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Medical drugs. Author; Pixabay.

10 Terrifying Things To Know About The Tylenol Murders

In 1982, there were shocking poisoning deaths in the Chicago metropolitan area. These deaths were later referred to as the Tylenol Murders or the Chicago Tylenol Murders. The Tylenol Murders involved the contamination of Tylenol capsules with cyanide substance.

This contamination of Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules with potassium cyanide led to the deaths of seven people. What shocked many is that after the Tylenol Murders, there was a sequence of other murders in subsequent crimes which were the same. The Tylenol Murders subsequently became the most high-profile and mostly covered case in the US which the public wanted to know more about.

This incident led to several changes in how drugs were packed and sold by various companies across the US. The Tylenol Murders began with a 12-year-old girl who consumed a capsule and died. Later within some hours, six more people were reported to have died from a similar incident to the 12-year-old girl.

These deaths sent shocking waves in the United States making many people terrified of getting over-the-counter medications. Another thing that made these murders chilling is that no one was arrested nor were the people responsible brought to book to date. However, the incidents prompted better and keener medication regulations to prove safety to the consumers.

Here are the 10 Terrifying Things To Know About The Tylenol Murders:

1. Seven People Died Making it the Deadliest Poisoning in US History

There have been several murders in various parts of the United States, but some shocked the whole country. The Chicago Tylenol Murders shocked the entire nation after seven people died from poisonings after taking Tylenol capsules contaminated with cyanide. On 28^th September 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman consumed a capsule of Extra-Strength Tylenol.

She was later hospitalized and died the next day after taking the OTC medication. The following day after the death of Mary, six more people consume the capsules as well. Adam Janus, Stanley Janus, Theresa Janus, Mary McFarland, Paula Prince, and Mary Reiner died from the poisonings. These deaths were reported as the deadliest poisonings in the history of the United States.

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2. A Family of Three People Died from the Poisonings by Cyanide

Investigator in a crime scene. Author; Cottonbro.

Seven people were killed during the Tylenol Murders. One of them was a child aged 12 years old who died a day later after consuming the cyanide-contaminated drugs.

What shocked many is that three people from the same family died after consuming these capsules. The Janus family lost three of their family members to the consumption of these drugs. 20-year-old Adam Janus, 25-year-old Stanley Janus, and 20-year-old Theresa Janus died by poisonings.

3. A Tylenol Bottle with 6 Missing Pills was Found in the Household of the Janus

Nurse Helen Jensen, who was Arlington Height’s only public health official was given the mandate to investigate the deaths of the Janus. She visited the household of Janus and discovered the bottle of Tylenol. It was accompanied by a receipt that indicated that the medication had been bought on that day.

Six pills of the Tylenol capsules were missing which meant that Janus had consumed them. The bottle was handed over to Nick Pishos, an investigator. Dr. Edmund Donoghue, the deputy chief medical examiner suspected that cyanide contamination was the cause of the deaths.

4. The Deaths Led to a Nationwide Panic about the Safety of Over-the-counter Medications

People queue for over-the-counter medication. Author; Abuserdze.

Investigator Pishos smelled an almond-like scent on the containers. The capsules from the Janus were tested and found out to contain three times the fatal amount of cyanide.

The general public nationwide panicked about the safety of other over-the-counter medications because of the Tylenol Murders. Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Tylenol came out to reassure the public of their efforts to contain the situation. The Tylenol Murders changed how various over-the-counter medications were packaged and sold.

5. Tampering with Tylenol Capsules was Found in Several Bottles

Thorough investigations were carried out on the bottles of Tylenol from the victims of the poisonings. The bottles from Janus and Kellerman were from the same lot labeled MC2880.

The capsules from Mary’s were traced to lots 1910 MD and MB 273. Johnson & Johnson had to recall and test the capsules from the lots with these serials.

A multi-agency investigation discovered that the tainted pills were in a variety of Chicago-area stores, including two Jewel Foods locations (one in Arlington Heights, one in Elk Grove Village); an Osco Drug store (in Schaumburg); a Walgreens and a Dominick’s (both in Chicago); and a Frank’s Finer Foods (in Winfield).

6. Tampering of the Capsules Occurred after they Reached Store Shelves

Over-the-counter medication. Author; Roberto.

The authorities investigated more to know where the capsules were contaminated from. All the tainted capsules were found to have been manufactured in two different states, Pennsylvania and Texas.

This implied that the capsules were tampered with after the product was placed on store shelves for sale. The police made a hypothesis that someone or some individuals had taken bottles off the shelves of local Chicago stores.

They then placed potassium cyanide in some of the capsules, and then returned the contaminated packages back to the store shelves for unknowing customers to purchase. Aside from the five contaminated bottles that resulted in the victims’ deaths, a few other contaminated bottles were later discovered in the Chicago area.

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7. Judge Morgan’s Wife Escaped Death by Not Consuming Tylenol she had Purchased

Before the poisoning of Tylenol capsules with cyanide substance, several people were customers. Some people had purchased the pills but were lucky to have not consumed them.

One lucky individual was Linda Morgan, wife of Judge Lewis V. Morgan. She had purchased one bottle of Tylenol and was put off by the off scent that came from it. The off scent made Linda not take the pills saving her life.

8. Tylenol Capsules Poisoning led to a Chain of Copycat Poisonings

Medication on the counter. Author; Arpad.

The Tylenol Murders were not the only poisonings to have occurred in the United States. Immediately after the 7 deaths, hundred of copycat attacks that involved Tylenol, other brands of over-the-counter medications, and other products were witnessed.

In 1986, three deaths were reported from tampering of gelatin capsules. Another woman was killed in Yonkers, New York, after taking Tylenol products laced with cyanide.

In Washington state, Susan Snow and Bruce Nickell died out of tampering with Excedrin capsules with cyanide. These are a few cases that involved poisoning attacks after the Tylenol Murders.

9. All Tylenol Products were Recalled from Stores Countrywide

Following other incidents, such as strychnine being added to Tylenol bottles in California, immediate action was to be made to avoid more deaths. On October 5^th, 1982, a nationwide recall of Tylenol products was issued.

An estimated 31 million bottles were in circulation, with a retail value of more than US$100 million (equivalent to $281 million in 2021). Another discovery that only these capsules had been tampered with, Johnson & Johnson company issued a nationwide warning to consumers not to consume any of its acetaminophen-containing products. They offered to exchange all Tylenol capsules that the public had already purchased for solid tablets.

10. The Culprit of the Tylenol Murders has Never Been Caught

Mask in a black background. Author; Tarik.

No one has been charged or convicted in connection with the Tylenol poisonings. James William Lewis, a New York City resident, was convicted of extortion.

He sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson company, accepting responsibility for the deaths, and made a demand of $1 million to stop the murders. However, there was no evidence linking Lewis to the actual poisonings. He has always maintained his innocence ever since. Another doctor was suspected of the murders, but he was never charged.

The Tylenol Murders led to drastic changes in ensuring that public safety is prioritized while selling over-the-counter medications. Even though no one was charged with the murders, more lives were saved by the culprits who wanted to cause extensive poisonings.

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