Idaho detectives identify 1982 Boise suicide victim as possible link to Tylenol murders
Idaho law enforcement has identified the unidentified man who died of cyanide poisoning in a Boise church in 1982 as Dr. Mathew Francis Betkouski, a chemist whose activities may be connected to the 1982 Tylenol capsule poisonings, and are seeking information from the public.
Ada County detectives announced Wednesday that the man who poisoned himself with cyanide in Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise in December 1982 has been identified as Dr. Mathew Francis Betkouski, an organic chemist who had worked on NASA-related projects. Betkouski, described by investigators as highly intelligent but socially isolated, had a documented interest in chemistry and explosives, and colleagues recalled him discussing the use of cyanide in a "perfect crime."
Records show Betkouski attempted to obtain capsules in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in March 1982, and police later found cyanide in his laboratory at the White Sands Test Facility. He also made frequent calls to chemical-supply and pharmaceutical firms in Pennsylvania in the weeks preceding the Tylenol poisonings. While officials will not label him a suspect in the Chicago-area deaths, they hope the new identification will generate leads. > "We sent all our information to the Chicago area. It’s really not our job to name him as a suspect. What we are looking for is … Do you have any information?" Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said.
The Tylenol case involved seven deaths after cyanide-laced capsules were placed on store shelves in the fall of 1982, prompting a nationwide recall and the introduction of tamper-resistant packaging. Former prime suspect James Lewis was never charged and died in 2023. Forensic psychologist Park Dietz, who has consulted on high-profile cases, said Betkouski's access to cyanide and his expressed interest in using it made him a "viable suspect," though investigators have not placed him in Chicago during the months of the murders.
Betkouski was found dead in the church pew with a suicide note, cash and two key rings, one linked to a Jacksonville, Florida address. He was buried as an unidentified person under the name "Wm. L. Toomey" in Eagle, Idaho. Authorities are asking anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts in 1982 to contact law enforcement.