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Chicago Tylenol murders

Also known as: Tylenol murders, 1982 Tylenol poisonings

Active

1982–1982

Region

Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois, USA

State

IL

Kind

Serial

Status

Unsolved

Victims

7

Between September 29 and early October 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that someone had laced with cyanide. Because the capsules came from different factories, investigators concluded the bottles were tampered with after reaching store shelves in Chicago and its suburbs. Johnson & Johnson recalled about 31 million bottles, and the case led to tamper-evident packaging and a 1983 federal law making product tampering a crime. Investigators reopened the case in 2009, but the poisoner has never been identified and the murders remain unsolved.

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Victims

We remember the people whose lives were taken.

• Mary Kellerman, 12 · September 29, 1982

  A 12-year-old from Elk Grove Village, the youngest victim.

• Adam Janus, 27 · September 29, 1982

  A postal worker from Arlington Heights.

• Stanley Janus · September 29, 1982

  Adam's brother, from Lisle.

• Theresa Janus, 19 · October 1982

  Stanley's wife, from Lisle.

• Mary McFarland · September 1982

  From Elmhurst.

• Paula Prince, 35 · September 1982

  A flight attendant who lived in Chicago.

• Mary Reiner, 27 · September 1982

  From Winfield.

Timeline of locations

1. September 1982
   Elmhurst (Crime scene, approximate area)

   Mary McFarland of Elmhurst died after taking a laced capsule.

2. September 1982
   Chicago (Crime scene, approximate area)

   Paula Prince, a flight attendant, died in Chicago after taking a laced capsule. Police later released a surveillance photo of her buying Tylenol at a Walgreens; a Dominick's in Chicago also sold a tainted bottle.

3. September 1982
   Winfield (Crime scene, approximate area)

   Mary Reiner of Winfield died after taking a laced capsule. Frank's Finer Foods in Winfield was among the stores where tainted bottles were bought.

4. September 1982
   Schaumburg (Other, approximate area)

   An Osco Drug store in Schaumburg was another of the stores where tainted bottles were bought.

5. September 28, 1982
   Elk Grove Village (Crime scene, approximate area)

   Mary Kellerman fell ill early on September 28 after taking a single capsule and died the next day. A Jewel store in Elk Grove Village was one of the stores where tainted bottles were bought.

6. September 29, 1982
   Arlington Heights (Crime scene, approximate area)

   Adam Janus died on September 29 after taking capsules, at first thought to be a heart attack. His brother Stanley and Stanley's wife Theresa took capsules from the same bottle and also died. An Arlington Heights village nurse helped make the link to Tylenol.

Watch, listen, read

Sources

• Chicago Tylenol murders (Wikipedia)
• Cold case - the Tylenol murders of 1982 (WGN-TV)
• Netflix documentary sheds new light on Tylenol murders of 1982 (Yahoo News)

Each location also lists its own sources in the data file.