According to Netflix’s Tudum, the docuseries is the latest installment in the Cold Case franchise, directed by Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines and executive produced by Joe Berlinger, all of whom are known for shedding light on high-profile cases through documentaries on the streaming platform.

In The Tylenol Murders, the trio delves deeper by including interviews, theories, evidence and insights from key suspect James Lewis to show how one of the nation’s most trusted brands became a source of fear for American consumers.

Here’s everything to know about The Tylenol Murders, from the case’s chilling origins to how Lewis became a prime suspect and why, after more than 40 years, it’s being reexamined now.

When can viewers watch ‘Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders’ on Netflix?

The docuseries was released on Monday and is available for streaming on the platform.

Who were the Tylenol murder victims?

According to Newsweek, there were only available details about the seven Chicago victims who died after ingesting the poisoned Tylenol capsules.

The victims include Mary Kellerman (12), postal worker Adam Janus (27), Adam’s brother Stanley Janus (25), Stanley’s wife of three months, Theresa Janus (20), Mary McFarland (31), Paula Prince (35), and Mary “Lynn” Reiner (27), according to CBS News.

There may have been additional, possibly older, victims. Since cyanide is challenging to detect without specific testing, some deaths may have gone unnoticed.

How did filmmakers secure an interview with James Lewis?

According to the directors, several suspects were connected to the case, but Lewis remained the FBI’s top person of interest. It was producer Molly Forster who convinced him to speak on camera at great length about his criminal past, which included his alleged involvement in the Tylenol killings.

“She was given the task to get him and she brought him,” The Hollywood Reporter Guendelman said. “She’s the best at this.”

Forster built a rapport with Lewis, which made him feel comfortable enough to share his story on camera. Though he was never charged in the Tylenol killings, he was convicted of extortion after sending a letter to Johnson & Johnson, the brand’s maker, admitting to the deaths and demanding $1 million to stop them, per The Hollywood Reporter. He served 10 years in prison.

Lewis had an extensive criminal history

Years before the Tylenol case, Lewis was charged with the 1978 murder of Raymond West, who had hired him as an accountant. The case later fell apart, and the police were unable to secure a conviction. In 1983, Lewis was convicted of mail fraud, and he was also accused of an aggravated rape allegation that was dropped after the accuser declined to move forward.

According to filmmakers, Lewis longed for the perfect opportunity to share his story publicly.

“There was something in him that wanted to say what he wanted to say, for many years,” Guendelman told the outlet. “Having people basically trying to get you for 40 years, I guess also makes you want to talk and enjoy this attention.”

What happened to Lewis?

Shortly after his interview, he died. While directors Guendelman and Pines didn’t capture a confession on tape, they had other things in mind for him and the docuseries.

“Jim is not the only suspect in this case,” Pines said. “We don’t know for sure that he’s responsible.”

“So we didn’t do this interview just to get a confession out of [Lewis], but to really confront him about all the hard questions about this case and the other cases…that he was suspected of in the past,“ he added.

Lewis’ original name was Robert Richardson, but he later changed it, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Why revisit the Tylenol murders after 40 years?

“Before 1982, nobody thought twice about opening a bottle of painkillers,“ Guendelman and Pines told Netflix.

“Today, every tamper-proof seal is a reminder of that dark moment — when cyanide-laced capsules transformed an everyday medicine into a murder weapon, permanently reshaping consumer industries.“

“Our hope is that by expanding the narrative, we might bring the families of the victims a step closer to the answers they’ve awaited for decades.”