More than forty years after seven people died after taking poisoned Tylenol in the Chicago area, the suspects investigators chased would consume decades of their careers.
In the third and final episode on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring digs into the two men at the center of the investigation: one w…More than forty years after seven people died after taking poisoned Tylenol in the Chicago area, the suspects investigators chased would consume decades of their careers.
In the third and final episode on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring digs into the two men at the center of the investigation: one who taunted the FBI with letters to the President while evading capture, and one whose story took a shocking and tragic turn that nobody saw coming. As investigators closed in, key moments brought the case tantalizingly close to resolution, only for it to slip away again. And again.
This episode contains descriptions of poisoning and violence. Please listen with care.
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A week after seven people died from poisoned Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson received a handwritten letter demanding one million dollars. It was the first real break in the case, and it raised more questions than it answered.
In the second of three episodes on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring follows the …A week after seven people died from poisoned Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson received a handwritten letter demanding one million dollars. It was the first real break in the case, and it raised more questions than it answered.
In the second of three episodes on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring follows the investigation as it begins to fracture from within. As FBI agents, Chicago detectives, and suburban police clash over jurisdiction and trust, two very different suspects emerge: a man with a grudge, and a couple who had quietly vanished from Chicago weeks before the murders, leaving behind a trail that led somewhere far darker than anyone expected.
This episode contains descriptions of poisoning. Please listen with care.
Head over to our America’s Most Infamous Crimes YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericasMostInfamousCrimes
If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow America’s Most Infamous Crimes to never miss a case! For ad-free listening subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. America’s Most Infamous Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios.
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America’s Most Infamous Crimes is hosted by Katie Ring
On a single night in 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Tylenol. They didn't know each other, they weren't targeted, and the killer never had to get close to a single one of them.
In the first of three episodes on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring takes you back to the night it b…On a single night in 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Tylenol. They didn't know each other, they weren't targeted, and the killer never had to get close to a single one of them.
In the first of three episodes on the Tylenol murders, Katie Ring takes you back to the night it began: the Janus family, struck down one by one in their own home; the twelve-year-old who took two pills for a sore throat and never came back downstairs; and the flight attendant who stopped at a Walgreens on her way home from work, and never made it out. As investigators scrambled to piece together what the victims had in common, they uncovered something that would change the way Americans think about the products they buy forever.
This episode contains descriptions of poisoning. Please listen with care.
Head over to our America’s Most Infamous Crimes YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericasMostInfamousCrimes
If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow America’s Most Infamous Crimes to never miss a case! For ad-free listening subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. America’s Most Infamous Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios.
🎧 Need More to Binge?
Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes, Murder True Crime Stories, and more wherever you get your podcasts!
Follow me on Social
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TikTok: @Crimehouse
Facebook: @crimehousestudios
X: @crimehousemedia
YouTube: @AmericasMostInfamousCrimes
America’s Most Infamous Crimes is hosted by Katie Ring
Chicago, 1982. Seven people swallowed Tylenol capsules meant to heal, then they died within minutes. America changed overnight, then the killer vanished into darkness, and that darkness lived in my home.
I was eleven, and my father was The Tylenol Killer that terrorized a nation.
He created chaos, a…Chicago, 1982. Seven people swallowed Tylenol capsules meant to heal, then they died within minutes. America changed overnight, then the killer vanished into darkness, and that darkness lived in my home.
I was eleven, and my father was The Tylenol Killer that terrorized a nation.
He created chaos, and confessed with his last breath. I uncovered the truth, and the rot behind his badge. He built lies, and I built a case. I tore the mask from the madness and discovered that each clue led deeper into a labyrinth of deceit.
I stripped his name from mine, and I stripped his power too. He found me, and threatened my life, but I did not run. Instead, I shined a light into his darkness.
From the son who would not stay silent, THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father’s Confession to His Son reveals a confession buried under four decades of fear, complicity, and blue-walled denial. The truth is not a eulogy. It is an indictment. And it bears my name. THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father's Confession to His Son—Joseph Cibellimore
One pill. That’s all it took. In 1982, a wave of sudden deaths in Chicago stunned the nation - healthy people dropped dead after taking Tylenol. What seemed like a medical mystery quickly unraveled into a chilling case of product tampering, fear, and mass hysteria.
Learn more about your ad choices. …One pill. That’s all it took. In 1982, a wave of sudden deaths in Chicago stunned the nation - healthy people dropped dead after taking Tylenol. What seemed like a medical mystery quickly unraveled into a chilling case of product tampering, fear, and mass hysteria.
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As the investigators on the Tylenol Task Force zeroed in on leads, two potential suspects emerged. Both had the means, and motive, to do it. But was either one the Tylenol Killer? Murder: True Crime Stories is part of Crime House Studios. For more, follow us on Instagram @crimehouse.
In the fall of 1982, the Tylenol Murders had the whole city of Chicago on edge. Investigators were desperate to find the culprit. But their inability to work together threatened to derail the entire case. Murder: True Crime Stories is part of Crime House Studios. For more, follow us on Instagram @cr…In the fall of 1982, the Tylenol Murders had the whole city of Chicago on edge. Investigators were desperate to find the culprit. But their inability to work together threatened to derail the entire case. Murder: True Crime Stories is part of Crime House Studios. For more, follow us on Instagram @crimehouse.more
On September 29th, 1982, 27-year-old Adam Janus died from an apparent heart attack. Authorities quickly determined he'd actually died after taking a Tylenol pill that had been laced with cyanide... and he wasn't the only one. Soon enough, seven people in Chicago were dead from taking poisoned Tyleno…On September 29th, 1982, 27-year-old Adam Janus died from an apparent heart attack. Authorities quickly determined he'd actually died after taking a Tylenol pill that had been laced with cyanide... and he wasn't the only one. Soon enough, seven people in Chicago were dead from taking poisoned Tylenol -- and the killer was still at large. Murder: True Crime Stories is part of Crime House Studios. For more, follow us on Instagram @crimehouse.more
On September 29, 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman took one Extra Strength Tylenol capsule to ease her sore throat and mysteriously died less than four hours later. The same day, three members of the Janus family ingested Tylenol. Brothers Adam and Stanley died hours later. Theresa, Stanley’s wife, e…On September 29, 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman took one Extra Strength Tylenol capsule to ease her sore throat and mysteriously died less than four hours later. The same day, three members of the Janus family ingested Tylenol. Brothers Adam and Stanley died hours later. Theresa, Stanley’s wife, experienced chest pain and was rushed to the hospital, where she passed away two days later.
In that span of time, two more victims – Mary Reiner and Mary McFarland – met similar fates. Shortly after, Paula Prince was discovered dead in her apartment
All seven victims were living in the Chicago area; all seven had taken Extra-Strength Tylenol. Authorities determined the capsules had been laced with deadly potassium cyanide; a task force was promptly assembled; and Tylenol’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, swiftly removed products from shelves amid growing concern around the country. Soon, they introduced tamper-proof packaging that became ubiquitous for medications and other products.
And yet, the crime remains unsolved to this day.
One name loomed large in the field of suspects connected to the unsolved 1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders: James Lewis. Investigators could never prove he did it, but Lewis held a certain fascination anyway. Why? Who was this man – and could he really have committed such an evil crime? CBS Chicago investigative reporter Brad Edwards decided to trace Lewis’s past to answer those questions for the docuseries PainKiller: The Tylenol Murders, on Paramount Plus.
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The crisp, autumn morning of September 29, 1982, in suburban Chicago, began like any other. Parents were rushing to get their children off to school, commuters were weaving their way through traffic, and homes were gradually waking up to the rhythm of another bustling day. Amid the bustle, 12-year-o…The crisp, autumn morning of September 29, 1982, in suburban Chicago, began like any other. Parents were rushing to get their children off to school, commuters were weaving their way through traffic, and homes were gradually waking up to the rhythm of another bustling day. Amid the bustle, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman was feeling a little under the weather. To soothe her sore throat and runny nose, she reached for a comforting remedy found in almost every American household – a capsule of Extra-Strength Tylenol. Little did she know, it was to be her last act. This seemingly innocuous pill was laced with a deadly poison, and soon, Mary would become the first victim in a string of mysterious and chilling murders that would shock the nation and forever change the world of consumer safety.
In the days that followed, seven people would fall victim to cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, sparking widespread panic, a nationwide investigation, and an enduring mystery that, even decades later, continues to intrigue and bewilder. This is the haunting tale of the Chicago Tylenol Murders—a story of tragedy, terror, and the relentless quest for answers. It's a journey that delves into the lives of the innocent victims, the tireless work of investigators, the chilling theories and suspects, the dramatic efforts to solve the mystery, and the remarkable impact these murders had on society at large. This is not just a story of an unsolved crime; it's a testament to human resilience in the face of fear and a chilling reminder of the thin line between trust and trepidity. Brace yourselves as we venture into the darkest corners of one of the most puzzling and profound chapters in the annals of American crime history.more
On September 29, 1982, Adam Janus suddenly collapsed in his home outside of Chicago. He died within hours. Later that same day, in the same house, his brother also collapsed — then his sister-in-law. All three of them had been healthy. Nobody could figure out what was going on.
Stacy St. Clair and C…On September 29, 1982, Adam Janus suddenly collapsed in his home outside of Chicago. He died within hours. Later that same day, in the same house, his brother also collapsed — then his sister-in-law. All three of them had been healthy. Nobody could figure out what was going on.
Stacy St. Clair and Christy Gutowski reported an investigative series looking back on the Tylenol murders for the Chicago Tribune. You can listen to their podcast here, and read their series in the Chicago Tribune here.
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By 2011, the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence. A theory emerged: What if the Mad Poisoner was actually the Unabomber? Ted Kaczynski had proven he was a revenge-seeking terrorist, and he had connections to Chicago. Perhaps he traded homemade bombs for poisoned pills. Or maybe the deadly concoc…By 2011, the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence. A theory emerged: What if the Mad Poisoner was actually the Unabomber? Ted Kaczynski had proven he was a revenge-seeking terrorist, and he had connections to Chicago. Perhaps he traded homemade bombs for poisoned pills. Or maybe the deadly concoctions came straight from the Johnson & Johnson facility itself. In the absence of clear answers, only theories remain… and rumors that someone is still out there, replacing Halloween treats with fatal tricks. This is a crossover special with Conspiracy Theories.
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If Roger Arnold wasn’t behind the murders, who was? Police turn their focus to a new suspect: a disgruntled accountant named James Lewis. But the more police dig into Lewis’s life, the more questions they have. The road ahead is paved with extortion, false identities, and revenge. This is a crossove…If Roger Arnold wasn’t behind the murders, who was? Police turn their focus to a new suspect: a disgruntled accountant named James Lewis. But the more police dig into Lewis’s life, the more questions they have. The road ahead is paved with extortion, false identities, and revenge. This is a crossover special with Conspiracy Theories.
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Forty years ago, cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules led to the deaths of seven people all around the Chicago area. America was gripped by paranoia and fear. Why was this happening? Who would be next? Police grasped for suspects who might be the so-called “Mad Poisoner.” We’re joined by Carter Roy from C…Forty years ago, cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules led to the deaths of seven people all around the Chicago area. America was gripped by paranoia and fear. Why was this happening? Who would be next? Police grasped for suspects who might be the so-called “Mad Poisoner.” We’re joined by Carter Roy from Conspiracy Theories to tell the story.
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The Tylenol murders of Chicago in 1981 brought a flurry of change. They inspired a total redesign of medical packaging, to hinder tampering and it spawned the creation of a new anti-tampering federal law. The ripple effect of change went as deep as homes and individuals. Some were so fearful there w…The Tylenol murders of Chicago in 1981 brought a flurry of change. They inspired a total redesign of medical packaging, to hinder tampering and it spawned the creation of a new anti-tampering federal law. The ripple effect of change went as deep as homes and individuals. Some were so fearful there would be another attack by the uncaptured perpetrator, or perhaps a copycat, they wouldn’t even buy medication in capsule form. Which was why it was so shocking to find Sue Snow, someone who was worried about capsules, in possession of some the morning she collapsed on her bathroom floor. Was this another attack at the hands of the same person from Chicago? Was there someone in the house who wanted Sue dead? Or even worse, was Sue simply a necessary casualty in the eyes of a villainous killer who needed Sue to die for her own benefit? In today's episode, we'll hear the story of Sue Snow, Bruce Nickell, and the Excedrin murders that rocked Washington in the 1980s.
For photos and sources for today’s case, check out the Murder in the Rain episode blog.
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This week we explore an unsolved case out of the Chicago area. Back in the early 80’s the Tylenol Murders became the most extensively covered news event since the assassination of JFK. In just three days, seven people die…The Tylenol Murders /// Part 2 /// 481
Part 2 of 2
www.TrueCrimeGarage.com
This week we explore an unsolved case out of the Chicago area. Back in the early 80’s the Tylenol Murders became the most extensively covered news event since the assassination of JFK. In just three days, seven people died all exhibiting the same symptoms. Symptoms that pointed to cyanide poisoning as the cause.
Beer of the Week - Mama’s Little Yella Pils by Oskar Blues Brewing Company Garage Grade - 3 and 3 quarter bottle caps out of 5
Our show - True Crime Garage “Off the Record” is available only on Stitcher Premium. For a FREE month of listening go to http://stitcherpremium.com/truecrimegarage and use promo code GARAGE
This week we explore an unsolved case out of the Chicago area. Back in the early 80’s the Tylenol Murders became the most extensively covered news event since the assassination of JFK. In just three days, seven people di…The Tylenol Murders /// Part 1 /// 480
Part 1 of 2
www.TrueCrimeGarage.com
This week we explore an unsolved case out of the Chicago area. Back in the early 80’s the Tylenol Murders became the most extensively covered news event since the assassination of JFK. In just three days, seven people died all exhibiting the same symptoms. Symptoms that pointed to cyanide poisoning as the cause.
Beer of the Week - Mama’s Little Yella Pils by Oskar Blues Brewing Company Garage Grade - 3 and 3 quarter bottle caps out of 5
Our show - True Crime Garage “Off the Record” is available only on Stitcher Premium. For a FREE month of listening go to http://stitcherpremium.com/truecrimegarage and use promo code GARAGE
On September 29, 1982, a chain of events began that rendered 7 Chicago-area residents the victims of a sadistic killer who tainted over-the-counter- medications in local pharmacies. It was an incident that not only spread confusion, fear, and paranoia far and wide, but ultimately revolutionized the …On September 29, 1982, a chain of events began that rendered 7 Chicago-area residents the victims of a sadistic killer who tainted over-the-counter- medications in local pharmacies. It was an incident that not only spread confusion, fear, and paranoia far and wide, but ultimately revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry's safety standards. However, decades later, the crime remains unsolved, and the victims have received no justice. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological profile of the perpetrator in an attempt to unveil the evil face lurking in the shadows.more
