On this day, Sept. 29, in 1982, the Chicago Tylenol murders began with the first of seven people killed by cyanide-laced capsules in northwest Chicago.
Twelve-year-old Mary Ann Kellerman died after taking the over-the counter pain reliever. Over the next six days, six other people suddenly died of unknown causes in the greater Chicago area.
Firefighters Richard Keyworth and Phillip Cappitelli realized that all seven victims had ingested Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules before becoming ill.
Investigators confirmed their hunch and found that the bottles had been laced with cyanide. Three other tampered bottles also were discovered.
Police believe the killer took the packages from the shelves, put in the solid cyanide compound at another location, and then replaced the bottles on the grocery store and pharmacy shelves.
Tylenol makers pulled the bottles from the shelves and halted production nationwide. The murders led to new tamper-proof bottles.
The crime was never solved, although a New York man, James W. Lewis, was convicted of extortion for sending a letter to the capsule maker demanding $1 million to stop the killings. Lewis served 13 years of a 20-year sentence and was paroled in 1995.
— Scott McCabe
