Chicago police Detectives Jimmy Gildea. The final Tylenol death was confirmed on the evening of Oct. 1, when 35-year-old flight attendant Paula Prince was found dead in her Old Town condominium. But no one has ever been arrested in connection with the spate of poisonings that shattered the families of Janus and the others. These packaging protections soon became the industry standard for all over-the-counter medications. They also started grumbling about politics overshadowing their work. I had people dropping dead all over the place.. 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. The couple were later pronounced dead, too. Our highest responsibility has always been the health and safety of our consumers," Johnson & Johnson said in a statement to NBC News. Next week: Police investigate a poor mans James Bond, and an eighth person dies. Even after he retired from the FBI in 1996, he didnt let it go. 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. (Josh Reynolds/AP) The investigation into the 1982 Tylenol murders was pretty dormant when an FBI . Shari Kouba, shown in July at an FBI office in Mount Prospect where she used to work, ran a tips desk as part of the Tylenol task force. Most working detectives really dont trust the FBI, and the FBI doesnt trust us, Ford said. Ford, a Vietnam veteran with a classic Chicago accent and an Irishmans love of storytelling, died of a heart attack a few days after speaking with the Tribune. And I would wake them up just to say good night, you know?. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). Whoa, whoa, he recalled. It started in 1982, not long after the murders. Thats just human nature. In reality, some task force members still accuse their colleagues of secretive behavior 40 years later. The prints, however, dont match the prime suspect. And he grabs the pills, picks them up in his hand, dumps a whole bunch of them in his hand and starts sniffing, Ford recalled. Please check your inbox to confirm. Tylenol murders investigators pursue new charges in 40-year case. Pursuing the mission, however, eventually sent the FBI and the Chicago Police Department in two different directions. And by days end, flight attendant Paula Princes body would be discovered and tests would show that a Tylenol bottle inside her home contained four cyanide-laced capsules. Come to 1425 Armstrong Lane.. And only months later, it changed the way we purchase and consume over-the-counter medications. The 18-page investigative summary also provides key evidence, including the names of the three main suspects, during the first seven months of the case. Investigators pulled library records to see who had checked out books on cyanide. Thats because nobody was keeping track of who was buying cyanide, Wolnik said. President Reagan wanted the FBI in the investigation, retired FBI Special Agent Roy Lane Jr. told the Tribune. Arlington Heights police Chief Rodney Kath, second from left, works with other members of the Tylenol task force in an old state police bunker in Des Plaines. A theory emerged: What if the Mad Poisoner was actually the Unabomber? Siekmann didnt wear gloves. What are the Tylenol murders? Unfortunately, each victim swallowed a Tylenol capsule laced with A lethal dose of cyanide. The Tylenol Murders Pt. The Tylenol murders fundamentally changed the way we consume medication - among other things, leading to tamper-proof pill and bottle designs. (Don Casper / Chicago Tribune), Obviously, Johnson & Johnson didnt put cyanide in their own product. Police departments and fire stations began collecting bottles, as well. I said, Agent, agent. 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. Perhaps he traded homemade bombs for poisoned pills. [[Para leer en espaol] Los asesinatos de Tylenol, parte 2: Tylenol mezclado con cianuro fue el arma homicida. Johnson & Johnson initially recalled only those products with the same batch number as the Janus and Kellerman bottles. The man hurriedly told the Hormel operator that he had to go and he would call her back later. Police Officer Michael Miljan leaves an Arlington Heights pharmacy after making sure bottles of Extra-Strength Tylenol were being removed from shelves. Local police departments and states attorneys offices have been trying to crack the case for 40 years. It was then that Mary Kellerman, a 12-year-old girl from Elk Grove Village, a suburb of Chicago, told her mother and father about her symptoms. Their opinion soured even further at their first meeting, when one of the lead investigators asked for a briefing on the Prince murder. The program went far beyond any database previously used by law enforcement in Illinois. When the family returned home, both Adam's brother Stanley and Stanely's wife Theresa took a Tylenol, resulting in both of their deaths. The Chicago Tylenol Murders: With Laurence Fishburne. He hangs up, opens the door and we come in like gangbusters, Gildea said. Ford said he quickly interrupted. Investigators took pictures of people who attended the victims funerals to see if they could capture anyone acting unusual. I realized I was in the deep end of the pool, he said. FBI agent Shari Kouba, one of the few women on the task force, ran the tips desk. The task force investigating the Tylenol killings doubted that James Lewis would be reckless enough to stay in Manhattan after mailing an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 million . Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner talks about the Tylenol deaths on Oct. 1, 1982. (Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune). The tainted bottle from the Schaumburg pharmacy contained three partial prints on the capsules, but (they) were not suitable for comparison, the memo states. Editors note: This report has been updated to remove the reported amount of cyanide used. Members of the Illinois State Police join, as well. The results came back positive for cyanide at 1:30 a.m. But for something like this, for looking at a pill, it never would even cross our mind., Former DuPage County Coroner Pete Siekmann, who in 1982 was a deputy coroner, handled the Tylenol bottles from Mary "Lynn" Reiner and Mary McFarland. She also told CNN she had invited many people to a memorial service and celebration of life luncheon honoring her father in hopes that shed learn things she never got the chance to because of the murder. The Chicago detectives shared that worry. But others, including Lane, found it immensely helpful and from his perspective ultimately accurate. And they talked to veterinarians about any unusual animal poisonings, thinking the murderer may have tested the chemical on pets first. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune). However, investigators believe circumstantial evidence is enough to make this a "chargeable" case, but that decision would have to come from prosecutors, according to documents reviewed by the Chicago Tribune. Seven people between the ages of 12 and 35 years old died in 1982 after ingesting extra-strength Tylenol capsules that were found to have been laced with cyanide, a deadly chemical. Chicago police Officer Sam Barsevich, left, takes inventory of Tylenol bottles that residents turned in at his station on Oct. 2, 1982. The batch contained more than 1,800 pounds of cyanide, divided into packages of various sizes. In 1983, the U.S. Congress passed what was called the Tylenol bill, making it a federal offense to tamper with consumer products. The substance was grainier than the untainted Tylenol on the left. As the de facto leader of the task force, he would come to be known in the media as "Tylenol Ty." Many people who handled potential evidence in 1982 didnt wear gloves because it wasnt protocol at the time. Stores were pulling the product off shelves. While acetaminophen the active ingredient in the top-selling pain reliever was a fine white powder, these were filled with a grainy, translucent substance. And my next thought was that there are too many cooks in the kitchen.. 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. Not just the hours, but the frustration. What happens in most cases, and certainly what happened here beyond any question, was a 100% selfless, unified devotion to a very important mission.. The Illinois State Police told NBC News the investigation remains ongoing. The evening marked an important shift in the tragedy, moving from a swiftly solved medical mystery into a massive criminal investigation. I always wear the blue suit and the red tie, Lane said. In an attempt to paint a more detailed portrait of the killer, the FBI turned to a relatively new technique at the time called criminal profiling, in which agents try to identify the personality and behavioral characteristics of an offender based on an analysis of the crime. 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. In work that would later be heralded in scientific journals, the scientists also tested the cyanide kept at the Tylenol plant to see if it somehow got into the production process. Forty years after that terrifying period in September 1982, investigators say new evidence and a potential motive may be enough to finally solve the case. John Fellmann, whose last name was misspelled on his ID from 1980, was a young Arlington Heights police detective when he was assigned to the Tylenol murders. Stanley Janus soon collapsed on his late brothers kitchen floor. The more she . A long-planned meeting with DuPage prosecutors also was pushed back in the spring. They told stories of information hoarding, turf wars and glory seeking even when there was none to be had. 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. That wasnt there.. When that happened, the suspect would make contact with an investigator and offer to help solve the case. History's Greatest Mysteries looks into the theories regarding the Tylenol Murders in Chicago 1982. But thats not a problem, the investigators say. The gelatin-based capsules were especially popular because they were slick and easy to swallow. 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. We didnt get anything, but we were kicking around ideas like that.. If people threw out their Tylenol, authorities would never know the full extent of the tampering. America was gripped by paranoia and fear. Mike Severns, a former Elk Grove Village police detective assigned to Mary Kellerman's murder, says it still bothers him that officials neglected to update her grieving parents in the early days of the investigation. The first tainted Tylenol victim - Mary Kellerman, 12, of Elk Grove Village - collapsed and died on . On Friday afternoon, doctors removed Stanley Janus wife, Terri, from life support. They would work the case in Chicago and send someone else to Des Plaines to play nice with the others. The investigation would fork, taking the FBI and Chicago police down vastly different paths. (Carl Wagner / Chicago Tribune). FBI agents carry boxes out of the apartment building in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009. Deputy coroner Siekmann recalled going to Winfield to pick up the Tylenol collected from Reiners house a few hours after her death. I knew how to organize things.. If you are curious, come to a small house on a quiet, winding street in Elk Grove Village. He said Marys mother, Jeanna, asked him if she should have noticed that someone had tampered with the bottle. Margolis, who later became director of the Illinois State Police, says multiagency efforts always endure allegations of infighting and spotlight stealing. In 1989, the FDA established federal guidelines for manufacturers to make all such products tamper-proof. The state police memo indicates fingerprints were found on at least one of the bottles, as well as a full print on the inside of a different bottles box. Records show law enforcement has spent the past several years dealing almost entirely with forensic evidence. The Tribune has spoken with several people who have been asked to provide DNA samples within the last decade all men who had access to poisoned bottles found in Cook County. Daniel Walker and several Chicago aldermen convicted in Operation Silver Shovel. Theories The first suspect is 48 year old dock worker Roger Arnold, who said some suspicious things about the Tylenol murders at a bar one night. Some investigators on the case, including a few still involved with it, considered the rendered profile too vague to be of any real use. Within a year, and after an investment of more than $100 million, Tylenols sales rebounded to its healthy past and it became, once again, the nations favorite over-the-counter pain reliever. Only really frivolous things went in that other pile, she said. So, the theory was the tampering took place at the store, said FBI agent Lane. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune), If you stopped a thousand people on the street, youd be lucky if one of them could tell you who Ty Fahner was. 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. Tensions flared, even among law enforcement personnel sincerely dedicated to the job. Flight attendant Paula Prince bought a tainted bottle of Tylenol at the Walgreens at Wells Street and North Avenue in Chicago. The bottles traveled to various warehouses, including a final storage stop at a Jewel facility in suburban Franklin Park, before being delivered to different grocery stores on different days before the poisonings. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson recalled 31 million Tylenol bottles as panic spread nationwide. And so the Department of Justice just looked up a law and by a little bit of a hook and a crook said the FBI has jurisdiction because of an FDA law (about) truth in labeling.. The new timeline suggests Lewis wrote the letter before the public knew the deaths were linked to the tainted Tylenol pills, according to the Chicago Tribune. I mean, it just got to me, Severns said. But their deaths did inspire a series of important moves to make over-the-counter medications safer (albeit never 100 percent safe) for the hundreds of millions of people who buy them every year. Former Chicago police Detective Jimmy Gildea, shown at his Chicago home in July, investigated the death of Tylenol victim Paula Prince. At the time just four, Janus recalls being with her father, Adam, in their Chicago suburb when he bought an Extra-Strength Tylenol bottle that someone had slipped cyanide pills into. (Charles Knoblock / AP). 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. What are the Tylenol murders? Other copy-cat poisonings, involving Tylenol and other over-the-counter medications, cropped up again in the 1980s and early 1990s but these events were never as dramatic or as deadly as the 1982 Chicago-area deaths. The profilers believed the killer was likely to visit one of those named places to see the heartbreak he had caused. Fahner left the dinner immediately and made calls throughout the drive home, taking advantage of his position as a statewide official with access to a car phone, then a relatively rare piece of technology. The FBIs counterintelligence unit even reached out to their Soviet counterparts to see if they had any spy satellite images that could help, according to former FBI agent Grey Steed. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/tylenol-murders-1982, Why Eleanor Roosevelts civics book for kids is making a comeback. I said, Excuse me. I do think it created a lot of problems because youre always thinking theres somebody doing something behind your back.. What was he liked as a boss?, She added: Good and bad, I want to hear those stories, because its a reflection of who I am., Hurricane Ian: South Carolina and Florida comb wreckage to assess deadly toll, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. As the de facto leader of the task force, he would come to be known in the media as "Tylenol Ty.". DNA evidence wasnt part of police work at the time, but it would become a factor in the case a quarter-century later. Roger Arnold worked at a jewel warehouse with the father of one of the victims named Mary Reiner. Fahner looked at all the power brokers on the platform U.S. Sen. Charles Percy, Gov. A photograph of a television screen shows the specific lot number for a batch of Extra-Strength Tylenol that was the first to be recalled. I have no idea who gave that one, but it was perfect.. 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. Whats going on? Kasia Janus also always verifies products are properly sealed before she buys anything at stores, she said in a recently published series of interviews with CNN that described the gut-wrenching legacy left behind for her by the unsolved Tylenol killings, which made tampering with medications as well as other consumer goods a federal crime but remain unsolved. Our property guy, he couldnt keep up with it., Chicago police Officer Sam Barsevich, left, takes inventory of Tylenol bottles that residents turned in at his station on Oct. 2, 1982. Else to Des Plaines to play nice with the bottle investigators pursue new in! Work the case a quarter-century later back positive for cyanide at 1:30 a.m police Department in two different directions making. 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