Lamar Reviews - "The Tylenol Murders" (Airdate 6/6/2025)

Lamar Reviews - "The Tylenol Murders" (Airdate 6/6/2025)

This is a three part docuseries about the 7 random people in the Chicago area who died when they took Extra Strength Tylenol capsules that contained cyanide. As soon as they figured out the cause of death word went out to stop taking the medication. Johnson & Johnson, who manufactured Tylenol, pulled it from shelves all over the country. Later there were some copycat poisonings that killed some others as well.

There are interviews with police and federal agents, medical examiners, and families of the victims that give a good picture of what it was like back then.

Mary Kellerman 12, died on September 28, then Adam Janus 27, the same day, then Stanley Janus 25, Theresa Janus 19, Mary McFarland 31, Paula Prince 35, and Mary Reiner 27, the next day.

When they learned the cause of death Tylenol quickly warned everyone in the US to not take the product. This was a nightmare for Johnson & Johnson, it was their best-selling and most profitable product.

You have to keep in mind that in the 80’s there was no such thing as tamper-proof packaging. Nothing was sealed. You could twist open anything and replace it with something else and no one would know. You used to just get on a plane.

To commit this crime all you had to do was to have cyanide, empty some Tylenol capsules, put the cyanide in and drop a few in some bottles. Then go to the store and put the bottles on the shelf. It’s done. This was not rocket science.

There were some suspects, but they could not make anything stick.

Then we take a harder look at Johnson & Johnson. In 1982 they were cleared immediately, and James Burke, the CEO, was called a hero for the way they handled the situation. But should they have allowed the recalled bottles to be looked at before they destroyed all 31 million bottles?

Is it possible they may have covered up things that pointed to them? We don’t know, and the documentary stopped short in pointing a finger in that direction.

The documentary is 3 episodes, about 2 hours total, Not Rated.

If you are not familiar with this case this documentary is very informative in the details and facts of the case. It changed product packaging forever. Everybody at the time thought it was the end for Johnson & Johnson, but they came back stronger than ever.

But if you watch this hoping to find out who the actual person responsible for the deaths was, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

I watched it and walked away thinking that was two hours I’ll never get back.

May Score: 3 Buds