The Unsolved Murders that Changed the World

In early fall 1982 seven murders took place in and around the Chicago area that ended up having far-reaching effects on the rest of the country. These murders threatened not only the lives of nearly everyone but also the financial future of one of the largest corporations in the country. It also instilled fear and mistrust in most of the world of consumers and it radically changed the way in which consumers viewed products and bought them. Many have said that whatever innocence consumers may have had in 1982 was lost by the time fall ended that same year.

The whole event started on September 29, 1982 in Elk Grove Village Illinois, a suburb of Chicago located just west of O'Hare airport. It was just before dawn, still dark, the sun still a few hours away in the Kellerman household. Mary Kellerman awoke to find her throat sore and her nose runny. She felt sick and she walked into her parent's room to tell them she wasn't feeling well. Her parents awoke, felt her forehead, and then went off to give her something for her fever. She was given one Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule.

At 7 a.m. Mary's parents awoke and found her on the floor of the bathroom. The called the paramedics and Mary was rushed to the hospital. She was pronounced dead and the doctors originally thought her death may have been because of a stroke or something natural. No one had any reason to suspect foul play at this point.

Later that same day a man named Adam Janus called the paramedics. Janus was a resident of another Chicago suburbs called Arlington Heights. He was in great distress and by the time the paramedics arrived he too was collapsed on the floor with his breathing labored and his blood pressure life-threateningly low. Janus was rushed to the hospital and the doctor's worked on him feverishly. His pupils were fixed and dilated. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving in the ER. Given his symptoms and with still no idea bout tainted capsules the doctors theorized he must have died from a heart attack. Sadly, the tragedy of the Janus family was only beginning.