Tylenol murders suspect dead at 76

The man suspected to be behind the lacing of Tylenol capsules with cyanide, resulting in the deaths of seven Chicago-area residents in 1982, died at his home. He was 76.

Medics pronounced suspect James Lewis dead in his home in Cambridge, Mass., after they responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive person Sunday afternoon, the New York Post reported Tuesday, citing police.

Officials said Lewis' death was not suspicious. 

Lewis was the only suspect in the Tylenol murders, but he was never charged in the case, which still remains open. Throughout his life, Lewis maintained his innocence.

Lewis was convicted of extortion and served 12 years in prison after he sent a letter to Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson demanding that the pharmaceutical company hand over $1 million "to stop the killing."

Lewis moved to Massachusetts with his wife after he was released from prison in 1995.

Police arrested Lewis in 1982 after seven people, with ages ranging from 12 to 35, died over three days in the Chicago area after taking Tylenol capsules filled with cyanide. The incident sparked a nationwide recall. Tamper-proof packaging later became standard across the United States.

A nationwide manhunt resulted in Lewis' arrest in New York City, where he told investigators in detail how the murderer may have poisoned the capsules. He later told The Associated Press that he was rationalizing at the time how a person could have managed the complex murders.

Lewis, who was charged in multiple non-related crimes throughout his life, admitted to penning the extortion letter and had called the killer "a heinous, cold-blooded killer, a cruel monster."

Retired Chicago nurse Helen Jensen, who helped treat some of the victims, said, "His death is a conclusion. Not necessarily the conclusion everyone wanted. But it is an end. I’m 86 now. And I am glad I got to see the end before I die."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.