Four decades later, task force leaders downplay accusations of tensions among the agencies, suggesting history has been revised in an effort to explain why no one has been charged with the murders. I have no idea who gave that one, but it was perfect.. What are the Tylenol murders? NBC News reached out to Lewis and did not receive a response. Kasia said she long blamed herself for her fathers death, even though she was just in preschool when it happened. (Stan Policht / Chicago Tribune). Lab technicians Nlada Marzette, left, and Lynn Pilaggi inspect the contents of Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules for cyanide contamination at the Illinois Department of Public Health in 1982. And neither does the DNA. The task ahead was difficult. To its credit, the company took an active role with the media in issuing mass warning communications and immediately called for a massive recall of the more than 31 million bottles of Tylenol in circulation. But on this unseasonably warm October morning, during a separate meeting between the FBI and state police, Lane was one of several investigators who gathered to brainstorm possible motives behind the crime. Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide that were sold in the Chicago suburbs were linked to the deaths of seven people, leading to a nationwide panic that had the Food and Drug Administration advising consumers across the country to stop taking Tylenol products. The White House, however, had ordered the FBI to find a way into the case amid growing public panic. Indeed, the Johnson & Johnson recall became a classic case study in business schools across the nation. Ford and his partner Jimmy Gildea both said they tried to stop him because evidence technicians hadnt been to the scene yet, but Stein brushed off their concerns. Helena Tarasewicz, mother of Tylenol victim Theresa "Terri" Janus, weeps over the casket containing her daughter's body during graveside services at Maryhill Cemetery in Niles in 1982. Investigators soon confirmed there was lethally poisonous cyanide inside the Tylenol capsules in question. Here, you go, Pete, the police chief said, passing the bottle to him without the type of evidence bag that would now be standard in any investigation. 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. It was the first of two such trips he made that day, initially with the Reiner bottle and later with the one that killed McFarland. We also are still were looking at emerging forensic technology, Sgt. Every Tylenol bottle had a lot number that offered specific details about the batch those capsules came from. Two main suspects in this unsolved case are James Lewis and Roger Arnold, who had both been linked to this occurrence in some way. The 20-year-old would be buried alongside her husband and her brother-in-law Adam in a triple funeral made even more heartbreaking when relatives had to pull Terris mother off her daughters casket before it was lowered into the ground. 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. Among the earliest priorities was 24-hour surveillance outside the victims homes, on the assumption that someone who killed anonymously would want to see the results of their work and might drive by the house. The Unsolved Tylenol Murders of 1982: The Unabomber Theory Written by C.W.S. When Ford and Gildea arrived at the North Side flophouse where the man lived, he was still on the phone with a company operator and was promising to punish Hormel just like he had in the Tylenol case. FBI agents carry boxes out of the apartment building in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009. Dr. Howard Markel In 2010, DuPage County prosecutors filed a sealed affidavit stating investigators had found DNA on three bottles and the capsules inside, according to documents obtained by the Tribune. She has received numerous national honors for her work. Complaining of a sore throat and a stuffy nose, her parents gave Mary one Extra Strength Tylenol capsule and let her stay home from school. When Thompson, a Republican, became governor in 1977, Fahner followed him to Springfield to lead the Illinois state police. You know, boost exposure and stuff like that.. In Illinois, some towns began pulling bottles from the store shelves and sent police officers down the street with bullhorns encouraging people to throw out their Tylenol. Police Officer Michael Miljan leaves an Arlington Heights pharmacy after making sure bottles of Extra-Strength Tylenol were being removed from shelves. READ: The awful work of the real doctors who inspired M*A*S*H. The case continued to be confusing to the police, the drug maker and the public at large. All 3 networks lead with the Tylenol story on the first day of the crisis. Its a one-way street for information back and forth. Eight of them would be three-member squads composed of a federal agent, a state investigator and a suburban detective from one of the towns where the victims lived or tainted bottles were discovered. In the first year alone, the task force used it to track more than 35,000 individuals and 15,000 companies contacted as part of the investigation. The Tylenol investigation began as a loose collaboration among detectives in Arlington Heights and Elk Grove Village, the towns where the first three deaths were identified. 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. NBC News has not reviewed those documents. Early on the morning of Sept. 29, 1982, a tragic, medical mystery began with a sore throat and a runny nose. And they talked to veterinarians about any unusual animal poisonings, thinking the murderer may have tested the chemical on pets first. Given the totality of the circumstances, some thought it unusual for the Illinois attorney general to lead the investigation. These other men were all worried about his chances. (Carl Wagner / Chicago Tribune). I do think it created a lot of problems because youre always thinking theres somebody doing something behind your back.. John Fellmann at his home in Huntley in September. After a lengthy cat and mouse game, police and federal investigators determined that Lewis lived in New York and had no demonstrable links to the Chicago events. The prints, however, dont match the prime suspect. Security cameras were scarce in suburban Chicago in 1982, but investigators checked the images that existed. Here, he offers a Spanish-language flyer to Luisa Acevada. As the de facto leader of the task force, he would come to be known in the media as "Tylenol Ty." It wasnt a grab for authority. Former Chicago police Superintendent Richard Brzeczek told the Tribune he believed Fahners selection was purely political, done specifically because of the November election. Another tip involved a man who was threatening to poison Hormel food products. He regaled reporters with all kinds of stories during that final interview, but none seemed to amuse him more than the unhappy Hormel ham man. The FBIs involvement puzzled some because, as far as anyone knew, the federal agency didnt have jurisdiction in the case. The task force met each morning at the Des Plaines headquarters to discuss leads and get their assignments. But something more sinister was afoot when Kasias paternal uncle Stanley Janus and his wife, Theresa Tarasewicz Janus, each took pills from the same Tylenol bottle that Adam had bought in an attempt to fight headaches. Editors note: This report has been updated to remove the reported amount of cyanide used. Their departments relationship with the FBI had been rocky for decades, but it was at a particularly low point in September 1982. Every agency imaginable attended, many of them represented by their top leaders. I think we ended up charging that guy with a misdemeanor, some disorderly conduct or some nonsense, he said. He bought a rancid ham at Jewel and when he opened it, it was spoiled. Several people had died within the last day in the Chicago suburbs after ingesting Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide and the situation needed attention. Whats going on? Retired FBI agent Roy Lane Jr., shown in August, is the only member of law enforcement who has been part of the Tylenol investigation in its entirety. Forty years later, investigators still cant say with certainty. The CPD set up its own tip line and organized 35 detectives to work out of what was then Area 6 Headquarters at Belmont and Western. Authorities were convinced the killer didnt know any of the victims. ]. Come to 1425 Armstrong Lane.. (Earl Gustie / Chicago Tribune). But when she opened the . newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. The Tylenol murders: The story of a 40-year-old unsolved case begins with a terrifying medical mystery. And I would wake them up just to say good night, you know?. Dr. Howard Markel. J.J. Bittenbinder a tough-talking, mustachioed detective who would later gain fame as a TV safety expert served as a liaison to Fahners task force in Des Plaines. Three months earlier, 10 Chicago officers from the citys West Side were convicted of taking bribes to protect heroin rings. What happens in most cases, and certainly what happened here beyond any question, was a 100% selfless, unified devotion to a very important mission.. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics That said, he was charged with extortion and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The 50-count bottle, which the woman told police she purchased at Franks Finer Foods in Wheaton, contained seven capsules filled with potassium cyanide, records show. Investigators assumed the culprit was a man, though records indicate they didnt automatically rule out anyone based on gender. Among those questioned was a clerical worker who was fired for repeatedly missing work. We didnt get anything, but we were kicking around ideas like that.. The guy was a little wimpy, but his ham did stink.. As weeks went by without an arrest, detectives started using different doors to avoid the cameras. Her parents gave permission. He believed Thompson was behind the move, though Fahner denied it. But if they kept the bottles in their medicine cabinets, more people could die. He was released in 1995 after serving only 13 years. In reality, some task force members still accuse their colleagues of secretive behavior 40 years later. Tylenol murders: A nationwide panic, a family tragedy Her dad, aunt and uncle were killed in the notorious unsolved poisonings that terrorized Chicago. 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. The Tylenol murders: How we reported this story. It all goes to them, and you get nothing in return., Chicago police Superintendent Richard Brzeczek talks about the Tylenol investigation on Oct. 7, 1982, about a week after the seven deaths. Tamper-resistant pill containers were introduced with packaging that allows consumers to notice if a bottle of pills or medication has been opened or altered. And when the sitting attorney general was indicted on tax fraud charges, Thompson appointed Fahner to fill the post. There was little evidence to go on, no inkling of a motive and five people dead. That wasnt there.. He investigated the Tylenol poisonings in the Janus family and later served as police chief in Island Lake. Working with FDA officials, they introduced a new tamper-proof packaging, which included foil seals and other features that made it obvious to a consumer if foul play had transpired. Critics who had prematurely announced the death of the brand Tylenol were now praising the companys handling of the matter. I think its pretty important, the aide replied. The Tylenol murders would soon spur the development of plastic seals and tamper-evident packaging. Investigators also collected more than 200 cyanide samples from Chicago-area businesses, facilities and institutions and sent them to an FDA research laboratory in Cincinnati. And 35 years later, this murder mystery is still . With absolute certainty, they can say the following: Records show at least four fingerprints were found during the initial investigation. 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. A decadeslong investigation has centered around Massachusetts man James Lewis, 76, who was 36 at the time of the murders. Conspiracy theories about motives and suspects for all these heinous acts continue to be bandied about on the Internet to this day. Photo by Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Other task force members, it should be noted, werent particularly fond of Chicagos efforts either. . Police departments and fire stations began collecting bottles, as well. Extra-Strength Tylenol, shown in a Tribune studio photograph, once was packaged in a paper box with an unglued lid. She would be the seventh and final person to die from taking the poisoned medication. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration then cautioned the public against taking the pain reliever in capsule form. 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. The evening marked an important shift in the tragedy, moving from a swiftly solved medical mystery into a massive criminal investigation. And wherever they fell on the issue, that position hasnt changed much over the past four decades. Lewis, who now lives in the Boston area, has long denied any involvement in the murders and has never been charged. Stacy has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, with minors in American politics and Spanish. Simply put, the feds entry into the investigation hinged on the admittedly preposterous notion that the manufacturer intentionally put poison in the pain reliever and then committed a misdemeanor crime by not including it on the label. Lane would think of that line a year later when, without prompting, a suspect called him and offered to help solve the case. 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. Was Charles Dickens the first celebrity medical spokesman? Thats being made out of whole cloth all these years later. And you had a lot of very experienced, very intelligent, very resourceful people thinking about this all the time, thinking about angles, thinking about ideas, testing them and implementing them wherever we possibly could. "Ladies, you ever been harassed for something for 40 years that you had nothing to do with?" Though the company expanded the recall the same day to cover the batch involved in McFarlands death, the piecemeal approach troubled Fahner. Things were chaotic. We locked him up.. 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. Thats clear, Margolis told the Tribune. In fact, so many big dogs were present, Fellmann said he couldnt find a free chair inside his own 60-seat roll call room. Investigators, however, are prepared should that question arise. The red cap was easily flipped open, with nothing but a little piece of cotton left to cover the capsules. 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. Halfway through the speeches, an aide tapped him on the shoulder and told him he needed to take an important call. But on Oct. 1, 1982, he had been a detective for only a year. Investigators took pictures of people who attended the victims funerals to see if they could capture anyone acting unusual. But before Sept. 29, 1982, consumer products had few defenses against a person bent on sabotage. Later that morning, Siekmann drove to the northwest suburbs to share what he had learned with a group of law enforcement officials assembled by Fahners team. It would likely be someone with gray hair. Authorities already considered the womens deaths to be cyanide related by the time they contacted Fahner during his campaign event. They were particularly concerned that something happened during the manufacturing or the shipping or storage, Wolnik said. And they would remain apart for the next four decades. Chicagos doing what they want, so lets just give them something minor to do.. Among them was Lane, a well-respected federal agent who would help put away all kinds of criminals during his nearly 30-year career, including mob boss Sam Carlisi, former Illinois Gov. And as soon as we got the word out that Tylenol had been laced, people said, What do we do? I said, Well, if youve got any in your medicine cabinet either put it in a plastic bag and keep it or throw it away. Investigators say new evidence may help finally solve the case of seven people who died after ingesting Tylenol laced with cyanide in the Chicago area in 1982. 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. They came up with nothing. Fahners critics accused him of milking the Tylenol tragedy for his own benefit, and his opponents camp worried that he knew who the killer was and would make an arrest right before the November election. In one instance, someone reported that a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago had been bragging about access to labs with cyanide. 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. In the years that followed, Fellmann would rise through the ranks of the Arlington Heights Police Department and eventually become police chief of far north suburban Island Lake. Flight attendant Paula Prince bought a tainted bottle of Tylenol at the Walgreens at Wells Street and North Avenue in Chicago. As the 40th anniversary of the 1982 Tylenol murders approaches, investigators are working with prosecutors on a now-or-maybe-never effort to hold a longtime suspect responsible for the. That same day, a 27-year-old postal worker named Adam Janus of Arlington Heights, Illinois, died of what was initially thought to be a massive heart attack but turned out to be cyanide poisoning as well. Several victims families told the Tribune they didnt hear much from investigators after those initial interviews. Tip involved a man, though records indicate they didnt automatically rule out anyone based on.... 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