it inspired are responsible 794 00:40:09,157 --> 00:40:12,447 for the tamperproof seals and packaging 795 00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:15,287 that you see on medicine bottles today. 796 00:40:15,371 --> 00:40:20,291 It absolutely changed history and saved countless lives. 797 00:40:20,418 --> 00:40:23,918 - These poisonings were an act of domestic terrorism, 798 00:40:24,005 --> 00:40:28,555 and whoever committed them was a heinous, heartless, 799 00:40:28,635 --> 00:40:32,225 horrible person who didn’t care who went down, 800 00:40:32,305 --> 00:40:33,605 how they would die. 801 00:40:33,681 --> 00:40:36,771 They just wanted to inflict some damage. 802 00:40:36,851 --> 00:40:39,061 And it’s a terrible case. 803 00:40:39,145 --> 00:40:40,645 The families that were affected 804 00:40:40,772 --> 00:40:42,232 by the Tylenol murders 805 00:40:42,315 --> 00:40:44,905 still are wanting justice in this case. 806 00:40:44,984 --> 00:40:48,244 No one’s been charged. No one’s been convicted. 807 00:40:48,321 --> 00:40:51,911 There are no answers yet in the Tylenol murders. 808 00:40:51,991 --> 00:40:54,291 - And this is one of those great cold cases 809 00:40:54,369 --> 00:40:55,659 from the 20th century 810 00:40:55,745 --> 00:40:58,085 that there’s a lot of questions out there. 811 00:40:58,164 --> 00:41:01,754 But I think with having the FBI involved 812 00:41:01,834 --> 00:41:03,634 and maybe where we are right now 813 00:41:03,711 --> 00:41:06,801 with some of the new DNA stuff that’s come out, 814 00:41:06,881 --> 00:41:09,431 hopefully, they can bring this to a conclusion. 815 00:41:11,803 --> 00:41:14,473 Authorities have gathered thousands of documents 816 00:41:14,555 --> 00:41:17,475 and interviewed more than 400 persons of interest 817 00:41:17,558 --> 00:41:20,438 during their ongoing investigation. 818 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:24,770 They’re currently testing the original cyanide-laced capsules 819 00:41:24,857 --> 00:41:29,237 in an attempt to complete a DNA profile of the killer. 820 00:41:29,362 --> 00:41:35,032 Perhaps modern technology can finally close the case. 821 00:41:35,159 --> 00:41:36,789 I’m Laurence Fishburne. 822 00:41:36,869 --> 00:41:40,459 Thank you for watching "History’s Greatest Mysteries."