Shivangi Sinha
James Lewis has remained one of the most prominent suspects in the Tylenol murders, a case that shook the nation in the 1980s after several people died from cyanide-laced capsules. While much of the attention has been on him, his wife, LeAnn Lewis, was also at the center of the investigation and media spotlight. It was her connection to a former employer that led authorities to initially zero in on James. Over the years, her role has continued to raise questions. Netflix’s ‘Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders’ explores her involvement and how it has evolved over time.
LeAnn Lewis Was With James Lewis When He Was Arrested For Extortion
LeAnn Lewis lived with her husband, James Lewis, in Kansas City, Missouri, where the couple operated a tax services firm called Lewis & Lewis. They had met at the University of Missouri and a year after getting married, their daughter, Toni, was born. She had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome and eventually passed away from a ventricular septal defect. Following the 1978 death of Raymond West, James was convicted of tax fraud and served two years in prison. After his release, the couple relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in December 1981. They adopted new identities; LeAnn became Nancy Richardson, while James went by Robert Richardson. In January 1982, she began working as a bookkeeper at Lakeside Travel, a company owned by Frederick McCahey. That same year, the firm began to experience serious financial difficulties, including the issuance of numerous bad checks to employees.
LeAnn filed her bounced paycheck at a currency exchange and was subsequently sued for the default, ultimately having to pay a fine. Many other employees of Lakeside Travel faced similar issues, prompting them to file claims with the Wage Claim Division of the Illinois Department of Labor. On August 3, 1982, LeAnn attended a wage-claim hearing along with other affected employees, but the proceedings failed to result in any meaningful resolution. The financial chaos reportedly led to a confrontation between James and LeAnn’s employer, McCahey. By early September 1982, LeAnn and James abruptly left Chicago, adopting the aliases William and Karen Wagner and relocating to New York City.
From September 20 to October 14, 1982, LeAnn worked as a temporary employee at a Manhattan firm. However, on October 15, she called in sick, and three days later, James informed the employer that LeAnn had a tumor on her kidney. She never returned to the job or collected her final paycheck. On October 18, the couple checked into a low-budget hotel under the aliases Edward and Carol Scott. Later, from November 26 to December 13, LeAnn worked as a bookkeeper at another Manhattan business. On December 13, James was arrested in connection with the Tylenol murders. Although he was never charged with the actual poisonings, he was convicted of extortion and spent nearly 10 years in prison. The police had linked him to the crime through a letter demanding money be deposited into an account under the name of McCahey, LeAnn’s former employer, raising further suspicion about their alleged motives and involvement.
LeAnn Lewis Prefers to Stay Away From the Limelight These Days
LeAnn Lewis was also charged with Social Security fraud after authorities executed a search warrant on the belongings and residence she shared with James. She surrendered to authorities on December 14, and her bond was initially set at $5 million. However, by the end of the month, the amount was reduced to $100,000. Her father, Charles Miller, agreed to satisfy the bond using the equity in his home in Kearney, Missouri. LeAnn was ordered to remain in the area, but ultimately, all charges against her were dropped. When James was released from prison in 1995, the couple settled in a condo in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On July 10, 2023, while out of town and unable to reach James, LeAnn contacted the police out of concern. Authorities later discovered James dead under what were deemed non-suspicious circumstances. Now in her 70s, she is believed to still reside in the same condo the couple once shared in Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the latest reports, LeAnn is currently leading a quiet and private life, staying largely out of the public eye.
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