Latest news with #crimeinvestigation
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
Police urge public help after body discovery
A major investigation is underway after the body of a woman was discovered near railway tracks. Police said the woman was located around 9.45am on Fridsay in Townsville on Railway Ave by a member of the public, who immediately contacted emergency services. The area has been declared a crime scene and detectives are treating the death as suspicious. Detective Acting Inspector Phil Watts said investigators were still working to formally identify the woman and had not yet determined her age. Officers are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage captured between Monday, June 17, and Friday morning around Doorey St and Queens Rd to come forward. 'We're very early on in this investigation so any information from the public would be greatly appreciated,' Inspector Watts said. 'We have a number of investigation areas and (are) following up on a number of different lines of inquiry.' A forensic team remains at the scene conducting a detailed examination, which Inspector Watts said would take time to complete. 'It takes a degree of time and we're still working through that, it has to be done methodically,' he said. 'We're not ruling anything out.' While the cause of death remains unclear, police have reassured the community there is no evidence of an ongoing threat. Inspector Watts said the fact the woman was found in a public location made any information from witnesses or passers-by all the more important. 'Particularly given the case the deceased was located in a public area,' he said. Police have asked that people stay away from Railway Ave until 9pm while the forensic investigation continues. 'We will leave no stone unturned to ascertain what happened here,' Inspector Watts said. Railway Ave has been closed to all traffic, with police cordoning off the road and advising motorists to seek alternative routes. Queensland Rail has temporarily closed the rail line, although train services have not been impacted at this stage. Anyone who was travelling through the area this morning is urged to check their dashcam footage and report anything suspicious to police.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- CTV News
Siksika man charged in relation to string of vehicle thefts
A Siksika First Nation man faces multiple charges following an investigation into a string of vehicle thefts. On May 21, Southern Alberta RCMP Crime Reduction Unit (SAD CRU) launched an investigation in rural areas east of Calgary. A suspect was identified, and SAD CRU, working with help from RCMP officers from Strathmore, Airdrie, Gleichen, Vulcan and High River deployed a bait truck with GPS tracking to the area. Police say that between April 20 and June 15, there were 17 vehicle thefts that they believe were related to the suspect, climaxing with the theft of the bait truck in Wheatland County on June 16. SAD CRU, with the help from Strathmore and Gleichen RCMP, tracked down the stolen RCMP bait truck in Strathmore, which resulted in the driver fleeing from the truck. After a short foot chase, he was arrested by SAD CRU. A 25-year-old Siksika Nation resident was jointly charged by SAD CRU and Strathmore RCMP with the following: Two counts of motor vehicle theft; Resisting arrest; Two counts of failure to comply with a release order; Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine); Three counts of driving an uninsured motor vehicle; Two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000; Possession of stolen property under $5,000; and Two counts of theft of a debit card. The man was also charged by Gleichen RCMP with the following: Mischief over $5,000; Taking motor vehicle without consent; Driving uninsured motor vehicle; Possession of stolen property over $5,000; Possession of a prohibited weapon; Possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number. The man was also charged by Airdrie RCMP with the theft of a motor vehicle. Following a bail hearing, the man was held in custody until June 19. However, that appearance was remanded until July 3.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Tasmania Police investigating after body found in bin at Bellerive
A man's body has been found in a bin at the rear of a business on Hobart's eastern shore. Tasmania Police said the 45-year-old's body was found in an "industrial-type bin" at the business in Percy Street, Bellerive, on Monday morning. Detectives and forensics officers have been at the scene since the body was discovered about 9am Police are expected to hold a media conference at 3pm today.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Warwickshire Police consider online portal to track crimes
A police force is considering introducing a new online portal for members of the public to track the progress of crimes they have Supt Mike Smith of Warwickshire Police told Stratford-on-Avon District Council's overview and scrutiny committee it could "take a significant number of calls out of the control room".Mr Smith said it would help people know what was happening with the investigation into crimes they had the idea was still being developed and would likely involve "significant" costs, he added. "The old adage that resonates with me is if you order a parcel from Amazon, you never phone Amazon to see where your parcel is, you just go online and you can look," he said, while acknowledging that the "infinite number of things that could happen with the investigation" made it more challenging."It is more complex, but the basic concept of being able to go online and see where your investigation is once it is reported to us is sound, and somewhere we want to get to," he said. 'Significant' cost Mr Smith said the force had a number of upcoming meetings with technology suppliers to see how the project would work."The challenge with it - and this is why we can't promise timescales at this stage - is you have to link that into your records management system," he said. "There are millions of records and to interface any public-facing portal with that is quite significant in terms of cost."We are in the process of changing our records management system... the aspiration is to move as quickly as possible to a position where the public can track their crime online."Andy Crump, the chair of the committee said one of the most frustrating things for members of the public was not being able to see the progress on crimes they had reported"If the online portal is a way forward, that would certainly help," he said. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Was James Lewis The Tylenol Killer? The Chilling True Story Behind Netflix's Docuseries
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Four decades after the Tylenol murders caused mass panic in Chicago and across the country, Netflix's new docuseries Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders is revisiting the unsolved case. What happened in one of the largest criminal investigations in U.S. history, and why has justice never been served? In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died under the same mysterious circumstances: they had all taken Extra-Strength Tylenol. After testing, each of the capsules was found to be laced with potassium cyanide at toxic levels high enough to provide 'thousands of fatal doses,' Time Magazine reported. News of the poisoned capsules sparked fear among the six million residents of the Chicago area. Health officials quickly advised the public to stop using the over-the-counter medication, and authorities went door-to-door warning residents of the potential danger. From directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders dives into the 'shocking theories and evidence, looks at new testimonies, and even gets inside the mind of a key suspect,' according to Netflix's Tudum. Read on for a deeper dive into the Tylenol Murders, including who the victims were, the main person of interest James Lewis, and what happened to Johnson & Johnson during the investigation. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders The first victim was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, whose parents gave her Tylenol after she complained of a cold. She died just hours later. Postal worker Adam Janus died later that morning after taking the pills for chest pain. While mourning his death, Adam's brother, Stanley, and Stanley's wife, Theresa, who were both suffering from headaches, also took Tylenol and died later that day. Another victim was 27-year-old Mary Reiner, who had just returned home after giving birth to her first child. Paula Prince, a 35-year-old United Airlines flight attendant, was also found dead in her apartment with an open Tylenol bottle nearby. Paramedics said there was so much cyanide on her lips that anyone who tried to resuscitate her might have been poisoned as well. The seventh victim was 31-year-old Mary McFarland of Elmhurst, who collapsed at work after taking Tylenol for a headache. A pathologist's test found cyanide in her blood, the New York Times reported at the time. The Netflix documentary notes that there could be more victims, as cyanide tests are rarely included in a standard autopsy toxicology screen unless there is a specific reason to suspect poisoning. For example, if an elderly person had ingested cyanide, the cause of death might have been harder to detect. American businessman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, James Burke, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1981. ... More (Photo by Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images) In the early days of the investigation, Johnson & Johnson executives feared they might bear some responsibility for the murders, according to the Netflix docuseries. At the time, Tylenol was the pharmaceutical company's most profitable product. Illinois Attorney General Tyrone Fahner, who was interviewed in the series, recalled telling Johnson & Johnson to stop selling Tylenol – prompting what would become the largest product recall in history. While testing the contents of the Tylenol bottles, investigators noticed that some capsules had brown rings forming at the ends, evidence of cyanide corrosion. It became clear that the capsules had been pulled apart, emptied of their medicine, and refilled with cyanide. It was also revealed that the contaminated pills came from two different manufacturing plants, one in suburban Philadelphia and the other in Texas. After both facilities showed no evidence of cyanide tampering, investigators began to suspect that someone had tampered with the capsules after they reached store shelves. The tainted Tylenol bottles had been sold at various drugstores across the Chicago area. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Police had no major investigative leads, no connections between the victims, no witnesses, and no clear motive until October 6, 1982. Seven days after the murders, Johnson & Johnson received an extortion letter threatening that more people would be poisoned if certain demands were not met. The letter demanded that $1 million be deposited into an account at Chicago's Continental Bank or a second wave of killings would follow. Investigators believed the person who wrote the letter was likely involved, as he demonstrated specific knowledge about poison and how it works. The bank account was linked to a travel agency called Lakeside Travel, owned by Fred Miller McCahey, a wealthy businessman. McCahey told authorities he had recently gotten into a dispute with a volatile man named Robert Richardson, the husband of one of his employees, Nancy Richardson. Employees at the travel agency noted that the handwriting on the extortion letter resembled Robert's. Handwriting experts later confirmed that it was identical. After Robert and Nancy fled, authorities attempted to track him down using a photo published alongside an article he had written for the Chicago Tribune. Investigators also noted that he resembled the man seen in surveillance footage from the store where Mary McFarland had purchased the lethal Tylenol, per Cold Case. James Lewis in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders." David Barton, a former sergeant with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, recalled seeing a photo of Richardson on the news and immediately sensing something was off. 'I looked at the picture, and I immediately recognized him, jumped up off the couch and said, 'Goddam it, that's not Robert Richardson,'' Barton told Netflix. 'That's not Robert Richardson… that's James Lewis.' Lewis, a tax consultant, became the police's prime suspect in the Tylenol murders. He also had a criminal history. In 1978, Lewis was charged with murder in Kansas City after police discovered the dismembered remains of one of his former clients, Raymond West, in bags in his attic. Authorities also found a forged check that Lewis tried to cash from West's account. However, charges were dropped after a judge ruled that the search of Lewis' home was illegal, according to In 2004, he was charged with rape and kidnapping, but the case was dropped. Lewis was interviewed for Netflix's docuseries, where he denied any involvement in the crimes. "They make it look like I'm the world's most horrible, dangerous person ever... and I wouldn't hurt anybody," Lewis said. Lewis was convicted of extortion for the letter and spent more than 12 years in federal prison. 'I did not consider it an extortion letter because I did not actually have access to making any money from that letter,' he told Netflix. Although officials found drafts of extortion letters in James Lewis's home, along with a book about poisonings, tying him directly to the Tylenol murders was difficult. He was never charged with the killings because authorities could not confirm that he was in the Chicago area during the murders. He had reportedly taken an Amtrak train to New York City and was staying in a hotel there, but police couldn't prove that he returned to Chicago. The FBI reopened the investigation in early 2009 and continued to focus on Lewis. They searched his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as a nearby storage unit he had rented. According to CBS News, in September 2022, members of the task force returned to Boston to re-interview him. Lewis passed away in 2023. IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: The Johnson & Johnson logo is displayed at company offices on ... More October 17, 2023 in Irvine, California. Johnson & Johnson beat Wall Street's quarterly revenue and earnings estimates as sales in its pharmaceutical and medical devices businesses grew. (Photo by) Johnson & Johnson has denied that there was any chance their pills could have been tampered with at their factories, claiming that no cyanide was used in their facilities. However, as the documentary reveals, that turned out to be false. 'Cyanide is present and is used in crucial tests of the Tylenol,' former New York Times pharmaceutical reporter Gardiner Harris said in the series. He also pointed out that the company did most of the investigating themselves, even though they seemed to have 'every season to hide the extent of the contamination problems.' The documentary reveals that potassium cyanide was used it a quality control tests of Tylenol and was found in the vicinity of where the pills were assembled. In 1988, a court ruled that Johnson & Johnson wasn't liable for Diane Elsroth's death. The families of the Chicago victims also sued the company in 1983, claiming that the Johnson & Johnson knew that their bottles ould be tampered with. Johnson & Johnson settled the suit in 1991 and agreed to pay an undisclosed sum without admitting liability. "Though there is no way we could have anticipated a criminal tampering with our product or prevented it, we wanted to do something for the families and finally get this tragic event behind us," Robert Kniffin, a spokesman for Johnson & Johnson, said at the time. Bruce Pfaff, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, called the agreement 'a very favorable settlement for my clients.' Several of the families were seeking between $10 million and $15 million for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and funeral expenses, according to The New York Times. A worker checks the newly implemented safety seals on Tylenol bottles shortly after the company's ... More re-release of Tylenol capsules in 1982. A few months earlier, a Chicago man poisoned Tylenol with cyanide, killing several people. | Location: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA. (Photo by �� Leif Skoogfors/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Johnson & Johnson was ultimately able to successfully re-launch Tylenol after the scare. The company overhauled its manufacturing process and introduced three separate safety seals to Tylenol packaging. First was an outer box with glued flaps. Second, a tight plastic neck seal covering the cap and neck of the bottle. And finally, a strong inner foil seal placed over the mouth of the bottle. Four years after the original murders, on February 8, 1986, Diane Elsroth of Yonkers, New York, died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that were found to contain cyanide, even though the bottle had a triple safety seal. Johnson & Johnson claimed at the time that someone had penetrated all the seals, resecured them, and returned the bottles to the shelf. The Netflix documentary reported that two additional triple-sealed bottles of Tylenol were also found to contain the poison. Ultimately, the Westchester District Attorney was able to determine where the pills had been tampered with. In the aftermath of the Tylenol poisonings, other pharmaceutical and food companies began implementing tamper-proof seals and safety indicators during the manufacturing process. These changes significantly reduced the number of copycat incidents. 'Before 1982, nobody thought twice about opening a bottle of painkillers,' Guendelman and Pines told Tudum. '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." Watch the official trailer for Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders below.
