Chicago Tylenol murders
Cyanide-laced Tylenol killed seven in 1982 Chicago area.
The Chicago Tylenol murders were a series of poisoning deaths caused by drug tampering in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1982. Victims consumed Tylenol capsules that had been adulterated with potassium cyanide. The incidents led to major reforms in medication packaging and federal anti-tampering laws.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Chicago metropolitan area, U.S.
- Target
- Retail consumers
- Date
- September – October 1982
- Fatalities
- At least 7
Facts from the source article.
Deaths and early public safety efforts
On September 28, 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman was hospitalized after consuming a capsule of Extra-Strength Tylenol and died the next day. On September 29, six other individuals consumed contaminated Tylenol: Adam Janus (27), Stanley Janus (25), Theresa Janus (19), Mary McFarland (31), Paula Prince (35), and Mary Reiner (27). All six died from consuming the pills. Nurse Helen Jensen, Arlington Heights's only public health official, visited the Janus household and discovered a Tylenol bottle with a receipt indicating it had been purchased that day. Noticing six pills missing, she turned the bottle over to investigator Nick Pishos and reported her suspicion. Pishos called Edmund R. Donoghue, deputy chief medical examiner for Cook County, who suspected cyanide and asked Pishos to smell the bottle. Pishos detected an almond-like scent, and Donoghue asked chief toxicologist Michael Schaffer to test the capsules. Schaffer's team found that four of the 44 remaining capsules contained nearly three times the fatal amount of cyanide. Authorities held a press conference advising the public not to take Tylenol. The Kellerman bottle and the Janus bottle came from the same lot, MC2880, and Johnson & Johnson recalled all Tylenol from that lot. When tainted bottles from other lots were discovered, the recall expanded to cover any bottle of extra-strength capsules purchased in the Chicago area. Tampered pills were found at various stores including Jewel Foods, Osco Drug, Walgreens, Dominick's, and Frank's Finer Foods. One bottle had been purchased but not used because the woman sensed something was off.
Police investigation
The tainted capsules were manufactured at two different locations, Pennsylvania and Texas, suggesting tampering occurred after the product was placed on store shelves. Police hypothesized that someone removed bottles from local stores, placed potassium cyanide in some capsules, and returned the packages to shelves. In early 1983, at the FBI's request, Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene published the address and grave location of Mary Kellerman with her family's consent. FBI criminal analyst John Douglas theorized the perpetrator might visit the house or gravesite if aware of their locations. Both sites were kept under 24-hour video surveillance for several months, but the killer did not surface. A surveillance photo of Paula Prince purchasing cyanide-tampered Tylenol at a Walgreens was released; police suggested a bearded man seen behind her could be the killer. James William Lewis was accused of sending a letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 million to stop the murders. Upon arrest, Lewis described how the person behind the attacks may have carried them out. He had previously possessed a poisoning book, and his fingerprints were found on pages related to cyanide. Lewis denied responsibility but admitted writing the letter, claiming he intended to focus attention on his wife's former employer. He was convicted of extortion and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Aftermath
Hundreds of copycat attacks involving Tylenol, other over-the-counter medications, and other products occurred across the United States. Three more deaths occurred in 1986 from gelatin capsules. Diane Elsroth, 23, died in Yonkers, New York, after ingesting Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. Excedrin capsules in Washington state were tampered with, resulting in the deaths of Susan Snow and Bruce Nickell from cyanide poisoning; Bruce Nickell's wife, Stella Nickell, was arrested and convicted for intentional actions in those crimes. Procter & Gamble's Encaprin was recalled after a spiking hoax in Chicago and Detroit, leading to a sales drop and withdrawal from the market. In 1991 in Washington state, Kathleen Daneker and Stanley McWhorter were killed by two cyanide-tainted boxes of Sudafed; Jennifer Meling went into a coma from a similar poisoning but recovered. Her husband, Joseph Meling, was convicted on numerous charges regarding the deaths and the attempted murder of his wife and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1986, University of Texas student Kenneth Faries was found dead from cyanide poisoning; tampered Anacin capsules were the source. His death was ruled a homicide on May 30, 1986, but on June 19, 1986, the Travis County Medical Examiner ruled it a likely suicide; the FDA determined he obtained the poison from a lab where he worked. Johnson & Johnson received positive coverage for its crisis handling, including establishing relations with the Chicago Police Department, the FBI, and the Food and Drug Administration.
More in Mass Poisonings
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced