(CNN) - The FBI announced Wednesday that it is working with Illinois state and local police to review evidence related to the 1982 Tylenol murders. "Further, given the many recent advances in forensic technology, it was only natural that a second look be taken at the case and recovered evidence."
I've written extensively (Retail Crime, Security and Loss Prevention - An Encyclopedic Reference) about the 1982 Tylenol murders and the effects the crimes have had on consumers around the world. As a result of that product tampering case, killing seven people around the Chicago area, the drug manufactures started started providing "tamper resistant" caps and closures on their products. It did not take long for this practice to spread throughout the food industry.
Police have always suspected James L. Lewis of the Tylenol murders, but never brought charges for the crimes against him. Lewis was found guilty of trying to extort $1 million from Johnson and Johnson, in the extortion note, claiming he could stop the cyanide poisoning murders. He served 13 years of a 20 year prison sentence for that crime, but has always claimed his innocence in the Tylenol murders.
The FBI has reopened the case citing new technology has increased the possibility of solving the murders and bringing the culprit(s) to justice. It's been reported that both Lewis and his wife have submitted to a DNA sample along with their fingerprints to the FBI. According to the Chicago Tribune, Lewis has stated "if the FBI plays it fair, I have nothing to worry about."
Curtis Baillie, CSC - Security Consulting Strategies, LLC
