November 21, 2019 • 36 mins
Ever wonder why many food and drug items are sealed like it's King Tut's tomb? Listen to Episode 22 and learn about two days in Chicago that changed the way conusmer products are manufactured.
=======
Follow us on Twitter @UntimelyPodcast
Music: "Humbled in a Battle" by Antti Luode (http://anttismusic.blogspot.com)
Sources:
https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2012/Chicago-Tylenol-Murders-An-Oral-History/
https://beyondthedash.com/blog/remembering/remembering-the-victims-chicago-tylenol-murders/7360
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/tylenol-murders-1982
=======
Follow us on Twitter @UntimelyPodcast
Music: "Humbled in a Battle" by Antti Luode (http://anttismusic.blogspot.com)
Sources:
https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2012/Chicago-Tylenol-Murders-An-Oral-History/
https://beyondthedash.com/blog/remembering/remembering-the-victims-chicago-tylenol-murders/7360
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/tylenol-murders-1982
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:10):
It was late in September, somewherein the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. Mary
woke up at around six in themorning, just like any other school day.
It was less than a month sinceshe started seventh grade, her last
year of junior high, so shewas eager to get going. But this
morning, as she got up frombed, she felt like it was different.
(00:33):
It did not feel like any otherday you see. Mary woke up
with a sore throat and running nose. She thought it was probably from the
allergies or from the change in weatherfrom summer to fall. To relieve her
sore throat and runny nose, Marywent to the bathroom and sleepily opened the
medicine cabinet. She remembered the medicinethat her mom made her take the last
(00:55):
time she felt this way. Whenshe found a bottle. Mary opened the
cab took two capsules out, placedit in her mouth, and had a
sip of water from the faucet downstairs. Mary's parents were also preparing for the
day. They heard Mary get upand walked to the bathroom, thinking it
was just her regular routine. Secondslater, Mary's father heard a loud thump
(01:21):
coming from upstairs. Confused, helooked at his wife, who also heard
the same thing. Perhaps Mary droppedsomething, so he went upstairs and knocked
on the bathroom door. Mary oryou okay? No answer? He called
out again, this time his voicebooming through the second floor of the house
(01:42):
a little louder. Still no response. In a state of panic, he
forced the bathroom door. Opened.On the floor was his little girl,
unconscious. He and his wife triedto wake Mary up, but there was
no response at all. Two hourslater, at the hospital where the paramedics
brought Mary, her parents heard theworst of news. But Mary will not
(02:07):
be the only victim this day,and the reason was far more sinister that
you could ever imagine. You arelistening to Untimely, a podcast about untimely
deaths and fatalities in recent or earlierhistory that resulted in damages in its wake.
(02:29):
I'm your host, Lynn. Whatis one of the first things that
we all do when we don't feelwell? Take some medicine. Medications,
whether it is over the counter orprescribed, have been constant in many people's
lives from birth. But what ifthe one thing that could help us get
better becomes a cause of something muchworse. In today's episode of Untimely,
(02:53):
we'll learn about an incident in Chicagothat has changed the way we take medications
forever. The year was nineteen eightytwo. The movie Blockbuster was et.
(03:14):
Popular songs played on the radio werePhysical by Olivia Newton, John and Ebony
and Ivory by Stevie Wonder and PaulMcCartney. The year was also the first
time that a computer scientist named ScottFolman first suggested using the smiley as a
way of expressing emotion in a message. In Chicago, thinks are relatively the
(03:36):
same. Summer of nineteen eighty twowas one of the coldest the city has
experienced since eighteen eighty two, sothe ushering of fall season was something everyone
did not mind at all. Theleaves have started to change and football season
was in full force. While everyonein the Chicago area went about their business.
(03:59):
On the early morn of Wednesday,September twenty ninth, Mary Kellerman was
at election Brothers in Elk Grove Villagefighting for her life. Her parents were
worried sick about their only child.The medical staff opened up their arsenal of
tools and life saving equipment to saveMary from what looked like a stroke,
(04:19):
but in the back of their mindswas how could a twelve year old suffer
from a sudden stroke. Everyone wasbaffled, including Richard Keyworth, one of
the firefighters from Elk Grove Village,who learned of this emergency call, but
there was nothing else they can do. Sometime before ten in the morning,
(04:41):
Mary was pronounced dead, about threehours from when she first woke up.
Her parents were devastated, although nothingseemed medically out of the ordinary. Her
parents agreed to an autopsy to findout what caused their grief and sudden heartache.
To make sure everything was adequately thoughtof, investigators interviewed Mary's father about
(05:06):
the events of that morning. Evenin sadness, Mary's parents welcomed the investigators
to their home so they can conducta thorough search and inventory of Mary's belongings.
The goal was to look for somethingthat might have cost her death.
About ten miles or sixteen kilometers fromMary's home, Adam Janis called in sick
(05:30):
from work that morning. He decidedto stay at home so he can get
some relief from a cold that wasstarting to get worse. At around noon,
Adam went to their local grocery storecalled Jewel in their town of Arlington
Heights. To get some medicine.He picked up extra strength thaylan all,
a popular over the counter drug thatalmost everyone used for any type of pain
(05:55):
and cold symptoms. Thailan All wasthe brand name of the drug acetaminafin.
Outside the United States, the genericformula is called paracetamol. Historically, thailan
al was marketed for children's fevers inpain relief. The company McNeil Consumer Healthcare
developed and marketed the drug nationwide.In nineteen fifty nine, corporate giants Johnson
(06:21):
and Johnson acquired McNeil and continued tosell taileanol under their brand. About a
year later, the drug became availablein every pharmacy as an over the counter
product that can be used by bothchildren and adults. The stable ingredient in
thailanol made compounding easy. Soon enough, different formulations of thailanol were developed,
(06:44):
including the one that Adam Janis pickedup. Extra strength tailanol in capsule form.
Capsules are much easier on the stomachas it is quick to dissolve,
and in Adam's case, it offereda quick remedy for his illness. Once
Adam and the two kids got home, he made lunch for all of them,
including his wife Teresa, then settledfor the afternoon. He opened the
(07:10):
bottle of Thailand all he purchased andingested two capsules, and laid down while
Teresa was in the kitchen cleaning up. Not too long after, Teresa found
Adam stumbling into the kitchen holding hischest. Teresa tried to hold him up
as he was falling down, buthe was too late. Adam collapsed.
(07:30):
He was immediately brought to the emergencyroom at Northwest Community Hospital. He was
followed by his wife, who bythen called Adam's parents to meet them at
the hospital. Doctors and nurses didtheir absolute best to resuscitate Adam, but
no matter what they did to revivehis heart, it never showed signs of
life. After working on Adam forwhat seemed like hours, Teresa was informed
(07:58):
that her husband suffered cardiac death.Adam was gone. The entire Janis family
felt like a mom was suddenly droppedon their feet. Adam Janis's family and
the medical staff at Northwest Community Hospitalhad so many questions. What could cause
a twenty seven year old to collapseand his heart to stop suddenly, it
(08:20):
doesn't make sense. While the medicalstaff prepared to examine Adam's cause of death,
the Janis family went back to thehouse in Arlington Heights with this devastating
news. More family members showed upat Adam and Teresa's home to grieve and
console one another. Adam's two brothers, Joseph and Stanley, were there,
(08:43):
including Stanley's new wife, also namedTeresa. The two newly weds just got
back from their honeymoon. They wereall gathered at the house in disbelief.
A little down south in the villageof Winfield, about twenty five miles or
forty kilometers from the Janis residence,new mom Mary Reyner was at home with
(09:05):
their newborn. The baby boy wastheir fourth, but just a special Her
husband Ed was on his way hometo help with the kids. Around three
forty five in the afternoon, Maryexperienced some discomfort, something she's felt after
giving birth. While the baby wasasleep, Mary took some pain medication to
(09:26):
get some relief. One of Mary'schildren, Michelle, was nearby. Seconds
later, after taking the medication,Mary fell on the floor. Her daughter
Michelle saw everything, but did notunderstand what was happening. Soon enough,
Ed walked in and found Mary unconscious. He called nine to one and Dispatch
(09:50):
sent an ambulance to their house.Mary, still unconscious, was brought to
Central to Page Hospital. There shewas barely alive. Her entire High family
in shock of what just happened.Back in Arlington Heights, the Janis family
was also in shock. By fivein the evening, most of Adam's close
(10:11):
friends and relatives were also at thehouse. Stanley was putting on a brave
face for his elderly parents and hisbrother Joseph. With all the commotion,
the questions and planning, Stanley's headstarted to ache. He told his wife,
who hugged him and thought to takesome medication. Theresa also felt a
headache coming on, so she followedhim to look for something to take.
(10:37):
Stanley found a newly opened bottle ofextra strength tailing all capsules, took two
and gave another two to his wife. After sipping some water to wash down
the medication, Stanley went outside tohave a smoke with his brother Joseph.
But before Stanley was able to lighthis cigarette, his knees buckled down on
the ground. Joseph areamed and yelledat his family members nearby to call an
(11:01):
ambulance for Stanley, but seconds afterStanley went down inside the house, Stanley's
wife, Teresa, also collapsed.Another phone call was made to get help
and the Arlington Heights Fire Department wasfirst on the scene. At the house,
family members around were distraught. Theyjust went through this earlier. Four
(11:26):
emergency crew members focused on Stanley whileanother four worked on Teresa. Every symptom
that happened to Stanley was followed bythe same physical manifestations with Teresa. Once
both were somewhat stable, the twowere rushed to Northwest Community Hospital, where
Adam's body was still waiting examination.One of the emergency doctors from the hospital
(11:50):
was informed that the Janet's family wascoming back. This time there were two
of them and both were in criticalcondition. At six in the evening,
at an Illinois Bell store in Lombard, about eleven miles east of Winfield,
staff members were busy offering the latestand greatest in phones and telecommunications. Mary
(12:13):
McFarland was working on the floor.While on duty, She complained to her
co workers of having a tremendous headache. As many would have done, Mary
walked in the back room of thestore and grabbed an over the counter medication
from her purse. Seconds after takingthe capsules, she dropped on the floor
(12:35):
unconscious. One of her co workersfound her and signaled to others to call
an ambulance. Mary was brought toGood Samaritan Hospital in nearby Downers Grove.
Her husband and two kids rushed tothe hospital. Mary McFarland was unresponsive at
this point. The medical examiners,police officers, and public health officials have
(13:00):
heard of the emergencies in Arlington Heights, where three members of the same family
were brought to the hospital with whatseemed like the same symptoms. At first,
medical professionals thought the cause was adeadly virus, so quarantine was ordered
for those who responded to the Janisfamily residence just in case. At eight
(13:20):
in the evening, investigators arrived atthe Janis house to try and find the
culprit. Carefully, they looked everywherein the basement, the backyard, all
the rooms where Adam, Stanley andTeresa were to trace their steps. One
of the investigators found a bottle ofextra strength tail Innal capsules, which were
(13:41):
taken by all three as mentioned byfamily members. Thinking nothing of it.
The investigator brought the bottle back tothe hospital. At eight fifteen in the
evening, Stanley Janis was pronounced dead. His wife, Teresa was barely hanging
on, but so far was alive. By the time the investigators went back
(14:05):
to the hospital with all the evidencecollected from the Janis residence, there were
no clear answers. Now two membersof the same family were dead and it
cannot be a coincidence. It waslate that night when all of the evidence
was laid out by the investigators andthere was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
(14:28):
Meanwhile, an off duty firefighter,Lieutenant Philip Capitelli, had his police
radio on all day as he heardabout the Janis family. He suddenly heard
of another incidence from another source,his mother in law. She was distraught
as she heard some horrible news atwork. The twelve year old daughter of
(14:48):
her coworker, inexplicably died. Hername was Mary. At this point,
Capitelli had a hunch that maybe theywere all related. Quickly, he gave
another firefighter, Richard Keyworth, acall. The two men discussed the four
cases, reviewed their reports prepared bytheir respective fire stations, and realized that
(15:11):
there was something in common, notwith the victims themselves, but by something
else. They had to report whatthey found to the investigators. Around nine
thirty in the evening, a UnitedAirlines flight from Las Vegas landed at O'Hare
International Airport. On board was flightattendant Paula Price. Once she left the
(15:35):
airport and headed home, Paula stoppedby a Walgreens, a pharmacy and retail
chain located at North Wells Street inthe heart of Chicago, to pick up
a few items, including a bottleof pain reliever. She got home and
rested after a long flight, andended her day back in the suburbs.
(15:58):
Nick Pishas was one of the investigatorsfrom the Medical Examiner's Office trying to solve
this morbid puzzle. It was latein the evening when a piece of evidence
arrived from the Elk Grove Police Department. The evidence, packed and labeled to
follow the chain of custody, wasrecovered from the home of a twelve year
old who died earlier that day.According to officials from Elk Grove, this
(16:21):
bottle of Thailana was found near thegirl's body, and it was believed that
she had taken them earlier. Insidethe evidence bag was a bottle of extra
strength thaylanol. Remembering the evidence inventoriedfrom the Janis residence, he searched for
the bottle on the table. Pisciuslooked at the Janis bottle label. He
(16:42):
read by McNeil Consumer Healthcare lot numberMC two eight eight zero. Then he
looked at the bottle that just camein and read by McNeil Consumer Healthcare the
lot number MC two eight eight zero. It was exactly the same. Pius
(17:04):
called Deputy Medical Examiner Edmund Donohue totell him about the two bottles. Donohue
asked Pisius to open up each bottleto look inside. As Pishes poured out
the capsules from each bottle, henoticed something. He noticed a strong smell,
the smell of almonds. As soonas he said the words, both
(17:27):
Piscius and Donahue thought the same thing. Cyanide. Cyanide is naturally produced by
some bacteria and algae. It canalso be found in some fruit seeds,
like apples and apricots. But ifcyanide is bonded and compounded with potassium hydroxide,
(17:49):
the resulting salt solution becomes highly toxicto anything alive. The compound is
white in color and can be formedas small crystals or granules, or can
be formulated as a liquid and alsoas a gas. One peculiar thing about
this chemical is that when released inthe air, it smells like bitter almonds.
(18:12):
What is interesting about this is thatthe ability to detect bitter almonds from
cyanide is a genetic trait that onlyhalf of the population in the world has.
Potassium cyanide is considered a toxic chemicaland not to be messed with in
any way, shape or form.According to the Center for Diseased Control,
(18:34):
exposure to potassium cyanide can be rapidlyfatal. Personal protective equipment is mandatory when
handling this chemical, and we're talkingfull body armor and respiratory equipment, not
just a pair of gloves. Ifused correctly and carefully. The compound does
have commercial use, including fumigation orextracting metals from ore, but if a
(18:57):
person is exposed to addain Juris level, potassium cyanide acts as a chemical asphyxiant.
Basically, it prevents red blood cellsfrom taking in oxygen and slowly deprives
the body organs of much needed oxygen. The lack of oxygen systematically shuts down
(19:17):
the body, starting with the lungs, muscles, the heart, and eventually
the brain. Death is painful andimmediate. By the end of Wednesday,
September twenty ninth, nineteen eighty two, three deaths had occurred in a small
area of the Chicago suburbs. Threemore are in critical condition. The Medical
(19:41):
Examiner's office ordered blood tests for thepresence of potassium cyanide on the bodies.
At that time, testing for cyanidewas not usually ordered outside of suspected homicides.
Still, because of the findings ofthe two firefighters and the suspicions from
the Medical examiner investigators, it wasdetermined that testing for cyanide needs to be
(20:06):
prioritized. It was also unheard ofto rush the blood tests and receive the
results immediately. But none of thiswas ordinary, and as night turned into
dawn, the nightmare was not evenclose to being over. By Thursday,
(20:27):
September thirtieth, at three in themorning, Mary McFarlane was pronounced dead at
Good Samaritan Hospital. As investigators foundout from her coworkers and family members,
Mary suffered from frequent migraines and carriedover the counter pain medications in her purse.
(20:48):
When investigators looked at her purse,they found a bottle of extra strength
tail in all capsules. Six hourslater, new mother Mary Reiner also died
at Central DuPage Hospital. Her husbanded shared with investigators that Mary took some
tailannel shortly before she passed out.It was found out that the thailan All
(21:12):
was given to her about one weekago when she was discharged in the same
hospital after she gave birth. Thethailannel came in a pack and not a
bottle, but still the drug wasin capsule form. What seemed like random
deaths were slowly becoming the making ofsomething far sinister, and the common denominator
(21:36):
across all of them extra strength Tailannel, produced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. When
the lab at the Medical Examiner's officeopened up the bottles of thailan Al,
several of the capsules were slightly discolored. The capsules were opened and the contents
were examined. Usually extra strength talonal capsules at white powdery substance, which
(22:02):
are not easily dissolved in water,But what they found inside the discolored capsules
were crystallized substances. A test ofthe crystals produced an expected result potassium cyanide.
Earlier, the blood tests from theautopsies were released to the Medical Examiner
as well. Each one had overone thousand times the amount of a lethal
(22:27):
dose of potassium cyanide. With theseresults at hand, the investigators had to
make their findings public. Their goalwas not to cause panic, but to
stop any more deaths from happening.The investigators were able to pinpoint the source
(22:47):
as the case widened. The deathswere caused by ingesting extra strength talnal capsules,
specifically from McNeill Consumer Healthcare Lot MCto zero eight eight. A press
conference was held that morning, ledby the Medical Examiner to warn the public
about the danger of taking extra strengthtalonnel capsules. Johnson and Johnson became aware
(23:12):
of this and dispatched their own representativesin Chicago. The sudden deaths in a
matter of twenty four hours became acause for concern, so the Federal Bureau
of Investigation became involved. By threePM, Johnson and Johnson had released a
recall of all extra strength Talonnal fivehundred milligram capsules, with the specific focus
(23:34):
on Lot two zero eight eight.But as the lab did more testing with
the capsules from the two deaths thatmorning, it was clear that batch MC
two zero eight eight was not theonly batch tainted with potassium cyanide. The
entire city was in fear. Aspecial hotline was created for the public to
(23:56):
call and report anything related to theuncement. Police in the Chicago Land area
were mobilized to help with the phonesand get out on the streets. Patrol
cars with loud speakers roamed every corner, warning the public to avoid ingesting thailan
al and if possible, throw outor return the bottles. Johnson and Johnson
(24:21):
offered refunds for anyone who purchased abottle. Volunteers, including Boy Scouts,
went door to door to warn residentsto stop taking any forms of tailing,
all especially capsules. Later, whenonly capsules were found to be tainted,
the company offered to replace the capsulesto caplets, which were impossible to change
the contents with anything other than theactive ingredient. To help investigators, Johnson
(24:45):
and Johnson posted a one hundred thousanddollars reward for relevant information that can lead
to a suspect or suspects since theirdeaths occurred in two different counts to Page
and Cook, it was brought tothe attention of the Illinois Attorney General.
The cost of deaths by poison madethis case into homicide. Although the investigation
(25:11):
was progressing, they weren't close tofinding out who was or who were responsible,
but it was sure that criminal proceedingswill take place. Throughout the day,
pharmacies and retail stores pulled every bottleof tailing All from their shelves.
Hospitals did the same, and thepublic followed instructions from the medical examiner.
(25:36):
Thousands of calls flooded the hotline almostimmediately following the press conference and kept ongoing.
It was already Friday, October First. A task force was formed from
local and federal agents. While retailstores and pharmacies purged their stock of tailing
All, the investigators continue their searchfor the perpetrator or were perpetrators. The
(26:02):
next question became apparent, was thisonly in Illinois or will this happen throughout
the country. Johnson and Johnson didnot wait around for the answer. The
company expanded its recall to all ofthe United States and made the announcement public.
But despite the best efforts to warneveryone, it was too late for
(26:22):
two more people. At one inthe afternoon, news from Northwest Community Hospital
was received by the investigators. ThreeSuganis was taken off of life support,
and she became the sixth person todie from this incident. About the same
(26:44):
time, Paula Price's sister became increasinglynervous. The sisters were supposed to meet
for dinner and Paula never showed up. Thinking that maybe Paula's flights were delayed,
she shrugged it off, but thenUnited Airlines called her, saying that
Paula never showed up for her nextshift either. Paula's sister immediately went to
(27:07):
Paula's high rise apartment in Chicago.She begged the apartment manager to let her
inside. By five pm, thebody of Paula was found inside her apartment.
Police later found a bottle of extrastrength thailann All on her kitchen sink.
The coroner stated that she died onWednesday, September twenty ninth, the
(27:30):
same night she bought the bottle atNorth Wales Walgreens before she went home.
Paula was the seventh victim of thethailan All murders. Within two days.
Seven deaths occurred in Chicago and itssuburbs. Mary Kellerman twelve years old,
(27:51):
three Sa Janis nineteen years old,Stanley Janis twenty five years old, Adam
Janis twenty seven years old, MaryMiner twenty seven years old, Mary McFarland
thirty years old, and Paula Pricethirty five years old. Each of them
died of potassium cyanide poisoning on Saturday, October two. Johnson and Johnson immediately
(28:18):
stopped production of all Taylonnol capsules.To prevent further tampering of products, the
company introduced triple seal packaging. Thebottles were foil sealed at the top of
the cap, outside the cap andthe box itself. If the medication were
tampered with, it would be obviousto the consumer. The manufacture of the
(28:41):
new product will be distributed to thepublic in January nineteen eighty three. On
the same day, three separate memorialservices were held for three of the victims,
while on October fifth, four morewere laid to rest. The investigation
was nowhere near any conclusion or suspectsin this matter, but on October sixth,
(29:06):
a break in the criminal investigation appearedout of nowhere, an envelope containing
a letter was received at the Johnsonand Johnson headquarters. Inside was a handwritten
note. The notes stated that ifJohnson and Johnson wants the deaths to stop,
they will need to deposit one millionUS dollars to an account number in
(29:30):
a local Chicago bank. Without hesitation, the company surrendered the letter to the
investigating authorities. Fingerprints collected from theletter and the envelope led the task force
to a couple named James and LeanneLewis, who at that time were living
in New York. Although he wasnot directly linked to the tampering of the
(29:52):
taylonnol capsules, James Lewis was arrested, tried, and convicted for extortion.
Incarcerated, Lewis continued to write Johnsonand Johnson. In the letters was his
interpretation of how the thaylenol bottles weretampered with. It also includes how the
cyanide crystals were placed carefully inside eachcapsule. His letters were accompanied by drawings
(30:18):
and diagrams, but despite all this, there was no hard evidence in connection
to their deaths, and he wasreleased in nineteen ninety five, after serving
thirteen years of a twenty year sentence. In the midst of the fear of
cyanide poisoning ruling Chicago and the restof the country, the quick action of
(30:40):
the medical examiners, investigators, andthe Task Force led to new federal laws
against tampering of consumer products. WhenJohnson and Johnson released its Triple Seal tamper
proof packaging, it became an industrystandard for all medications, from prescriptions to
over the counter products. Later,the tamper Evidence Seal became applicable to all
(31:03):
types of consumer products, and manyother forms were created. You would be
hard pressed to find anything in themarket nowadays that is not tamper proof.
In nineteen eighty three, the USCongress passed the Tailennol Bill, which made
tampering with consumer products a federal offense, with fines from ten thousand dollars to
(31:25):
one hundred thousand dollars plus jail time. Six years later, the Food and
Drug Administration introduced federal guidelines for manufacturersto ensure products are tamper proof. Despite
no other deaths related to the Tailennaltampering in Chicago, many copycat killers emerged
(31:45):
from different corners of the country usingover the counter pain relievers in cyanide as
weapons. In nineteen eighty six,three deaths were reported, one in New
York and two in Washington's eight Anotherwas later reported in Texas. While the
cause of deaths were similar to theones that occurred in nineteen eighty two,
(32:07):
further investigations found that the nineteen eightysix murders were completely unrelated. There were
hundreds of suspects aside from James Lewis. One of them was Ted Kazinski,
the notorious unibomber, who from nineteenseventy eight to nineteen ninety five wreaked havoc
(32:28):
in several states, including Illinois.Kazinski was born in Chicago, and his
first bombings occurred in Illinois, buthe did not live in Chicago during the
Taylanol scare, though he frequented thecity to visit family at that time.
He was ruled out because cyanide poisoningdid not match Kazinski's methods. Another suspect
(32:52):
was a tall, bearded man whowas seen in an ATM photo at Walgreens
on North Wales where Paula price thebottle of tailanol in the photo, you
can clearly see Paula by the cashregisters and the bearded man to her right
staring at her. The man wasnever identified, but closely resembled James Lewis.
(33:16):
In two thousand and nine, aruling forced James and Leanne Lewis to
provide DNA for further investigation. TheFBI also rated his home, now in
Massachusetts, and collected several items,including an Apple computer. James, still
maintaining his innocence, gave a bizarreinterview to a local news channel, stating
(33:37):
that he thinks of the victims daily, but was completely innocent. The evidence
collected from his Massachusetts home produced nothingto convict James of the thailan All murders.
Even after thirty years, the terrorof September nineteen eighty two still linger.
(33:59):
Johnson and Johnson settled with the familiesfor an undisclosed amount. The company
never admitted to any wrongdoing, sincethe investigators ruled out the possibility of cyanide
added during the manufacturing process. Instead, the company felt that they were victims
as well. Nevertheless, the companyhandled the crisis despite its initial financial loss
(34:23):
from the product recall. Their quickresponse was lauded as admirable and continues to
be an example of positive public relationsamidst a crisis for families of the victims.
The laws never left even after allthese years. Eight of the children
left behind continued to mourn and honortheir loved ones. But what really makes
(34:49):
it much harder for the families isthat to this day, there has been
no conviction for the seven deaths innineteen eighty two. It remains one of
the most notorious unsolved cases in theUnited States. It is the hope that
with new technology available, we canprovide closure for the tailen all murders in
(35:13):
nineteen eighty two. Thank you forlistening to this episode of Untimely. As
always, i'm curious as to whatyou thought of this episode. Tell us
(35:36):
by dropping a note at Untimely podcastat gmail dot com. Also, if
you want to know more about thecriminal proceedings related to this case, encourage
you to listen to other podcasts thatcover this case, including Case File episode
one eighteen. If you have afew minutes, please rate and review us
on your favorite podcast platform. Ifyou're on Twitter, stop by and say
(35:58):
hello to us. Search for atUntimely podcast. We'd love to hear from you,
It was late in September, somewherein the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. Mary
woke up at around six in themorning, just like any other school day.
It was less than a month sinceshe started seventh grade, her last
year of junior high, so shewas eager to get going. But this
morning, as she got up frombed, she felt like it was different.
(00:33):
It did not feel like any otherday you see. Mary woke up
with a sore throat and running nose. She thought it was probably from the
allergies or from the change in weatherfrom summer to fall. To relieve her
sore throat and runny nose, Marywent to the bathroom and sleepily opened the
medicine cabinet. She remembered the medicinethat her mom made her take the last
(00:55):
time she felt this way. Whenshe found a bottle. Mary opened the
cab took two capsules out, placedit in her mouth, and had a
sip of water from the faucet downstairs. Mary's parents were also preparing for the
day. They heard Mary get upand walked to the bathroom, thinking it
was just her regular routine. Secondslater, Mary's father heard a loud thump
(01:21):
coming from upstairs. Confused, helooked at his wife, who also heard
the same thing. Perhaps Mary droppedsomething, so he went upstairs and knocked
on the bathroom door. Mary oryou okay? No answer? He called
out again, this time his voicebooming through the second floor of the house
(01:42):
a little louder. Still no response. In a state of panic, he
forced the bathroom door. Opened.On the floor was his little girl,
unconscious. He and his wife triedto wake Mary up, but there was
no response at all. Two hourslater, at the hospital where the paramedics
brought Mary, her parents heard theworst of news. But Mary will not
(02:07):
be the only victim this day,and the reason was far more sinister that
you could ever imagine. You arelistening to Untimely, a podcast about untimely
deaths and fatalities in recent or earlierhistory that resulted in damages in its wake.
(02:29):
I'm your host, Lynn. Whatis one of the first things that
we all do when we don't feelwell? Take some medicine. Medications,
whether it is over the counter orprescribed, have been constant in many people's
lives from birth. But what ifthe one thing that could help us get
better becomes a cause of something muchworse. In today's episode of Untimely,
(02:53):
we'll learn about an incident in Chicagothat has changed the way we take medications
forever. The year was nineteen eightytwo. The movie Blockbuster was et.
(03:14):
Popular songs played on the radio werePhysical by Olivia Newton, John and Ebony
and Ivory by Stevie Wonder and PaulMcCartney. The year was also the first
time that a computer scientist named ScottFolman first suggested using the smiley as a
way of expressing emotion in a message. In Chicago, thinks are relatively the
(03:36):
same. Summer of nineteen eighty twowas one of the coldest the city has
experienced since eighteen eighty two, sothe ushering of fall season was something everyone
did not mind at all. Theleaves have started to change and football season
was in full force. While everyonein the Chicago area went about their business.
(03:59):
On the early morn of Wednesday,September twenty ninth, Mary Kellerman was
at election Brothers in Elk Grove Villagefighting for her life. Her parents were
worried sick about their only child.The medical staff opened up their arsenal of
tools and life saving equipment to saveMary from what looked like a stroke,
(04:19):
but in the back of their mindswas how could a twelve year old suffer
from a sudden stroke. Everyone wasbaffled, including Richard Keyworth, one of
the firefighters from Elk Grove Village,who learned of this emergency call, but
there was nothing else they can do. Sometime before ten in the morning,
(04:41):
Mary was pronounced dead, about threehours from when she first woke up.
Her parents were devastated, although nothingseemed medically out of the ordinary. Her
parents agreed to an autopsy to findout what caused their grief and sudden heartache.
To make sure everything was adequately thoughtof, investigators interviewed Mary's father about
(05:06):
the events of that morning. Evenin sadness, Mary's parents welcomed the investigators
to their home so they can conducta thorough search and inventory of Mary's belongings.
The goal was to look for somethingthat might have cost her death.
About ten miles or sixteen kilometers fromMary's home, Adam Janis called in sick
(05:30):
from work that morning. He decidedto stay at home so he can get
some relief from a cold that wasstarting to get worse. At around noon,
Adam went to their local grocery storecalled Jewel in their town of Arlington
Heights. To get some medicine.He picked up extra strength thaylan all,
a popular over the counter drug thatalmost everyone used for any type of pain
(05:55):
and cold symptoms. Thailan All wasthe brand name of the drug acetaminafin.
Outside the United States, the genericformula is called paracetamol. Historically, thailan
al was marketed for children's fevers inpain relief. The company McNeil Consumer Healthcare
developed and marketed the drug nationwide.In nineteen fifty nine, corporate giants Johnson
(06:21):
and Johnson acquired McNeil and continued tosell taileanol under their brand. About a
year later, the drug became availablein every pharmacy as an over the counter
product that can be used by bothchildren and adults. The stable ingredient in
thailanol made compounding easy. Soon enough, different formulations of thailanol were developed,
(06:44):
including the one that Adam Janis pickedup. Extra strength tailanol in capsule form.
Capsules are much easier on the stomachas it is quick to dissolve,
and in Adam's case, it offereda quick remedy for his illness. Once
Adam and the two kids got home, he made lunch for all of them,
including his wife Teresa, then settledfor the afternoon. He opened the
(07:10):
bottle of Thailand all he purchased andingested two capsules, and laid down while
Teresa was in the kitchen cleaning up. Not too long after, Teresa found
Adam stumbling into the kitchen holding hischest. Teresa tried to hold him up
as he was falling down, buthe was too late. Adam collapsed.
(07:30):
He was immediately brought to the emergencyroom at Northwest Community Hospital. He was
followed by his wife, who bythen called Adam's parents to meet them at
the hospital. Doctors and nurses didtheir absolute best to resuscitate Adam, but
no matter what they did to revivehis heart, it never showed signs of
life. After working on Adam forwhat seemed like hours, Teresa was informed
(07:58):
that her husband suffered cardiac death.Adam was gone. The entire Janis family
felt like a mom was suddenly droppedon their feet. Adam Janis's family and
the medical staff at Northwest Community Hospitalhad so many questions. What could cause
a twenty seven year old to collapseand his heart to stop suddenly, it
(08:20):
doesn't make sense. While the medicalstaff prepared to examine Adam's cause of death,
the Janis family went back to thehouse in Arlington Heights with this devastating
news. More family members showed upat Adam and Teresa's home to grieve and
console one another. Adam's two brothers, Joseph and Stanley, were there,
(08:43):
including Stanley's new wife, also namedTeresa. The two newly weds just got
back from their honeymoon. They wereall gathered at the house in disbelief.
A little down south in the villageof Winfield, about twenty five miles or
forty kilometers from the Janis residence,new mom Mary Reyner was at home with
(09:05):
their newborn. The baby boy wastheir fourth, but just a special Her
husband Ed was on his way hometo help with the kids. Around three
forty five in the afternoon, Maryexperienced some discomfort, something she's felt after
giving birth. While the baby wasasleep, Mary took some pain medication to
(09:26):
get some relief. One of Mary'schildren, Michelle, was nearby. Seconds
later, after taking the medication,Mary fell on the floor. Her daughter
Michelle saw everything, but did notunderstand what was happening. Soon enough,
Ed walked in and found Mary unconscious. He called nine to one and Dispatch
(09:50):
sent an ambulance to their house.Mary, still unconscious, was brought to
Central to Page Hospital. There shewas barely alive. Her entire High family
in shock of what just happened.Back in Arlington Heights, the Janis family
was also in shock. By fivein the evening, most of Adam's close
(10:11):
friends and relatives were also at thehouse. Stanley was putting on a brave
face for his elderly parents and hisbrother Joseph. With all the commotion,
the questions and planning, Stanley's headstarted to ache. He told his wife,
who hugged him and thought to takesome medication. Theresa also felt a
headache coming on, so she followedhim to look for something to take.
(10:37):
Stanley found a newly opened bottle ofextra strength tailing all capsules, took two
and gave another two to his wife. After sipping some water to wash down
the medication, Stanley went outside tohave a smoke with his brother Joseph.
But before Stanley was able to lighthis cigarette, his knees buckled down on
the ground. Joseph areamed and yelledat his family members nearby to call an
(11:01):
ambulance for Stanley, but seconds afterStanley went down inside the house, Stanley's
wife, Teresa, also collapsed.Another phone call was made to get help
and the Arlington Heights Fire Department wasfirst on the scene. At the house,
family members around were distraught. Theyjust went through this earlier. Four
(11:26):
emergency crew members focused on Stanley whileanother four worked on Teresa. Every symptom
that happened to Stanley was followed bythe same physical manifestations with Teresa. Once
both were somewhat stable, the twowere rushed to Northwest Community Hospital, where
Adam's body was still waiting examination.One of the emergency doctors from the hospital
(11:50):
was informed that the Janet's family wascoming back. This time there were two
of them and both were in criticalcondition. At six in the evening,
at an Illinois Bell store in Lombard, about eleven miles east of Winfield,
staff members were busy offering the latestand greatest in phones and telecommunications. Mary
(12:13):
McFarland was working on the floor.While on duty, She complained to her
co workers of having a tremendous headache. As many would have done, Mary
walked in the back room of thestore and grabbed an over the counter medication
from her purse. Seconds after takingthe capsules, she dropped on the floor
(12:35):
unconscious. One of her co workersfound her and signaled to others to call
an ambulance. Mary was brought toGood Samaritan Hospital in nearby Downers Grove.
Her husband and two kids rushed tothe hospital. Mary McFarland was unresponsive at
this point. The medical examiners,police officers, and public health officials have
(13:00):
heard of the emergencies in Arlington Heights, where three members of the same family
were brought to the hospital with whatseemed like the same symptoms. At first,
medical professionals thought the cause was adeadly virus, so quarantine was ordered
for those who responded to the Janisfamily residence just in case. At eight
(13:20):
in the evening, investigators arrived atthe Janis house to try and find the
culprit. Carefully, they looked everywherein the basement, the backyard, all
the rooms where Adam, Stanley andTeresa were to trace their steps. One
of the investigators found a bottle ofextra strength tail Innal capsules, which were
(13:41):
taken by all three as mentioned byfamily members. Thinking nothing of it.
The investigator brought the bottle back tothe hospital. At eight fifteen in the
evening, Stanley Janis was pronounced dead. His wife, Teresa was barely hanging
on, but so far was alive. By the time the investigators went back
(14:05):
to the hospital with all the evidencecollected from the Janis residence, there were
no clear answers. Now two membersof the same family were dead and it
cannot be a coincidence. It waslate that night when all of the evidence
was laid out by the investigators andthere was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
(14:28):
Meanwhile, an off duty firefighter,Lieutenant Philip Capitelli, had his police
radio on all day as he heardabout the Janis family. He suddenly heard
of another incidence from another source,his mother in law. She was distraught
as she heard some horrible news atwork. The twelve year old daughter of
(14:48):
her coworker, inexplicably died. Hername was Mary. At this point,
Capitelli had a hunch that maybe theywere all related. Quickly, he gave
another firefighter, Richard Keyworth, acall. The two men discussed the four
cases, reviewed their reports prepared bytheir respective fire stations, and realized that
(15:11):
there was something in common, notwith the victims themselves, but by something
else. They had to report whatthey found to the investigators. Around nine
thirty in the evening, a UnitedAirlines flight from Las Vegas landed at O'Hare
International Airport. On board was flightattendant Paula Price. Once she left the
(15:35):
airport and headed home, Paula stoppedby a Walgreens, a pharmacy and retail
chain located at North Wells Street inthe heart of Chicago, to pick up
a few items, including a bottleof pain reliever. She got home and
rested after a long flight, andended her day back in the suburbs.
(15:58):
Nick Pishas was one of the investigatorsfrom the Medical Examiner's Office trying to solve
this morbid puzzle. It was latein the evening when a piece of evidence
arrived from the Elk Grove Police Department. The evidence, packed and labeled to
follow the chain of custody, wasrecovered from the home of a twelve year
old who died earlier that day.According to officials from Elk Grove, this
(16:21):
bottle of Thailana was found near thegirl's body, and it was believed that
she had taken them earlier. Insidethe evidence bag was a bottle of extra
strength thaylanol. Remembering the evidence inventoriedfrom the Janis residence, he searched for
the bottle on the table. Pisciuslooked at the Janis bottle label. He
(16:42):
read by McNeil Consumer Healthcare lot numberMC two eight eight zero. Then he
looked at the bottle that just camein and read by McNeil Consumer Healthcare the
lot number MC two eight eight zero. It was exactly the same. Pius
(17:04):
called Deputy Medical Examiner Edmund Donohue totell him about the two bottles. Donohue
asked Pisius to open up each bottleto look inside. As Pishes poured out
the capsules from each bottle, henoticed something. He noticed a strong smell,
the smell of almonds. As soonas he said the words, both
(17:27):
Piscius and Donahue thought the same thing. Cyanide. Cyanide is naturally produced by
some bacteria and algae. It canalso be found in some fruit seeds,
like apples and apricots. But ifcyanide is bonded and compounded with potassium hydroxide,
(17:49):
the resulting salt solution becomes highly toxicto anything alive. The compound is
white in color and can be formedas small crystals or granules, or can
be formulated as a liquid and alsoas a gas. One peculiar thing about
this chemical is that when released inthe air, it smells like bitter almonds.
(18:12):
What is interesting about this is thatthe ability to detect bitter almonds from
cyanide is a genetic trait that onlyhalf of the population in the world has.
Potassium cyanide is considered a toxic chemicaland not to be messed with in
any way, shape or form.According to the Center for Diseased Control,
(18:34):
exposure to potassium cyanide can be rapidlyfatal. Personal protective equipment is mandatory when
handling this chemical, and we're talkingfull body armor and respiratory equipment, not
just a pair of gloves. Ifused correctly and carefully. The compound does
have commercial use, including fumigation orextracting metals from ore, but if a
(18:57):
person is exposed to addain Juris level, potassium cyanide acts as a chemical asphyxiant.
Basically, it prevents red blood cellsfrom taking in oxygen and slowly deprives
the body organs of much needed oxygen. The lack of oxygen systematically shuts down
(19:17):
the body, starting with the lungs, muscles, the heart, and eventually
the brain. Death is painful andimmediate. By the end of Wednesday,
September twenty ninth, nineteen eighty two, three deaths had occurred in a small
area of the Chicago suburbs. Threemore are in critical condition. The Medical
(19:41):
Examiner's office ordered blood tests for thepresence of potassium cyanide on the bodies.
At that time, testing for cyanidewas not usually ordered outside of suspected homicides.
Still, because of the findings ofthe two firefighters and the suspicions from
the Medical examiner investigators, it wasdetermined that testing for cyanide needs to be
(20:06):
prioritized. It was also unheard ofto rush the blood tests and receive the
results immediately. But none of thiswas ordinary, and as night turned into
dawn, the nightmare was not evenclose to being over. By Thursday,
(20:27):
September thirtieth, at three in themorning, Mary McFarlane was pronounced dead at
Good Samaritan Hospital. As investigators foundout from her coworkers and family members,
Mary suffered from frequent migraines and carriedover the counter pain medications in her purse.
(20:48):
When investigators looked at her purse,they found a bottle of extra strength
tail in all capsules. Six hourslater, new mother Mary Reiner also died
at Central DuPage Hospital. Her husbanded shared with investigators that Mary took some
tailannel shortly before she passed out.It was found out that the thailan All
(21:12):
was given to her about one weekago when she was discharged in the same
hospital after she gave birth. Thethailannel came in a pack and not a
bottle, but still the drug wasin capsule form. What seemed like random
deaths were slowly becoming the making ofsomething far sinister, and the common denominator
(21:36):
across all of them extra strength Tailannel, produced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. When
the lab at the Medical Examiner's officeopened up the bottles of thailan Al,
several of the capsules were slightly discolored. The capsules were opened and the contents
were examined. Usually extra strength talonal capsules at white powdery substance, which
(22:02):
are not easily dissolved in water,But what they found inside the discolored capsules
were crystallized substances. A test ofthe crystals produced an expected result potassium cyanide.
Earlier, the blood tests from theautopsies were released to the Medical Examiner
as well. Each one had overone thousand times the amount of a lethal
(22:27):
dose of potassium cyanide. With theseresults at hand, the investigators had to
make their findings public. Their goalwas not to cause panic, but to
stop any more deaths from happening.The investigators were able to pinpoint the source
(22:47):
as the case widened. The deathswere caused by ingesting extra strength talnal capsules,
specifically from McNeill Consumer Healthcare Lot MCto zero eight eight. A press
conference was held that morning, ledby the Medical Examiner to warn the public
about the danger of taking extra strengthtalonnel capsules. Johnson and Johnson became aware
(23:12):
of this and dispatched their own representativesin Chicago. The sudden deaths in a
matter of twenty four hours became acause for concern, so the Federal Bureau
of Investigation became involved. By threePM, Johnson and Johnson had released a
recall of all extra strength Talonnal fivehundred milligram capsules, with the specific focus
(23:34):
on Lot two zero eight eight.But as the lab did more testing with
the capsules from the two deaths thatmorning, it was clear that batch MC
two zero eight eight was not theonly batch tainted with potassium cyanide. The
entire city was in fear. Aspecial hotline was created for the public to
(23:56):
call and report anything related to theuncement. Police in the Chicago Land area
were mobilized to help with the phonesand get out on the streets. Patrol
cars with loud speakers roamed every corner, warning the public to avoid ingesting thailan
al and if possible, throw outor return the bottles. Johnson and Johnson
(24:21):
offered refunds for anyone who purchased abottle. Volunteers, including Boy Scouts,
went door to door to warn residentsto stop taking any forms of tailing,
all especially capsules. Later, whenonly capsules were found to be tainted,
the company offered to replace the capsulesto caplets, which were impossible to change
the contents with anything other than theactive ingredient. To help investigators, Johnson
(24:45):
and Johnson posted a one hundred thousanddollars reward for relevant information that can lead
to a suspect or suspects since theirdeaths occurred in two different counts to Page
and Cook, it was brought tothe attention of the Illinois Attorney General.
The cost of deaths by poison madethis case into homicide. Although the investigation
(25:11):
was progressing, they weren't close tofinding out who was or who were responsible,
but it was sure that criminal proceedingswill take place. Throughout the day,
pharmacies and retail stores pulled every bottleof tailing All from their shelves.
Hospitals did the same, and thepublic followed instructions from the medical examiner.
(25:36):
Thousands of calls flooded the hotline almostimmediately following the press conference and kept ongoing.
It was already Friday, October First. A task force was formed from
local and federal agents. While retailstores and pharmacies purged their stock of tailing
All, the investigators continue their searchfor the perpetrator or were perpetrators. The
(26:02):
next question became apparent, was thisonly in Illinois or will this happen throughout
the country. Johnson and Johnson didnot wait around for the answer. The
company expanded its recall to all ofthe United States and made the announcement public.
But despite the best efforts to warneveryone, it was too late for
(26:22):
two more people. At one inthe afternoon, news from Northwest Community Hospital
was received by the investigators. ThreeSuganis was taken off of life support,
and she became the sixth person todie from this incident. About the same
(26:44):
time, Paula Price's sister became increasinglynervous. The sisters were supposed to meet
for dinner and Paula never showed up. Thinking that maybe Paula's flights were delayed,
she shrugged it off, but thenUnited Airlines called her, saying that
Paula never showed up for her nextshift either. Paula's sister immediately went to
(27:07):
Paula's high rise apartment in Chicago.She begged the apartment manager to let her
inside. By five pm, thebody of Paula was found inside her apartment.
Police later found a bottle of extrastrength thailann All on her kitchen sink.
The coroner stated that she died onWednesday, September twenty ninth, the
(27:30):
same night she bought the bottle atNorth Wales Walgreens before she went home.
Paula was the seventh victim of thethailan All murders. Within two days.
Seven deaths occurred in Chicago and itssuburbs. Mary Kellerman twelve years old,
(27:51):
three Sa Janis nineteen years old,Stanley Janis twenty five years old, Adam
Janis twenty seven years old, MaryMiner twenty seven years old, Mary McFarland
thirty years old, and Paula Pricethirty five years old. Each of them
died of potassium cyanide poisoning on Saturday, October two. Johnson and Johnson immediately
(28:18):
stopped production of all Taylonnol capsules.To prevent further tampering of products, the
company introduced triple seal packaging. Thebottles were foil sealed at the top of
the cap, outside the cap andthe box itself. If the medication were
tampered with, it would be obviousto the consumer. The manufacture of the
(28:41):
new product will be distributed to thepublic in January nineteen eighty three. On
the same day, three separate memorialservices were held for three of the victims,
while on October fifth, four morewere laid to rest. The investigation
was nowhere near any conclusion or suspectsin this matter, but on October sixth,
(29:06):
a break in the criminal investigation appearedout of nowhere, an envelope containing
a letter was received at the Johnsonand Johnson headquarters. Inside was a handwritten
note. The notes stated that ifJohnson and Johnson wants the deaths to stop,
they will need to deposit one millionUS dollars to an account number in
(29:30):
a local Chicago bank. Without hesitation, the company surrendered the letter to the
investigating authorities. Fingerprints collected from theletter and the envelope led the task force
to a couple named James and LeanneLewis, who at that time were living
in New York. Although he wasnot directly linked to the tampering of the
(29:52):
taylonnol capsules, James Lewis was arrested, tried, and convicted for extortion.
Incarcerated, Lewis continued to write Johnsonand Johnson. In the letters was his
interpretation of how the thaylenol bottles weretampered with. It also includes how the
cyanide crystals were placed carefully inside eachcapsule. His letters were accompanied by drawings
(30:18):
and diagrams, but despite all this, there was no hard evidence in connection
to their deaths, and he wasreleased in nineteen ninety five, after serving
thirteen years of a twenty year sentence. In the midst of the fear of
cyanide poisoning ruling Chicago and the restof the country, the quick action of
(30:40):
the medical examiners, investigators, andthe Task Force led to new federal laws
against tampering of consumer products. WhenJohnson and Johnson released its Triple Seal tamper
proof packaging, it became an industrystandard for all medications, from prescriptions to
over the counter products. Later,the tamper Evidence Seal became applicable to all
(31:03):
types of consumer products, and manyother forms were created. You would be
hard pressed to find anything in themarket nowadays that is not tamper proof.
In nineteen eighty three, the USCongress passed the Tailennol Bill, which made
tampering with consumer products a federal offense, with fines from ten thousand dollars to
(31:25):
one hundred thousand dollars plus jail time. Six years later, the Food and
Drug Administration introduced federal guidelines for manufacturersto ensure products are tamper proof. Despite
no other deaths related to the Tailennaltampering in Chicago, many copycat killers emerged
(31:45):
from different corners of the country usingover the counter pain relievers in cyanide as
weapons. In nineteen eighty six,three deaths were reported, one in New
York and two in Washington's eight Anotherwas later reported in Texas. While the
cause of deaths were similar to theones that occurred in nineteen eighty two,
(32:07):
further investigations found that the nineteen eightysix murders were completely unrelated. There were
hundreds of suspects aside from James Lewis. One of them was Ted Kazinski,
the notorious unibomber, who from nineteenseventy eight to nineteen ninety five wreaked havoc
(32:28):
in several states, including Illinois.Kazinski was born in Chicago, and his
first bombings occurred in Illinois, buthe did not live in Chicago during the
Taylanol scare, though he frequented thecity to visit family at that time.
He was ruled out because cyanide poisoningdid not match Kazinski's methods. Another suspect
(32:52):
was a tall, bearded man whowas seen in an ATM photo at Walgreens
on North Wales where Paula price thebottle of tailanol in the photo, you
can clearly see Paula by the cashregisters and the bearded man to her right
staring at her. The man wasnever identified, but closely resembled James Lewis.
(33:16):
In two thousand and nine, aruling forced James and Leanne Lewis to
provide DNA for further investigation. TheFBI also rated his home, now in
Massachusetts, and collected several items,including an Apple computer. James, still
maintaining his innocence, gave a bizarreinterview to a local news channel, stating
(33:37):
that he thinks of the victims daily, but was completely innocent. The evidence
collected from his Massachusetts home produced nothingto convict James of the thailan All murders.
Even after thirty years, the terrorof September nineteen eighty two still linger.
(33:59):
Johnson and Johnson settled with the familiesfor an undisclosed amount. The company
never admitted to any wrongdoing, sincethe investigators ruled out the possibility of cyanide
added during the manufacturing process. Instead, the company felt that they were victims
as well. Nevertheless, the companyhandled the crisis despite its initial financial loss
(34:23):
from the product recall. Their quickresponse was lauded as admirable and continues to
be an example of positive public relationsamidst a crisis for families of the victims.
The laws never left even after allthese years. Eight of the children
left behind continued to mourn and honortheir loved ones. But what really makes
(34:49):
it much harder for the families isthat to this day, there has been
no conviction for the seven deaths innineteen eighty two. It remains one of
the most notorious unsolved cases in theUnited States. It is the hope that
with new technology available, we canprovide closure for the tailen all murders in
(35:13):
nineteen eighty two. Thank you forlistening to this episode of Untimely. As
always, i'm curious as to whatyou thought of this episode. Tell us
(35:36):
by dropping a note at Untimely podcastat gmail dot com. Also, if
you want to know more about thecriminal proceedings related to this case, encourage
you to listen to other podcasts thatcover this case, including Case File episode
one eighteen. If you have afew minutes, please rate and review us
on your favorite podcast platform. Ifyou're on Twitter, stop by and say
(35:58):
hello to us. Search for atUntimely podcast. We'd love to hear from you,
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