A fresh Netflix documentary delves into a chilling case, but the three-part series also sheds light on another unresolved crime.

Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, revisits the harrowing events in Chicago, 1982, when at least seven individuals tragically lost their lives after consuming cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.

Each episode scrutinises the queries posed at the time and those that persist today.

However, throughout the series, interviewees also divulge details about Raymond West.

But who exactly was he? What transpired with him? And how is he linked to the Tylenol murders? Here's everything you need to know.

Who was Raymond West?

Ray West was a retired lorry driver residing in the same vicinity as James Lewis' tax service business, which he operated with his wife. He would frequently greet them as he strolled past , reports the .

James recounts that he eventually struck up a friendship with him, and Ray would drop by most days. Following the death of James Lewis' daughter, Ray reportedly told friends that his tax man was lingering around excessively.

According to those taking part in the documentary, this made him feel uneasy, but then he abruptly vanished in July 1978. Another friend of Ray's alerted the police.

When officers arrived at Ray West's residence, they discovered a note on his door on Lewis and Lewis stationary stating he had gone away for a few days and anyone seeking him should contact Jim. In the documentary, James Lewis confesses to penning the note, stating he wrote that Ray had gone to the Ozarks because that's what he was informed.

Three weeks later, with Ray still missing, the police conducted a search of his home. They discovered blood splatters on the walls, blood on the floor and stains seeping from the ceiling.

The dismembered body of 72 year old Ray West was soon found in the attic.

In the bathroom, they found bloody bars of soap with hairs attached. One of these hairs was reportedly a match for James Lewis.

Authorities also raised suspicions about a cheque made out to Lewis for $5,000, which they believed was not actually written by Ray West himself.

James Lewis maintains that this was a small loan he intended to repay within a month. Despite being charged with West's murder, his defence lawyers argued that his Miranda rights were violated and that initial statements made by Lewis, along with the recovered evidence, should be disregarded.

What is the connection with the Tylenol Murders?

The link between Ray West and the Tylenol Murders is simply that they share the same suspect. James Lewis was accused and charged with his friend's murder, but after a judge ruled that certain evidence, including the soap bar, could not be used, Lewis claimed they had 'nothing'.

They also failed to establish West's cause of death, leading to the case being dismissed.

Several officers who investigated the case at the time participate in the Netflix documentary. They express their belief to the cameras that a man accused of such a crime years before the Tylenol murders could also be responsible for the poisonings.

In the documentary, James Lewis refutes any involvement in West's murder and denies tampering with Tylenol bottles.

In 2009, he voluntarily provided DNA samples to the FBI. However, these did not match any found on the tampered medications. Lewis died in 2023.

Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders is streaming on Netflix.