The Chicago Tylenol murders remain unsolved after 30 years. While the prime suspect has served time in connection with the case, nobody has ever been charged or tried for the horrific crimes.
On September 29, 2982, a 12-year-old girl named Mary Kellerman suffered with a sore throat. After her parents gave her a Tylenol for the pain, she died within hours. In all, seven people were killed in the Chicago Tylenol murders. One family even lost two sons and a future daughter-in-law because of the Cyanide-laced tablets.
Johnson & Johnson actually offered a $100,000 reward leading to an arrest in these heinous murders, and that still stands now three decades later. The lone suspect is James W. Lewis. Lewis tried to extort $1 million from the makers of Tylenol to "stop the murders." Ultimately, he served 12 years for that crime.
While investigators believe he is the one who tainted the Tylenol with Cyanide, they never had enough evidence to charge or try him for the crime. After these terrible murders, Johnson & Johnson introduced tamper proof packaging and seals for its bottles, which you likely have today in your medicine cabinet.
It must be incredibly difficult for the families of those who died in this mass murder to not have a killer brought to justice after three decades. Can you believe that nobody has been caught and charged with this terrible crime?
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 1
This incident was a harbinger of the many terrorist acts that were to come, in subsequent years--including, of course, the Anthrax scourge.
While many might not corral the Tylenol tragedy in with 9/11 or Oklahoma City, I would argue that any such incident--including Arizona, Aurora, Virginia Tech and Ft. Hood--all have a deleterious effect on the American spirit.
It is frightening to realize how many unsolved cases of violence occur in the country.
May we remain vigilant but NOT paranoid....IF that's possible.