The Tylenol Mafia (58 page)

Scott Bartz embarked on a career as an independent journalist thanks to the support of Johnson & Johnson’s human resources and security personnel who encouraged him to seek a new line of work as they escorted him from the company’s premises on the morning he returned from a “secret” meeting with government prosecutors investigating allegations of Medicaid fraud at J&J. His fulltime career as a writer was precipitated by his work as the co-author of “United States of America,
ex rel
. Scott Bartz, vs. Johnson & Johnson, et al.” (Case 1:11-cv-10316-RGS).

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THE TYLENOL MAFIA: Marketing Murder and Johnson & Johnson
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If you have information about the Tylenol murders, or just want to comment about the case or this book, you can email me at [email protected]

1
    
A Curious Discovery

The words “EXTRA-STRENGTH”: Associated Press. “Officials report some leads in cyanide case.”
The Paris News
, October 4, 1982.

One of the boxes: Associated Press. “Officials report some leads in cyanide case.”
The Paris News
, October 4, 1982.

In between:
 
Dowling, John. “Cyanide Murders Hunt Has Dozen Suspcts.”
Ironwood Daily Globe
Oct. 5, 1982 --
Malcolm, Andrew H. “Cyanide Case Focuses on Find in Parking Lot at All-night Restaurant.”
New York Times
, October 5, 1982.
 

 
“It looked like”:
 
Dowling, John. “Cyanide Murders Hunt has Dozen Suspcts.”
Ironwood Daily Globe,
October 5, 1982.

Swanson and Chavez scraped: Cohen Sharon. “Tylenol found in lot
were
tampered with.”
Syracuse Herald-Journal
, October 4, 1982. -- Malcolm, Andrew H. “Cyanide Case Focuses on Find in Parking Lot at All-night Restaurant.”
New York Times
, October 5, 1982.

Before the deputies
:
Associated Press. “Officials report some leads in cyanide case.”
The Paris News,
October 4, 1982. -- Cohen Sharon. “Tylenol found in lot
were
tampered with.”
Syracuse Herald-Journal
, October 4, 1982. -- Malcolm, Andrew H. “Cyanide Case Focuses on Find in Parking Lot at All-night Restaurant.”
New York Times
, October 5, 1982.
 

2
    
The Tylenol Murders

Twenty-eight hours after
:
Beck, Melinda; Hagar, Mary;
LaBreque
, Ron; Monroe, Sylvester;
Prout
, Linda.
“The Tylenol Scare.”
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982. – Greene, Bob.
“An Open Letter to the Tylenol Killer.”
The Post-Standard
, October 22, 1982.

A few minutes later:
Nenni
, Pete; Van
Wye
, Joann. “5 dead after taking Tylenol capsules filled with cyanide.”
The Daily Herald
, October 1, 1982.

In nearby Arlington Heights: Associated Press. “Poison Tylenol Kills Five.”
The Capital
, October 1, 1982. -- Burris, Anne. “A string of coincidences linked Tylenol poisonings.”
The Daily Herald
, October 1, 1982. -- Associated Press. “Tylenol traces tale of tragedy.”
 
Lawrence Journal-World
, October 3, 1982.

 
“Nothing seemed to help”:
 
Tifft
, Susan; Lee, Griggs.
“Poison Madness in the Midwest.”
TIME
, October 11, 1982.

Mary Magdalene Reiner: Daniel, Leon.
“A Nightmare in capsule form.”
Pacific Stars and Stripes
, October 12, 1982.

On Wednesday afternoon,
September 29
^th
, Lynn made a quick trip:
Nightly News
. NBC: October 8, 1982. -- Coroner’s inquest, re: Lynn Reiner.
Direct examination by DuPage County Coroner Richard Ballinger, 1982.

Lynn’s mother-in-law: Rosen, Michelle.
Telephone interview by author, 2010.

Michelle’s most vivid memories.
Rosen, Michelle.
Telephone interview by author, 2010.

Lynn was clinically: Siekmann, Peter. DuPage County Coroner’s Office Preliminary Report, re: Mary Reiner, September 30, 1982. -- Coroner’s inquest, re: Lynn Reiner: Direct examination by DuPage County Coroner Richard Ballinger, 1982.

Peter Siekmann, the Deputy Coroner: Associated Press. “Poison Tylenol Kills Five.”
The Capital
, October 1, 1982. --
Duerksen
, Susan. “6th poison victim dies; 2 more believed linked with Tylenol.”
The Daily Herald
, October 1, 1982.

However, officials said that Lynn had apparently: Beck, Melinda, Mary Hagar, Ron
LaBreque
, Sylvester Monroe,
Linda
Prout
.
"The Tylenol Scare."
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982. --
Litke
, James; Associated Press.
“Poisoning done in killer's home.”
The Gettysburg Times
, October 4, 1982.

Shortly after L
:ynn
had been rushed: Turner, K L. Coroner’s Report: Mary McFarland, September 30, 1982.

“I don’t feel good guys”: Turner, K L. Coroner’s Report: Mary McFarland, September 30, 1982.

After Adam Janus was:
Pienciak
, Richard T. “In reaching for relief, cyanide victims found death.”
The Register
, October 3, 1982.

Stanley’s wife, Theresa, called: McKinney, Dave. “A tainted drug, 7 lives shattered.”
Daily Herald
,
Spetember
27, 1982. -- Sotonoff, Jamie. “Why cyanide deaths might go unsolved.”
Daily Herald
, September 29, 2002.

Shortly after Stanley and Theresa:
Pienciak
, Richard T. “In reaching for relief, cyanide victims found death.”
The Register
, October 3, 1982. –
Huiras
, Robin. “Illinois Nurse Connected Dots in Tylenol Murders.” Nurse.com. November 5, 2007.
Accessed March 1, 2010.
http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711050344

 
“This has got to be it”:
 
Beck, Melinda; Hagar, Mary;
LaBreque
, Ron; Monroe, Sylvester;
Prout
, Linda.
“The Tylenol Scare.”
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982.

Jensen returned to
Northwest: O’Donnell, Maureen. “‘Listening’ Solved Tylenol Killings.”
Chicago Sun-Times
, September 29, 1992. – Burris, Anne. “5 years later, the Tylenol mystery remains.”
Daily Herald
, September 30, 1987.

Meanwhile, Philip Cappitelli:
Burris. Anne. “A string of coincidences linked Tylenol poisonings.”
The Daily Herald
, October 1, 1982.

 
“This is a wild stab”:
 
Beck, Melinda; Hagar, Mary;
LaBreque
, Ron; Monroe, Sylvester;
Prout
, Linda.
“The Tylenol Scare.”
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982.

Cappitelli got off the phone:
Malcolm, Andrew H. “100 Agents Hunt for Killer in 7 Tylenol.”
The New York Times
, October 3, 1982.

Before sunrise on
Thursday: Beck, Melinda; Hagar, Mary;
LaBreque
, Ron; Monroe, Sylvester;
Prout
, Linda.
“The Tylenol Scare.”
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982.

 
“I could smell”: Beck, Melinda; Hagar, Mary;
LaBreque
, Ron; Monroe, Sylvester;
Prout
, Linda.
“The Tylenol Scare.”
Newsweek
, October 11, 1982.

The toxicology tests:
 
Nenni
, Pete; Van
Wye
, Joann “5 Die after taking cyanide filled Tylenol.”
The Daily Herald
, October 1, 1982.

Years later, Richard Keyworth reflected:
 
Comerford
, Michael Sean. “Tylenol case 25 years later: Cold case, cold hearts.”
Daily Herald
, September 28, 2007.

At the time of the Tylenol murders, autopsies conducted in Cook and DuPage Counties did not: “Drug death probes reopened
.” The Daily Herald
, January 13, 1983.

 
“Our Theresa is gone”:
 
Bannon
, Tim: “Close-knit family waiting for justice.”
The Daily Herald
, October 7, 1982.

Officials have long cited:
Slania
, John. “Two years later. Tylenol murders haunt task force.”
The Sunday Herald
, September 30, 1984.
-- Baumann, Ed; O’Brien, John. “Getting Away With Murder: Take 2
Capsules,
Call The Coroner, The Tylenol Case.”
Chicago Tribune
, April 21, 1991. --
Avila, Oscar. “Tylenol murders linger in shadows.”
Chicago Tribune,
September 29, 2002.

3
    
Who Will Protect America?

McNeil Laboratories became McNeilab, Inc: About Tylenol/McNeil.
McNeil website.
2011. Accessed June 30, 2011.
http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/about/subty.inc

McNeil Laboratories became: About Tylenol/McNeil.
McNeil website.
2011. Accessed June 30, 2011.
http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/about/subty.inc

In 1982, the McNeil Consumer Products Company manufactured: Associated Press. “More poison is found in Tylenol pills.”
The Chronicle-Telegram
: October 1, 1982 -- Moore, Thomas.
“The Fight to Save Tylenol.”
TIME
, November 29, 1982.

Most of the products:
 
Johnson, Robert Wood. “Johnson Talks It Over.” 1949.

Robert Wood Johnson II: Keene, Anne T. “Robert Wood Johnson.”
American National Biography Online.
Accessed July 1, 2011
http://www.anb.org/articles/10/10-02272.html

Johnson also dropped:
 
Goldsmith, Barbara.
Johnson V. Johnson
. Knopf. 1987.

In 1943, Margaret was granted a divorce: “Divorce Given.”
The Evening Independent
, July 23, 1943.

Johnson then married Evelyn Vernon
Bruff
: “Milestones.”
TIME
website, August 16, 1943.
Accessed July 1, 2011.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,933233,00.html#ixzz1CuJ0Eb1o
 

Johnson became President of Johnson & Johnson: Keene, Anne T. “Robert Wood Johnson.”
American National Biography Online.
July 1, 2011
http://www.anb.org/articles/10/10-02272.html

He was a dynamic: Goldsmith, Barbara
. Johnson V. Johnson
.
Knopf, 1987.
– Goldsmith, Barbara.
“The Johnson Family Tears.”
The Daily Beast
, January 8, 2010.
Accessed June 1, 2011.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/01/07/the-johnson-family-tears.html

When Johnson decided:
Foster, Larry.
Robert Wood Johnson: The Gentlemen Rebel
. Lillian Press, 1999.

“
Sites and factories were easy to find”:
Foster, Larry.
Robert Wood Johnson: The Gentlemen Rebel
. Lillian Press, 1999.

J&J’s new plant was located just one block south: “People in the News.”
Economist Newspapers
, February 28, 1971.