| Chicago Tylenol murders | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chicago metropolitan area, U.S. |
| Date | September – October 1982 |
| Target | Retail consumers |
Attack type | Mass poisoning, mass murder, serial killing |
| Deaths | At least 7 |
| Perpetrator | Unknown |
| Motive | Unknown |
The Chicago Tylenol murders were a series of poisoning deaths resulting from drug tampering in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1982. The victims consumed Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide. Seven people died in the original poisonings, and there were several more deaths in subsequent copycat crimes.
No suspect has been charged or convicted of the poisonings, but New York City resident James William Lewis was convicted of extortion for sending a letter to Tylenol's manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, that took responsibility for the deaths and demanded $1 million to stop them. The incidents led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter drugs and to federal anti-tampering laws.