In the last days of September 1982, seven people in the Chicagoland area died suddenly after ingesting extra-strength Tylenol that was unknowingly laced with potassium cyanide. The Tylenol murders, as they came to be known, shocked the entire country and forever changed our idea of safe medicine and how we consume over-the-counter medicines.
Forty years later, the victims, whose ages ranged from 12 to 35, remain unvindicated as no charges have been brought against the murderer or murderers responsible. But recent developments suggest that investigators are once again turning up the heat on this infamous cold case.
Here’s what we know (and more importantly, what we still know) No know) about the ongoing investigation.
Contents
1982: The Tylenol Murder Victims
(CBS Chicago/YouTube)
The string of deaths related to the contaminated Tylenol began with 12-year-old Mary Kellerman; followed by Adam Janus, 27, and his brother and sister-in-law Stanley (25) and Theresa (19); Maria McFarland, 35; Paula Prince, 35, and Mary Reiner, 27.
All other healthy individuals, each victim suddenly collapsed within minutes of taking the drug. It was the murders of Janus and a perceptive nurse, Helen Jensen, who linked the deaths to over-the-counter acetaminophen. After comparing the notes from the three Janus deaths, Jensen noted that Tylenol was the only common factor.
CBS News Chicago reports that Jensen counted the pills in Janus’ poisoned Tylenol bottle in front of the police, proving that six capsules were missing (three adult doses for Adam, Stanley and Theresa). Despite searching through the trash to retrieve the original receipt for Adam’s medicine, investigators initially ignored Jensen’s theory.
The next day, the world’s media warned viewers about the link between the deaths and the common painkiller. As the body count continued to rise, the public became more uneasy. Without the help of social media to quickly communicate a warning to the masses, police took to the streets of Chicago chanting “don’t take Tylenol” through their megaphones.
1983-2022: On the hunt for the murderer
As stores and homes began to purge their Tylenol stocks, a 15-agency task force began their work to find the killers responsible. The force found three possible leads in 1982. After ruling out the first two suspects, investigators had only one name: James Lewis.
Lewis wrote a letter sent to the maker of Tylenol Johnson & Johnson threatening more cyanide poisoning unless $1 million was deposited at a Continental Bank PO Box in Chicago. A jury convicted Lewis of extortion, and the judge sentenced him to ten years in prison. While this seemed like a step in the right direction, it still wasn’t a serial murder charge.
Additionally, Lewis continued to deny involvement in the actual murders. “I could send a letter to the Roman senate and say, ‘Give me a million gold pieces and I’ll stop the assassination of Caesar,” Lewis said in a 1984 interview with CBS. But that doesn’t mean I killed Caesar.
Despite being linked to other crimes, including the 1978 murder of Raymond West, Lewis managed to escape on technicalities. After his release from prison, Lewis settled in an apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he still lives today. In 2022, he visited CBS reporter Brad Edwards. Soon after, the police did too.
2020-2023: Researchers request new DNA tests
CBS showed his exchange with Lewis to Arlington Heights Police Sgt. Joe Murphy, who currently leads the Tylenol Murder task force. The force requested a copy of the interview, but was unable to comment on his intentions due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
However, in January 2023, CBS obtained investigative reports from AHPD through a Freedom of Information Act request. Those documents reveal that police have been collecting new DNA samples and analyzing old samples with new technology in collaboration with the Houston-based company, Othram.
The new DNA includes samples from the Morgan family, another Chicago family that narrowly escaped being the next victims of the Tylenol murders when they decided not to take the drug after “sensing something was wrong.” The ancient DNA likely includes samples of the contaminated pills and vials, although police cannot confirm the exact evidence.
AHPD’s new collaborator, Othram, uses highly specialized technology to extract traces of human DNA from items and analyze them. Kristen Mittelman, Othram’s director of development, told CBS that the company “can successfully analyze DNA smaller than the tip of a needle.” She also said the company has returned investigative leads in thousands of cases, including the identification of a murder victim in 1881.
2023: Does this mean that they will solve the case soon?
Because the Tylenol murder investigation is ongoing, we likely won’t know if AHPD has found new, more useful evidence any time soon. Still, this is a more active investigation than has been seen in this case in decades.
So one might assume that there is a valid reason for heating this cold case. And indeed, modern DNA technology solves decades-old cold cases all the time. To the reassurance of all the families involved, we hope that the new DNA evidence will help investigators finally convict the killer of the Tylenol Murder after four decades of searching.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn