September 29, 1982 - the day that gripped the nation in fear. We learned that several people had died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide.

The first murders were reported in the Chicago area. Twelve year old Mary Kellerman was the first victim when her parents gave her a Tylenol because she had a cold.

Over the next four weeks more than 270 incidents would be reported around the country involving product tampering. Some copycats even poisoned food.

A few years back TIME Magazine did an article entitled 'A Brief History of the Tylenol Poisonings.' At that time, the investigation was being reopened.

In the article, psychologists called the killer so strange that their "normal guidelines just didn't work."

Police never did arrest anyone for the original murders, but a guy by the name of James Lewis wrote a letter to Tylenol  in October 1982 demanding money to "stop the killings."

As a result of the tamperings, manufacturers were forced to invent the safety seal and tamper-proof packaging that are commonplace today.

Source: TIME Magazine


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