Tylenol Murders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I think it absolutely could have been him in 1982 and the 2nd batch of deaths in 1986 could have been an inside job copycat.

At the time I was something like 11 or 12 and it was widely believed that an individual had wanted to kill a family member but tampered with multiple bottles in order to make the deaths look random, while also disposing of said relative. I was fully expecting to hear this theory in the show, but didn't.

But how could a copycat re-create the plastic red packaging and the white label print, and get through the foil barrier? It would be impossible for some Rando to do that.

In 1982, it was completely possible to tamper with Tylenol. In 1986 it was really not.

Yes, the packaging is the issue, which is why I suggested an "inside" job, aka someone at the factory.

But there’s no evidence that there was a maniac working for J&J. All the evidence points to a simple quality control issue - manufacturing was totally different back in the 80s, not nearly as many safety protocols - the fact that there was cyanide testing for lead just feet away from where the actual fit for consumption pills were being made and bottled is nuts.

But is there no evidence of a murderer working at J&J because in fact, none of the employees were investigated? Do you remember in the netflix show, people were saying that in no other case would the company be permitted to do the cyanide testing etc. They had total control over the results of tests and over the narrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I think it absolutely could have been him in 1982 and the 2nd batch of deaths in 1986 could have been an inside job copycat.

At the time I was something like 11 or 12 and it was widely believed that an individual had wanted to kill a family member but tampered with multiple bottles in order to make the deaths look random, while also disposing of said relative. I was fully expecting to hear this theory in the show, but didn't.

But how could a copycat re-create the plastic red packaging and the white label print, and get through the foil barrier? It would be impossible for some Rando to do that.

In 1982, it was completely possible to tamper with Tylenol. In 1986 it was really not.

Yes, the packaging is the issue, which is why I suggested an "inside" job, aka someone at the factory.

But there’s no evidence that there was a maniac working for J&J. All the evidence points to a simple quality control issue - manufacturing was totally different back in the 80s, not nearly as many safety protocols - the fact that there was cyanide testing for lead just feet away from where the actual fit for consumption pills were being made and bottled is nuts.

But is there no evidence of a murderer working at J&J because in fact, none of the employees were investigated? Do you remember in the netflix show, people were saying that in no other case would the company be permitted to do the cyanide testing etc. They had total control over the results of tests and over the narrative.

+1 And they only tested a tiny percentage of the returned merchandise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I think it absolutely could have been him in 1982 and the 2nd batch of deaths in 1986 could have been an inside job copycat.

At the time I was something like 11 or 12 and it was widely believed that an individual had wanted to kill a family member but tampered with multiple bottles in order to make the deaths look random, while also disposing of said relative. I was fully expecting to hear this theory in the show, but didn't.

I remember that from back then. I thought that was what had happened.

[Anonymous]

I haven't heard about this case in decades and didn't know they made a documentary about it - I'll have to watch it.

I was in high school when this happened and several of the deaths occured in the suburb right next to mine! Needless to say we were all terrified. And correct, in 1982 there were no tamper-proof protections on medicine bottles. That was created in response to this case.

The only thing that scared us more was a few years later when AIDS burst on the scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I think it absolutely could have been him in 1982 and the 2nd batch of deaths in 1986 could have been an inside job copycat.

At the time I was something like 11 or 12 and it was widely believed that an individual had wanted to kill a family member but tampered with multiple bottles in order to make the deaths look random, while also disposing of said relative. I was fully expecting to hear this theory in the show, but didn't.

But how could a copycat re-create the plastic red packaging and the white label print, and get through the foil barrier? It would be impossible for some Rando to do that.

In 1982, it was completely possible to tamper with Tylenol. In 1986 it was really not.

Yes, the packaging is the issue, which is why I suggested an "inside" job, aka someone at the factory.

But there’s no evidence that there was a maniac working for J&J. All the evidence points to a simple quality control issue - manufacturing was totally different back in the 80s, not nearly as many safety protocols - the fact that there was cyanide testing for lead just feet away from where the actual fit for consumption pills were being made and bottled is nuts.

But is there no evidence of a murderer working at J&J because in fact, none of the employees were investigated? Do you remember in the netflix show, people were saying that in no other case would the company be permitted to do the cyanide testing etc. They had total control over the results of tests and over the narrative.

+1 And they only tested a tiny percentage of the returned merchandise.

Yes, agree it could’ve been someone I guess going crazy and wanting to harm the public who worked at the factory. I guess we’ll never know, but I honestly really think it was a quality control issue. It’s just unfathomable to me to believe that they were testing the cyanide filled pills and the pills that would go on shelves in the same area but that was manufacturing in the 80s in a nutshell. What could possibly go wrong? Seems like it was some maniac serial killer he would want to be known and become infamous. Hard to think someone did this it went quietly about their life, and never caused anymore issues and never ended up confessing. People who do acts like this usually want attention and credit eventually.

But who knows. I think it’s actually more comforting for people to think it’s a maniac because then it’s like well nothing could be done, but if it really was just stupid company human error, I almost find that more troubling because it could’ve been preventable.

I honestly think that that’s why the company was so able to get away with it. I feel like it’s only been in the last 30 years that we’ve come to grips with the fact of how big companies will cover up things and will put profit in front of people. We were a lot more naïve back then. Cue Ronald Reagan, giving the head of JJ the highest honor of the presidential medal of freedom. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to weigh in as a person who was 10 years old when the Tylenol poisoning case unfolded and whose family medicine cabinet always had a bottle in it. It was VERY scary for regular Americans, and I think Tylenol did an excellent job handling the PR because they a well respected and successful brand more than 40 years later and obviously many folks who are much younger have never even heard of the case. I guess I'm not surprised it is taught as a case study in business schools.

It really was scary! I lived in the Chicago area when this happened and it just dominated the news. The safety packaging came mostly as a result of this crime.

Whoever was the murderer, I have always hoped that in their old age they were unable to relieve their pain because they couldn’t open the damn safety packaging on their medication. I curse them every time I have to open a new bottle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I think it absolutely could have been him in 1982 and the 2nd batch of deaths in 1986 could have been an inside job copycat.

At the time I was something like 11 or 12 and it was widely believed that an individual had wanted to kill a family member but tampered with multiple bottles in order to make the deaths look random, while also disposing of said relative. I was fully expecting to hear this theory in the show, but didn't.

But how could a copycat re-create the plastic red packaging and the white label print, and get through the foil barrier? It would be impossible for some Rando to do that.

In 1982, it was completely possible to tamper with Tylenol. In 1986 it was really not.

Yes, the packaging is the issue, which is why I suggested an "inside" job, aka someone at the factory.

But there’s no evidence that there was a maniac working for J&J. All the evidence points to a simple quality control issue - manufacturing was totally different back in the 80s, not nearly as many safety protocols - the fact that there was cyanide testing for lead just feet away from where the actual fit for consumption pills were being made and bottled is nuts.

Like they said in the doc - it was a different kind of cyanide.