42 Years Later, Illinois Tylenol Killer Still Remains a Mystery

I remember when this happened. What none of us realized in 1982 was how murders in Illinois would eventually change product bottles forever and it all started in Elk Grove Village.

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I saw The History Channel remember what began on September 29, 1982 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. It began when a 12-year-old girl told her parents she didn't feel well so they gave her an extra strength Tylenol pill. One week later, she tragically died.

A postal worker in Arlington Heights, Illinois would die the same day after taking a Tylenol tablet. Authorities eventually learned Tylenol bottles in the Chicago area had been poisoned with deadly potassium cyanide.

In the days to follow, a total of 7 people lost their lives to this sabotage of pain medication. What's worse is the villain that poisoned the Tylenol in the Chicago area was never caught and convicted although authorities still search for the culprit.

One year later in 1982, Congress passed the federal anti-tampering bill which changed how products are sold in stores forever. It promises "a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $20,000 if personal injury results, or a prison term of up to life if death results." There's also a separate penalty for anyone who gives false information about tampering or claims involvement. The Department of Justice documents this becoming law and its ties to the horrific Chicago area murders.

When you open a bottle and have to remove the anti-tampering packaging, know it began in the fall of 1982 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois and the murderer still remains free to this day.