Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders - Why Johnson & Johnson was blamed during the Tylenol deaths in the 1980s

Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, a new Netflix docuseries, looks into the case of the 1982 cyanide-tainted Tylenol killings that took seven lives in the Chicago metropolitan area and sent shockwaves around the country.

Even after decades of suspicions and theories aimed at individual suspects, attention has repeatedly diverted to Johnson & Johnson. Since they were the maker of Tylenol, the question of whether the corporation itself have been involved in one of the country's most deadly episodes of product tampering were raised.

The killings started with a pattern, people dying within hours of taking Extra-Strength Tylenol.

Victims also numbered 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, Mary Reiner (who had just given birth to her child), and three members of the Janus family, all of whom had unknowingly taken cyanide-contaminated capsules.

The randomness and brutality of the crime converted ordinary medicine cabinets into possible crime scenes.

The first inquiry implicated tampering post-distribution. The evidence indicated that some had pulled Tylenol bottles off grocery store shelves, opened the capsules and added cyanide. They then placed the contaminated bottles back on store shelves to await unsuspecting victims who would buy them.

This theory cleared Johnson & Johnson of any direct culpability. After all, they were not doing the tampering in the stores. Not everyone was so sure, however.

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Reason behind Johnson & Johnson being blamed for Tylenol deaths in Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders explained

As the Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders cases began, suspicion fell on the manufacturer of the product, Johnson & Johnson. Since Tylenol was directly implicated in the deaths, many assumed that the product had been contaminated during manufacturing or packaging. The public demanded answers, and they were in a hurry.

But as the investigation progressed, it became apparent that the tampering was done after the bottles went out of Johnson & Johnson's control. The murderer had bought the bottles, filled individual capsules with potassium cyanide, and resold them on store shelves.

As a result of the cases explored in Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, the company pulled back 31 million bottles of Tylenol, the largest recall of its kind, costing more than $100 million. They halted all advertising, established a 24-hour hotline for anxious consumers, and instructed the public not to consume the product until further notice.

They did not wait to restore their reputation. Instead, they led with openness, prioritizing public safety.

Among the most enduring consequences of the Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders mishap was the innovation in packaging by Johnson & Johnson. They developed tamper-evident safety seals, a design that would become a new norm in the entire pharmaceutical and food industries later on.

Their solution proved that repairing trust was not about spinning the story, but it was about taking actual responsibility.

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What happened after in Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders?

The Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders poisonings remained officially unsolved. Nobody was convicted, and years later, the case is still open. In spite of that, Johnson & Johnson's reputation recovered ultimately.

Within a year, Tylenol regained most of its lost market share due to the swift and consumer-focused response by the company.

The Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders instances had a notable impact on more than just a single company. It prompted sweeping reforms in product packaging and regulation.

The FDA established new regulations mandating tamper-evident packaging, and consumer confidence in mundane items would never again be second-nature.

More than 40 years after the fact, the killings continue to be examined by business, law enforcement, and public relations professionals. It is a tale of tragedy, and also of leadership in crisis.

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Interested viewers can watch Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders on Netflix.