Paramount+ just released the trailer for Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders, a five-part documentary series that takes a deep dive into the 1982 Tylenol murders. The docuseries premieres on October 10, 2023 and examines the tragic deaths of seven people in Chicago after they purchased bottles that contained pills laced with poison.
The seven innocent victims ranged from 12 (Mary Kellerman) to 35 years old. Three of the unfortunate victims were members of the same family.
Nurse Helen Jensen discovered the thread between the victims, and it was determined someone had opened the packaging, injected captures with cyanide, and then resealed the bottles. The discovery forced stores across the U.S. to remove Tylenol from their shelves, and Johnson & Johnson initiated a recall of all Tylenol capsules.
The FBI and multiple law enforcement agencies investigated, but the person or persons responsible was never apprehended.
The Plot, Courtesy of Paramount+
Painkiller follows as investigators focus on a key suspect: James Lewis. In real-time, the five-part docuseries unravels the dark, complicated mystery of the crime, exploring the various police missteps and the madness that consumed Lewis, who lived in plain sight for more than 40 years. The series meticulously pieces together other crimes to which Lewis was connected, including extortion, dismemberment and another murder.
Four decades later, the grieving families carry the horror of the heinous crime. Past clues and new technology raise the question: Could DNA evidence finally nail the killer?
WBBM Films’ Jeff Harris and See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong executive produce.
