This is only a preview of the facts of the chicargo murders more of this story is yet to come.
In the town of Chicago on September 29 1982, Mary Kellerman at the age of 12, complained of a headache, her mother told her to take a extra strength Tylenol and go back to bed, she's then collapsed on the bathroom floor, telling her mum she couldn't breathe, and a few hours later she died. On the same day, a man called Adam Janus, he lived 7 miles away from Mary, he was young and healthy and complaining of mild chest pains, he also took a Tylenol and died the mysterious same way Mary had. After discovering what had happened 2 more members of his family, Stanly his brother and Theresa his sister in law, took a Tylenol in a attempt to process what had just happened, and then suddenly they both collapsed, and died at 5:00pm on the 29 September. The same day as Adam and Mary. 3 more victims suffered the same fate, Paula prince was a flight attendant and stopped at a Walgreens to buy a bottle of Tylenol and 2 days later she too was dead. Mary McFarland complained to a coworker that she had a bad headache and was told about a bottle of Tylenol being in the other room and 5 minutes later they found her collapsed and struggling to breathe in the back room. Mary renner collapsed in front of her husband after complaining of minor aches and pains and taking a tylenol. 7 healthy people died in the space of 3 days and no one had any ideas why.
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Some background information about Tylenol:
Tylenol was discovered in 1877, at the time the most commonly used drug was gradually becoming more expensive and rare. A chemist who was studying medicines discovered paracetamol. It was originally said to cause lack of blood flow to extremities, and told to only be taken with supervision, but after more extensive tests in 1947 it was discovered that paracetamol was the safest all along. It was released to the public in 1955, and it was originally a kid medicine but soon became one that was used all by all ages. It's reputation was squeaky clean, but it didn't always stay that way...
Medical examiners were scrambling to find answers, suspecting that the Janus' had contracted carbon monoxide poisoning, however none of the surviving family members showed any sign of being poisoned. It was a nurse investing the Janus house that first noticed a potential connection, Helen Jenson noticed the Tylenol laying open in the bathroom medicine cabinet, the bottle holds 30 capsules normally and Helen only counted 24, she also found a receipt saying that the Tylenol was brought the same day Adam died, and she assumed that the Tylenol could have killed them. A police officer didn't believe it stating that 3 people couldn't overdose on 6 Tylenol's, and thought that the capsules may have been tainted. No one believed her at first but Helen Jenson was right, so she called Johnson and Johnson they manufactured Tylenol wanting them to withdraw there products, she also phoned the police station knowing that the Tylenol would have to be taken off the shelves immediately. She wasn't the only detective looking into the Tylenol, Nick Pishos, was already on the case and ordered a autopsy on Mary because of her young age, and after hearing about the Janus family he suddenly thought about a connection. They called the police telling them to check the bottles from the Kellerman household and the Janus household. They seemed the same, 1 missing from the Kellerman, and 6 from the Janus household. After admiring the bottle and each pill, they realised a link, they were from the same manufacturing lot, it was the only real evidence that connected the 2 cases. After ringing the chief medical examiner Nick was told to smell the Tylenol, and thought they smelt like bitter almonds, and it turns out he was smelling cyanide. They were sent in and confirmed it at 1 am on the 30th September and police rounded up all Tylenol from every store. Johnson and Johnson put out a national recall for all bottles of Tylenol, they called in 31 million bottles, they had no idea how cynaide could get into there products.
