The Tylenol Mafia (77 page)

About 30 percent of those sales were from capsules: McFadden, Robert D. “Maker of Tylenol Discontinuing All Over-The-Counter Drug Capsule.”
 
The New York Times,
February 18, 1986.

Food and drug wholesalers: “Wholesale Inventory Turn Data.”
Strategosinc
website, Accessed July 11, 2011.
http://www.strategosinc.com/articles/warehouse_inventory_turns.htm

Food and drug stores also: “Wholesale Inventory Turn Data.”
Strategosinc
website, Accessed July 11, 2011.
http://www.strategosinc.com/articles/warehouse_inventory_turns.htm
 
--
Matyjewicz
, George.
“Inventory Turns.”
Business know-how website.
Accessed June 11, 2011.
http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/inventory.htm

A constant barrage of news
: Church, George J; Griggs, Lee; Healy, Rita. “Copycats Are on the Prowl.”
TIME
, November 8, 1982.

Dr. Park Dietz:
 
Dietz, Park.
“Product Tampering.”
April 23, 1999.

In 2002, James Zagel: Shane, Scott.
“Noticing a toxic similarity”
Sun Journal
, April 29, 2002.

He was in prison serving ten years: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

Lewis had suffered a heart attack: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says
.” Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

With James Lewis out: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says
.” Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

When contacted on February 11, 1986, Robert Long:
Dungey
, Diane “Illinois starts checking Tylenol.”
Daily Herald
, February 15, 1986.

Donald Morano, Lewis’s attorney: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 198.6

James Burke had said:
 
Associated Press. “Tylenol pulled off store shelves after fatal poisoning in New York.”
Daily Intelligencer
, February 11, 1986.

but
Lane and Margolis were already in LeAnn’s Cambridge apartment by then: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

Morano said Lane and Margolis initially asked: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

“
properly
and professionally and will continue to proceed”: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

In fact, the jaunt: O’Connor, Phillip J. “Lewis wife harassed by FBI, lawyer says.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 15, 1986.

PART 3

37
           
The Manhunt

An envelope: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

One week after: Associated Press. “Tylenol suspect called dangerous.”
The Iola Register
, October 16, 1982.

Police in Amarillo: Beck, Melinda; Monroe, Sylvester; Buckley, Jerry.
“ Tylenol
: Many leads, No arrests.”
Newsweek
, October 25, 1982.

At Boston’s Park Plaza: Beck, Melinda; Foote, Donna; Michael, Renee; Shannon, Elaine.
“The Tylenol Manhunt.”
Newsweek
, November 1, 1982.

In Carl Junction:
 
Beck, Melinda; Foote, Donna; Michael, Renee; Shannon, Elaine.
“The Tylenol Manhunt.”
Newsweek
, November 1, 1982.

She was “99-and-three-fourths sure”: United Press International: “Tylenol recall saved at least one life.”
The Hawk Eye
, October 22, 1982.

An investigator at the Tylenol task-force headquarters: “Extra Suspects.”
TIME
, November 1, 1982.

James Lewis grew up on a small farm in Carl Junction: Lewis, James.
Personal interview by author.
Philadelphia, May 27, 2011.

In the early 1970s, James and LeAnn: James, Lewis. Email, re: The Tylenol Speculation Drawing documents. March 8, 2008.

In 1975, Lewis:
 
Lewis, James
. Email interview with author, re:
Aljeev
International, July 31, 2010.

 
“We were inexperienced kids”:
 
Lewis, James. Email interview with author, re:
Aljeev
International, July 31, 2010.

Mehta moved to California: Lewis, James. Email interview with author, re:
Aljeev
International, July 31, 2010.
– “
Viren
Mehta Director OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.”
Forbes website.
Accessed June1 2011.
http://people.forbes.com/profile/viren-mehta/60990

On December 4:
 
738 F.2d 91 USA,
Appellee
, v. James W. Lewis, Appellant. No. 83-1947 US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, January 26, 1984.

While Kansas City authorities:
 
738 F.2d 91 USA,
Appellee
, v. James W. Lewis, Appellant.
No. 83-1947 US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, January 26, 1984.

In January, James took a job: Cohen, Sharon. “
suspect
in poisoning, man of many faces.”
Pittsburg Post-Gazette
, October 21, 1982. -- 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Barbara
Vaitkus
,
later testified: United Press International. “Neighbors Says Lewis Knew How.”
The Daily News
: October 21, 1983 -- 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Lakeside Travel went bankrupt: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

A Senior Vice President with First National Bank at that time was Neil Hartigan: Telegraph Capital Bureau. “Demos’ Hartigan would reorganize AG office.”
Alton Telegraph
, October 28, 1982.

On LeAnn’s last day: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

A majority of: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

The wage hearing: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Jim’s temporary job: Beck, Melinda; Foote, Donna; Michael, Renee; Shannon, Elaine.
“The Tylenol Manhunt.”
Newsweek
, November 1, 1982.

Shortly after arriving in New York: Beck, Melinda; Foote, Donna; Michael, Renee; Shannon, Elaine.
“The Tylenol Manhunt.”
Newsweek
, November 1, 1982.

Court documents show that Lewis said his intent was “not to extort money”: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Lewis wanted the letter to appear authentic: Lewis, James. Email interview by author, June 24, 2010.

On October 6, 1982, the Director of Security: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

 
“Gentlemen: As you can see”: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Fahner said the disclosure: Associated Press.
“Chicago Officials Check Wyoming Cyanide Death.”
Tyrone Daily Herald
, October 9, 1982. -- Associated Press. “Tylenol makers report $1 million extortion plot.”
Alton Telegraph
, October 8, 1982.

Lewis never intended to collect: McCabe, Neil W. “Been There.”
The Alewife
, October 3, 2007.

Lewis sent a letter to
The Chicago Tribune
in November:
Janota
, Laura. “'Prime suspect' still maintains innocence.”
Daily Herald
, September 27, 1992.

Regardless of whether: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions Supervision, Regulation, and Insurance Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs.
“Examination Findings Regarding Continental National Bank’s Loan Management and Capital.”
September 18, 1984.

In July 1982, Penn Square: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions Supervision, Regulation, and Insurance Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs.
“Examination Findings Regarding Continental National Bank’s Loan Management and Capital.”
September 18, 1984.

“
too
big to fail”:
History of the Eighties
– “Volume 1: Lessons for the Fu
ture An Examination of the Banking Crises of the 1980s and Early 1990s.” Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1997.

Johnson & Johnson appointed Rizzo: “Letter to the Stockholders,” in Johnson & Johnson’s 1982 Annual Report, 1983.

Rizzo was one of nine directors at Continental Bank that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) fired: “Rolling Heads.”
TIME
, December 17, 1984.

David Collins described: Moore, Thomas.
“The Fight to Save Tylenol.”
TIME,
November 29, 1982.

But that’s not what: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Judge Frank McGarr, who presided: 797 F.2d 358 21 Fed. R.
Evid
.
Serv. 225 USA, Plaintiff-
Appellee
, v. James William Lewis, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-2011. US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit,
May
31, 1985.

Jeremy Margolis, the Assistant U.S. Attorney: Bergmann, Joy.
“A Bitter Pill.”
Chicago Reader
, November 3, 2000.

Margolis said, “He [Lewis] knew”: Bergmann, Joy.
“A Bitter Pill.”
Chicago Reader
, November 3, 2000.

On October 14, 1982: Associated Press. “‘Chameleon’ Sought in Tylenol Case.”
Casa Grande Dispatch
, October 9, 1982.