Idaho Case Linked to 1982 Tylenol Murders, Officials Say

A man found dead in Idaho may be connected to the 1982 Tylenol murders, prompting renewed investigation into the cold case.

Editorial Desk

September 24, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Boise, United States — A man found dead in an Idaho church decades ago may be linked to the unsolved 1982 cyanide poisonings that led to the Tylenol murders, according to authorities.

Detective Tim Cooper of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office reopened a cold case in 2019, leading to the identification of Dr. Mathew Francis Betkouski, who died from cyanide poisoning over 40 years ago. Authorities believe he may have been involved in the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area with cyanide-laced Tylenol.

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Investigators found an engraved key with Betkouski’s body that led them to a property in Jacksonville, Florida, where a man disappeared in 1982. Although no one was ever charged in the 1982 killings, the case remains open and investigators are now looking at Betkouski as a possible suspect.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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