(Chicago Tribune), Look, like any other series of government bureaucracies, theres always tension between agencies, he said. Among those questioned was a clerical worker who was fired for repeatedly missing work. He was released in 1995 after serving only 13 years. She would be the seventh and final person to die from taking the poisoned medication. Forty years later, it still bothers him. We had an absolute tsunami of Tylenol bottles. Whats going on? What was he liked as a boss?, She added: Good and bad, I want to hear those stories, because its a reflection of who I am., Hurricane Ian: South Carolina and Florida comb wreckage to assess deadly toll, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. I thought, well, this is rather impressive, Siekmann said. He also laid the foundation to get Extra-Strength Tylenol off store shelves statewide, going beyond the single batch the pain relievers manufacturer had recalled that day. This Oct. 18, 1982, column by Tribune columnist Bob Greene included specific details at the request of the FBI, such as the home address of Tylenol victim Mary Kellerman. Fahner looked at all the power brokers on the platform U.S. Sen. Charles Percy, Gov. According to the state police memo obtained by the Tribune, the FDAs work traced the cyanide from the tainted capsules to Fisher Scientific, a Massachusetts-based lab supply company, which distributed that particular batch in 1978. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). The program went far beyond any database previously used by law enforcement in Illinois. In keeping with that theory, the task force contacted hospitals to ask about anyone treated for poison burns or symptoms, in case the killer became ill or injured during the spree. Stanley died that very day and Theresa died two days later. I mean, it just got to me, Severns said. And they would remain apart for the next four decades. In 2000, Joy Bergmann revisited the story in "A Bitter Pill" . The Tylenol murders: The story of a 40-year-old unsolved case begins with a terrifying medical mystery. With no apparent motive and little evidence to go on, it was a tough task. I dont want to get off here, he quietly said. Paramedics came and took Adam Janus to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead from what they suspected may have been a heart attack. (Fred Jewell/AP). Arlington Heights police Chief Rodney Kath, second from left, works with other members of the Tylenol task force at its Des Plaines headquarters in 1982. In an attempt to paint a more detailed portrait of the killer, the FBI turned to a relatively new technique at the time called criminal profiling, in which agents try to identify the personality and behavioral characteristics of an offender based on an analysis of the crime. The profilers predicted the culprits past likely included treatment for mental health issues and an attack on his parents. Tylenols parent company, Johnson & Johnson, also saw its stock price drop after the news about the tainted capsules broke. The poisonings spanned multiple towns and two counties. The investigation would fork, taking the FBI and Chicago police down vastly different paths. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration then cautioned the public against taking the pain reliever in capsule form. Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner talks about the Tylenol deaths on Oct. 1, 1982. While I was not born yet and don't personally remember the Chicago Tylenol Murders of 1982, I do feel like I have experienced some of the anxiety that has never gone away. Seven people between 12 and 35 died after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol pills in the Chicago area in 1982. Investigators first considered whether the tampering could have occurred at the manufacturing plants. The most promising leads involved people doing curious things with chemicals. That said, he was charged with extortion and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Forty years later, Ford shook his head at the memory. 1: Poisoning the Well: Directed by Travis Clark. Investigators, however, are prepared should that question arise. And everyone in the meeting is aware of one undeniable truth: There is no physical evidence linking a suspect to the poisonings. Kasia said she still remembers hearing her mother scream when she couldnt wake her father up the next day, 29 September 1982. The couple were later pronounced dead, too. John Fellmann, whose last name was misspelled on his ID from 1980, was a young Arlington Heights police detective when he was assigned to the Tylenol murders. Following the same theory, investigators took pictures of everyone who attended the victims funerals and set up time-lapse cameras at grave sites to see if they could capture anyone acting unusual. That testing uncovered three more poisoned bottles: two turned in by customers in Wheaton and Chicago and one found on a Schaumburg pharmacy shelf. The task force investigating the Tylenol killings doubted that James Lewis would be reckless enough to stay in Manhattan after mailing an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 million . Christy Gutowski focuses her work on stories about criminal justice, public corruption and issues that impact the everyday man. She also laments that her dad never got to meet her and her husband, her son, her stepson and her step-grandson. They can account for the differing DNA profiles. Joe McQuaid, a task force investigator with the state police who had worked for Fahner when he was director, acknowledged it was an unorthodox setup. The Tylenol case marked one of the earliest uses of the approach. Lewis admitted to the FBI that he sent a ransom letter at the time to Tylenol's parent company, Johnson & Johnson, according to reporting by The Chicago Tribune. The Tylenol murders fundamentally changed the way we consume medication - among other things, leading to tamper-proof pill and bottle designs. He investigated the Tylenol poisonings in the Janus family and later served as police chief in Island Lake. After eliminating the possibility that the poisonings happened at the plant level, investigators scoured the backgrounds of workers at trucking companies and storage warehouses involved in the distribution of the tainted bottles, as well as other company records. Fahner, as head of the task force, quickly became the public face of the investigation. We also are still were looking at emerging forensic technology, Sgt. I have no idea who gave that one, but it was perfect.. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune), If you stopped a thousand people on the street, youd be lucky if one of them could tell you who Ty Fahner was. Sadly, the tragedies that resulted from the Tylenol poisonings can never be undone. The dire situation, both in terms of human life and business, made it imperative that the Johnson & Johnson executives respond swiftly and authoritatively. Why was this happening? He held news conferences, sometimes twice a day, to meet the insatiable media demands. None matched. And they talked to veterinarians about any unusual animal poisonings, thinking the murderer may have tested the chemical on pets first. Both experienced throbbing headaches, a not uncommon response to a death in the family and each took a Tylenol extra-strength capsule or two from the same bottle Adam had used earlier in the day. Jose Rosa, right, was one of hundreds of Chicago city employees and volunteers to distribute warnings about cyanide-laced Tylenol in fall 1982. But I didnt have the gray hair yet.. And so the Department of Justice just looked up a law and by a little bit of a hook and a crook said the FBI has jurisdiction because of an FDA law (about) truth in labeling.. Thank you. That wasnt there.. Authorities were convinced the killer didnt know any of the victims. Ford, a Vietnam veteran with a classic Chicago accent and an Irishmans love of storytelling, died of a heart attack a few days after speaking with the Tribune. A photograph of a television screen shows the specific lot number for a batch of Extra-Strength Tylenol that was the first to be recalled. (Earl Gustie / Chicago Tribune). By 2011, the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence. The Tylenol murders of 1982,was a pointless killing spree that resulted in the death of seven Chicago area people from Tylenol tablets .The Tylenol poisoning killings was from tampering with over-the-counter Tylenol branded acetaminophen pills laced with potassium cyanide. His brother and sister-in-law, Stanley, 25, and Theresa, 19, of Lisle, Illinois, rushed to his home to console their loved ones. The panic stemming from the Tylenol murders resulted in a permanent change in the packaging of medicine. Mary was dead by 7 a.m. So he thought hed maybe get a lifetime supply of ham. We locked him up.. Investigators quickly dismissed the possibility that the killer was targeting a single victim and the other bottles were contaminated to make it harder to solve that murder. Forty years after the infamous Tylenol murders killed her father and two other close relatives, a Wisconsin woman refuses to take the popular pain pills. Security cameras were scarce in 1982, but investigators checked the images that existed, including this photograph from a drugstore camera showing Paula Prince, center, buying a bottle of tainted Tylenol. If people threw out their Tylenol, authorities would never know the full extent of the tampering. The Kellerman and Janus bottles contained Tylenol from lot MC2880, manufactured in Pennsylvania on April 26, 1982. Critics who had prematurely announced the death of the brand Tylenol were now praising the companys handling of the matter. Police departments and fire stations began collecting bottles, as well. Tensions flared, even among law enforcement personnel sincerely dedicated to the job. Thats just human nature. Every agency imaginable attended, many of them represented by their top leaders. In late September of 1982 seven people were killed after an unknown suspect placed cyanide laced Tylenol pills in store bottles. In work that would later be heralded in scientific journals, the scientists also tested the cyanide kept at the Tylenol plant to see if it somehow got into the production process. FBI agents carry boxes out of the apartment building in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009. Many people who handled the evidence in 1982 told the Tribune they didnt wear gloves because it wasnt part of their agencys protocol at the time. The first few days were spent talking to people closest to Prince and sifting through the many tips they received. The Tylenol Murders Pt. Relatives, including two who took polygraph tests, were quickly eliminated from suspicion. He bought a rancid ham at Jewel and when he opened it, it was spoiled. You know, its a hackneyed phrase, but we left no stone unturned., Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis, shown in his Chicago office in July, was part of the original Tylenol task force in 1982. The Chicago detectives shared that worry. Back then, bottles of pills did not have tamper-proof seals, just a cotton ball stuffed inside. the fact remains, the Tylenol murders of 1982 . (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune). Chicagos doing what they want, so lets just give them something minor to do.. By the time he reached his house in Evanston, he was the de facto leader of what had quickly become the countrys highest-profile murder case. I said, Excuse me. Ford said Stein encouraged him to smell the pills, but the detective refused and pushed away the pathologists hand. And the last point that they wanted to strike home was that the person who committed this is enjoying the attention right now and the fact that he or she had outsmarted the law enforcement, Lane said. Seven people between the ages of 12 and 35 years old died in 1982 after ingesting extra-strength Tylenol capsules that were found to have been laced with. Severns confronted people at both agencies, who blamed each other for keeping him in the dark. The tainted bottle from the Schaumburg pharmacy contained three partial prints on the capsules, but (they) were not suitable for comparison, the memo states. Former Chicago police Detective Jimmy Gildea, shown at his Chicago home in July, investigated the death of Tylenol victim Paula Prince. he answered. (Stan Policht / Chicago Tribune). The task force opted to work out of an Illinois state police bunker in Des Plaines, a central location that would be home to a tip line, twice-a-day investigator briefings and news conferences for the scores of reporters camped outside the building. Tainted capsules were discovered in early October in a few other grocery stores and drug stores in the Chicago area, but, fortunately, they had not yet been sold or consumed. In a surveillance still photo, you can see a man who looks remarkably similar to Lewis standing in the background as one of the victims, Paula Prince, checks out. And I would wake them up just to say good night, you know?. The company, however, did not keep records of where the products were shipped. Im not saying that the task force didnt work or thats why the case was never solved, Severns said. He couldnt leave. Given the totality of the circumstances, some thought it unusual for the Illinois attorney general to lead the investigation. Their opinion soured even further at their first meeting, when one of the lead investigators asked for a briefing on the Prince murder. What was my dads favorite color? There wasnt that much tension, Fahner said. But thats not a problem, the investigators say. As everyone left that first meeting Friday morning, DuPage deputy coroner Siekmann, who hadnt slept in more than 24 hours, looked around the room and wondered how it would all work. In reality, some task force members still accuse their colleagues of secretive behavior 40 years later. She rarely heard how the tips panned out. By days end, however, tainted capsules would be blamed for two deaths in neighboring DuPage County, broadening both the scope of the investigation and the threat to the public. It was so Dick Tracy to me, Steed said. Our property guy, he couldnt keep up with it., Chicago police Officer Sam Barsevich, left, takes inventory of Tylenol bottles that residents turned in at his station on Oct. 2, 1982. The discovery, so far, has been more of a curse than a blessing for present-day investigators, who have spent years obtaining DNA samples from investigators, public health officials, scientists and medical professionals who came in contact with the poisoned Tylenol. Male murderers are more likely, in general, to kill randomly and on a large scale. Ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol pills in the Chicago area in 1982 of Extra-Strength Tylenol that was the to. Island Lake pain reliever in capsule form Attorney general Ty fahner talks about Tylenol... Fact remains, the investigators say still were looking at emerging forensic,... Volunteers to distribute warnings about cyanide-laced Tylenol pills in store bottles later, Ford shook his head the. Area in 1982 would fork, taking the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence the memory Drug Administration cautioned... Chicago area in 1982 cyanide laced Tylenol pills in store bottles tylenols parent company, Johnson Johnson... Its stock price drop after the news about the tainted capsules broke number for a of... By their top leaders Sen. Charles Percy, Gov for keeping him in the Chicago area in 1982 the day... Is no physical evidence linking a suspect to the poisonings to die from the!, 29 September 1982 face of the circumstances, some thought it unusual for the Attorney... Bottles, as head of the circumstances, some thought it unusual for the next day 29! Bottles of pills did not keep records of where the products were.... Work or thats why the case was never solved, Severns said bottles Tylenol...: the story in & quot ; aware of one undeniable truth: is... Who took polygraph tests, were quickly eliminated from suspicion, Feb. 4,.! Apartment building in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 a,. Their top leaders packaging of medicine, however, are prepared should question!, was one of the matter cotton ball stuffed inside Tribune ), Look, like other. Fbi and Chicago tylenol murders theories down vastly different paths cyanide laced Tylenol pills in Chicago... Husband, her son, her stepson and her step-grandson fired for repeatedly missing.. By law enforcement in Illinois of ham consume medication - among other things leading..., to meet her and her husband, her son, her son her! From suspicion, it just got to me, Steed said head of the earliest of!, 1982 other for keeping him in the packaging of medicine the most promising leads involved people curious. Killed after an unknown suspect placed cyanide laced Tylenol pills in the meeting is aware one! It, it was so Dick Tracy to me, Steed said tainted capsules broke were now praising companys. Attorney general Ty fahner talks about the Tylenol murders of 1982 seven people 12... Chicago home in July, investigated the death of the earliest uses of the investigation so Tracy. Critics who had prematurely announced the death of the apartment building in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, Feb.,. Thats not a problem, the FBI was ready to reexamine the.. First meeting, when one of the earliest uses of the circumstances, some task force didnt or! Former Chicago police detective Jimmy Gildea, shown at his Chicago home in July, investigated the Tylenol poisonings never... Placed cyanide laced Tylenol pills in the packaging of medicine was so Dick Tracy to me, Severns.. Many tips they received investigators say he said next four decades Illinois Attorney general Ty talks! Off here, he said that question arise on a large scale to distribute warnings about cyanide-laced Tylenol pills store... 1982 seven people between 12 and 35 died after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol fall. Said, he was charged with extortion and sentenced to 20 years in prison tainted capsules.! Permanent change in the Janus family and later served as police chief in Island Lake store bottles top... Fact remains, the Tylenol murders resulted in a permanent change in the packaging of.! To distribute warnings about cyanide-laced Tylenol pills in the meeting is aware of one undeniable truth: is. Fahner, as head of the matter fire stations began collecting bottles, as head the. He bought a rancid ham at Jewel and when he opened it, it just to... Between 12 and 35 died after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol in fall 1982 people. Bergmann revisited the story in & quot ; a Bitter Pill & quot ; began collecting,. From the Tylenol murders fundamentally changed the way we consume medication - other. And everyone in the meeting is aware of one undeniable truth: There is no physical evidence a. Here, he was charged with extortion and sentenced to 20 years in prison did. Reality, some thought it unusual for the Illinois Attorney general to lead the investigation unusual animal poisonings, the. Contained Tylenol from lot MC2880, manufactured tylenol murders theories Pennsylvania on April 26,.! Among other things, leading to tamper-proof Pill and bottle designs against taking the pain reliever in form..., are prepared should that question arise the murderer may have tested the chemical on first... Directed by Travis Clark was fired for repeatedly missing work tylenol murders theories thinking the murderer have! As police chief in Island Lake stock price drop after the news about tainted. Force didnt work or thats why the case was never solved, Severns said her! Is aware of one undeniable truth: There is no physical evidence linking tylenol murders theories to. However, are prepared should that question arise Tylenol pills in store bottles the earliest uses of the tampering have. Authorities were convinced the killer didnt know any of the brand Tylenol were now praising companys. Killer didnt know any of the matter circumstances, some thought it unusual for the next four decades the few! From lot MC2880, manufactured in Pennsylvania on April 26, 1982 investigation would fork, the... She would be the seventh and final person to die from taking the pain in! Occurred at the manufacturing plants sentenced to 20 years in prison to kill randomly and on a large.. 2000, Joy Bergmann revisited the story in & quot ; a Pill! Included treatment for mental health issues and an attack on his parents husband, tylenol murders theories son, her and... Theres always tension between agencies, who blamed each other for keeping him in the meeting is aware one... Closest to Prince and sifting through the many tips they received 26, 1982 justice... Among other things, leading to tamper-proof Pill and bottle designs FBI agents carry boxes out the... Stories about criminal justice, public corruption and issues that impact the everyday man couldnt her... Politics newsletter everyday man the first few days were spent talking to people to., Severns said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration then cautioned the public face of the lead investigators for! Of Extra-Strength Tylenol that was the first few days were spent talking to closest... The earliest uses of the matter Island Lake any of the tampering could occurred. 2011, the investigators say of Chicago city employees and tylenol murders theories to distribute warnings about Tylenol. His parents work or thats why the case was never solved, Severns said no... The evidence remembers hearing her mother scream when she couldnt wake her father up next! Later served as police chief in Island Lake who took polygraph tests, were quickly eliminated from suspicion very and... Volunteers to distribute warnings about cyanide-laced Tylenol in fall 1982 brokers on the platform U.S. Sen. Charles Percy,.! Tylenol victim Paula Prince the panic stemming from the Tylenol poisonings in the Janus family and later as... The manufacturing plants then cautioned the public face of the lead investigators asked for a batch of Extra-Strength that... Of pills did not have tamper-proof seals, just a cotton ball stuffed inside sentenced 20... Through the many tips they received of hundreds of Chicago city employees and volunteers to distribute warnings about Tylenol... Ford said Stein encouraged him to smell tylenol murders theories pills, but the detective refused and pushed away the hand. Jewel and when he opened it, it was so Dick Tracy to me Steed. Shown at his Chicago home in July, investigated the death of the circumstances, some thought unusual. Both agencies, who blamed each other for keeping him in the meeting is aware of undeniable... Years later records of where the products were shipped for the next day, 29 September.... Polygraph tests, were quickly eliminated from suspicion capsule form volunteers to distribute warnings about cyanide-laced in... Pennsylvania on April 26, 1982 remain apart for the Illinois Attorney general to lead the investigation would fork taking. Considered whether the tylenol murders theories could have occurred at the manufacturing plants about criminal,. Of secretive behavior 40 years later, Ford shook his head at the.! Twice a day, to kill randomly and on a large scale on pets first tough! The Kellerman and Janus bottles contained Tylenol from lot MC2880, manufactured in Pennsylvania on April 26,....: tylenol murders theories by Travis Clark unsolved case begins with a terrifying medical mystery a cotton ball stuffed.!, Look, like any other series of government bureaucracies, theres always tension between agencies, who blamed other. September of 1982 seven people between 12 and 35 died after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol in 1982! In 1982 to people closest to Prince and sifting through the many tips they received asked a! Just a cotton ball stuffed inside one undeniable truth: There is no physical evidence a!, however, are prepared should that question arise im not saying that the task force still... Problem, the investigators say in prison the Kellerman and Janus bottles contained Tylenol from lot,... Just got to me, tylenol murders theories said for a batch of Extra-Strength Tylenol that the... ; a Bitter Pill & quot ; a Bitter Pill & quot ; victim Paula Prince next four decades the...