Prompt Cast
The Tylenol Poisonings of 1982: A Case that Remains Unsolved
TLDR In 1982, seven people were murdered after ingesting Tylenol tainted with cyanide, leading to a nationwide recall. Despite thorough investigations and multiple suspects, the case remains unsolved, leaving open the possibility of future DNA evidence cracking the case.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In 1982, seven people were murdered after ingesting Tylenol tainted with cyanide, leading Johnson and Johnson to recall all Tylenol in Chicago and eventually all Extra-strength Tylenol in the United States.
04:52
Johnson and Johnson won the silver anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America for their handling of the Tylenol poisoning crisis, and they also won the golden anvil for their response to the copycat crisis caused by two individuals in Detroit.
09:26
In response to the Tylenol poisoning crisis, Johnson and Johnson quickly took action to regain public trust and reassure consumers about the safety of their products.
14:00
Johnson and Johnson quickly implemented tamper-resistant packaging and other measures within six weeks of the Tylenol poisoning crisis, which helped restore public trust in the brand and led to the introduction of the caplet.
18:55
The investigation into the Tylenol murders involved psychological profiling and speculation that the perpetrator was a man in his 20s or 30s with a Jekyll and Hyde personality, but no one has ever been charged with the crimes.
24:02
The first named suspect in the Tylenol murders, Roger Arnold, was thoroughly investigated and cleared, but later proved capable of murder when he was charged with killing someone else.
28:47
James Lewis becomes a suspect in the Tylenol murders when a letter is sent to Johnson and Johnson headquarters demanding one million dollars to stop the killings, but it is later discovered that he was not the author of the letter.
34:12
James Lewis, who was initially believed to be Robert Richardson, was a suspect in the Tylenol murders, but he and his wife were exonerated because they had moved to New York before the murders occurred and could not have been in Chicago at the time.
38:55
The case of the Tylenol murders remains unsolved, with all suspects being cleared and no new leads, but there is still hope that DNA evidence could crack the case in the future.
43:41
The Tylenol poisonings of 1982 in Chicago changed America and the world, but there are theories that Johnson and Johnson covered up the supply chain issue and that the case may not be the work of a lone mad poisoner.
48:30
The podcast ends with a listener sharing a story about a prank involving a synthetic fart product, and the hosts encourage listeners to share their own college prank stories.
Categories:
Society & Culture
