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By searching on "Tylenol poisonings 1980s," "Tylenol cyanide 1982," and related terms, we learned that, unfortunately, the perpetrator of this crime was never caught. Between September 29 and October 1, 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol that was poisoned with cyanide. The victims ranged from a 12-year-old girl to a 35-year-old flight attendant. The tainted Tylenol capsules each contained 65 milligrams of cyanide -- 10,000 times more poison than necessary to kill a person. Two off-duty firemen, Philip
Cappitelli and Richard Keyworth, connected the first few deaths within days. They had been listening to information about the cases on their police radios at home. Investigations ruled out the possibility that cyanide had been introduced into the Tylenol capsules during production. Police believed that someone had bought or stolen the medication from a store, tampered with it, and put it back on store shelves. In January 1983, ABC News reported that the FBI was seeking an unidentified man seen at funerals of three of the victims. But no arrests were ever made in the Tylenol murders case. Johnson & Johnson, makers of Tylenol, reacted quickly by taking the product off the market. In fact, the company's swift and sympathetic actions are now considered a model of effective crisis management for businesses. The company also offered a $100,000 reward for leads on the murders, but it remains unclaimed. In November 1982, James Lewis mailed a letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding a $1 million ransom that threatened more Tylenol deaths. Lewis was convicted of extortion for writing the letter, but no evidence was found linking him to the murders. He served 13 years in prison, and while some consider him a prime suspect, he was never
charged for the murders. No motive has been discovered for the Tylenol tampering, although there is speculation about what type of person might do such a thing. The case is officially listed as "unsolved," and the killer may never be caught. However, a few positive results did come out of this tragic event. In 1983, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Anti-Tampering Act. This legislation made it a federal crime to maliciously tamper with foods, drugs, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Also, since the Tylenol murders, countless manufacturers (beginning with Johnson & Johnson) have added layers of tamper-resistant packaging to their products.
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