The Tylenol Mafia (61 page)

The DOD entered into contracts with McNeil between 1977 and 1983: DOD Contract with McNeil Consumer Products Company, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
Contract number DLA12083C0127, January 1983.
--- DOD Contract with McNeil Consumer Products Company, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
Contract number DLA12083C0677, September 1983.
--- DOD Contract with McNeil Consumer Products Company, Round Rock, Texas, Contract number LA12082 C0776, May 1982.
--- DOD (Air force) Contract with McNeil Consumer Products Co., Glendale, CA. Contract number SA13H 77 50158, Fiscal year 1980.

Prior to the Tylenol murders, most Americans didn’t even know that Tylenol:
 
Moore, Thomas.
“The Fight to Save Tylenol.”
TIME
, November 29, 1982.

“We’re investigating stereotypes”:
 
Cohen, Sharon.
“Investigators Hunt for Madman in Tylenol Case.”
Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune
, October 2, 1982.

Statements by victims’ relatives, and testimony: “Chicago lie tests clear 6.”
Chicago Sun Times
, October 27, 1982.
– Coroner’s inquest, re: Mary McFarland.
Direct examination by DuPage County Coroner Richard Ballinger, December 14, 1982.

The New York Times
said:
 
Malcolm, Andrew H. “Search for the Tylenol Killer: Many Clues, But No Solution.”
New York Times
, October 10, 1982.

Fahner said that some of the capsules appeared:
Rutenberg
, Sharon. “More Than One ‘Madman’ Tylenol Killer is
Hinted
.”
The Progress
, October 4, 1982.

“We’re trying to”:
 
Dowling, John.
“Leads ‘substantial’ in the Tylenol case.”
Syracuse Herald Journal, October 4, 1982.

“
to
find the madman or madmen responsible for this sick behavior”:
 
Cohen, Sharon.
“Investigators Hunt for Madman in Tylenol Case.”
Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune
, October 2, 1982.

7
     
We Will Be Completely Honest

While Fahner was holding: Foster, Larry.
Robert Wood Johnson: The Gentlemen Rebel
. Lillian Press, 1999. -- Foster, Lawrence.
Interview by PSU students, 2002.

The Associated Press had learned:
Fearn
-Banks, Kathleen. “Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders.”
Crisis communications: A Casebook Approach.
Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996, 86-96.

Foster had a reputation:
Fearn
-Banks, Kathleen. “Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders.”
Crisis communications: A Casebook Approach.
Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996, 86-96.

It wasn’t long before: Foster, Lawrence, interview by PSU students. Interview with Larry Foster: 2002 --
Fearn
-Banks, Kathleen. “Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders.”
Crisis communications: A Casebook Approach.
Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996, 86-96.

 
“There was one”: Foster, Lawrence,
interview
by PSU students. Interview with Larry Foster: 2002

 
“This is a tragic thing”:
 
Maliska
, Gavin. “Tylenol’s comeback predicted.”
The Daily Herald
, October 2, 1982.

Paula Prince, a 35-year-old: Associated Press.
 
“Madman sought in cyanide deaths.”
Lethbridge
Herald
, October 2, 1982.

Paula had the following:
Pienciak
, Richard T. “In reaching for relief, cyanide victims found death.”
The Register
, October 3, 1982. -- United Press International.
“Laced Tylenol claims 7th; culprit unknown.”
Pacific Stars and Stripes
, October 4, 1982.

Later, while viewing video footage from a security camera: Associated Press.
“Tylenol case photo clue ‘significant’.”
The Paris New
, October 19, 1982.

Chicago Police Superintendant: Associated Press. “Madman sought in cyanide deaths.”
Lethbridge
Herald
, October 2, 1982.

The Tylenol in Prince’s bottle was from Lot 1801MA: Associated Press. “Byrne bans sale of all Tylenol in the big city.”
Sunday Roswell Daily Record
, October 3, 1982.

Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne held:
Wolohan
, Linda. “Poisoned Pills kill at Least Six Persons.”
The Progress, October
2, 1982.

By late Saturday afternoon, more than 1,500 bottles:
Madrzyk
, Anna; Gores, Paul.
 
“Cyanide Killer Search Widens.”
The Sunday Herald
, October 3, 1982.

Cook County Medical Examiner: Associated Press.
 
“Suspects Studied in Cyanide Deaths.”
Casa Grande Dispatc
h, October 4, 1982.

 
“We’re at 48 hours now”:
 
Litke
, James. “Cyanide kills Philadelphian.”
The Gettysburg Times
, October 7, 1982.

The FDA, via network news: “Tylenol Contamination.”
Nightline
.
ABC, October 1, 1982.

Standard FDA inspections: FDA 483 Inspection Observations: McNeil Consumer Products Co., Fort Washington, PA,
December
9, 2010. -- FDA 483 Inspection Observations: McNeil Consumer Products Co., Las Piedras, PR, November 2, 2010.

In a report to the U.S. Congress:
 
Government Accountability Office. “FDA’s Approach to Reviewing Over-The-Counter Drugs is Reasonable, But Progress is Slow.” GAO Report, April 26, 1982.

Incredibly, up until 1997:
 
Government Accountability Office.
“NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS: Over the Counter and Underemphasized,” GAO Report, January 10, 1992.

After an investigation of the FDA’s procedures:
 
Government Accountability Office.
“Non-Prescription Drugs: Over the Counter and Underemphasized.”
GAO Report, January 10, 1992.

The existence of these complaints was not disclosed until 1991:
 
Janota
, Laura. “Fear of negative publicity likely led to Tylenol settlement.”
The Daily Herald
, May 15, 1991.

“No human hands touched the Tylenol or its ingredients”:
Janson
, Donald. “Maker of Tylenol Cleared of Blame.”
The New York Times
, October 6, 1982.

8
     
J&J and the FBI

Company surveys taken:
 
Moore, Thomas.
“The Fight to Save Tylenol.”
TIME,
November 29, 1982.

“One of the things”: Moore, Thomas.
“The Fight to Save Tylenol.”
TIME, November 29, 1982.

According to Larry Foster: Foster, Lawrence.
“The Tylenol Tragedy: A Crime Without Precedent,” in Communicating in a Healthcare Crisis, ed. Pines, Wayne L. 173-182, Church Falls:
FDAnews
, 2007.

 
“Tylenol is as much”:
 
Associated Press. “Tylenol Investigation Continues.”
 
Bedford Gazette
, October 4, 1982.

Johnson & Johnson established:
 
Kaplan, Tamara. “The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson.” Pennsylvania State University: November 2003

In this way, according
to a
public relations executive: Kaplan, Tamara. “The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson.” Pennsylvania State University, November 2003.

J&J further strengthened its ties with the FBI Office in Chicago:
 
United Press International. “Trucker's Death Probed; List of Suspects Reduced.”
Altoona Mirror
, October 6, 1982.

Historically, J&J has hired private investigators: Bloomberg.
“China Counterfeit Diabetes Tests Tracked by J&J.”
Bloomberg website, August 16, 2007.
Accessed July 7, 2011.
--
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aCAuLKG2YwKc
.
– Hubbard, William K. “Importation of Prescription Drugs.”
FDA website, July 14, 2001.
Accessed July 7, 2011.
--
http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/testimony/ucm113655.htm
.
--
Eban
, Katherine, “Drug theft goes big.”
CNN website, March 31, 2011.
Accessed July 7, 2011.

 
“Jim Burke spent”: Foster, Lawrence. “The Tylenol Tragedy: A Crime Without Precedent,” in
Communicating in a Healthcare Crisis
, ed. Pines, Wayne L. 173-182, Church Falls:
FDAnew
s
, 2007.

 
“The attitude of top”:
 
Mintz, Morton. “Drug fiends: even inside Johnson & Johnson, public safety can take a back seat to profits.”
Washington Monthly
, December 1991.

Jim Thompson had been the U.S. Attorney: Sink, Robert. “Prosecutor describes his work: We've been very scrupulous.”
Southern Illinoisan
, March 25, 1973. – James R. Thompson.
Winston & Strawn website.
Accessed July 2, 2011.
http://www.winston.com/index.cfm?contentID=24&itemID=10873
 

Governor Thompson had appointed Tyrone Fahner: Associated Press. “Fahner will lead Tylenol probe.”
Chronicle-Telegram
, October 4, 1982.

Thompson appointed Dan Webb:
Kantzavelos
, Maria. “Chicago Lawyer’s 2008 Person of the Year: Dan Webb.”
Chicago Lawyer
, November 26, 2008. -- Dan K Webb.
Winston & Strawn website.
Accessed July 2, 2011.
http://www.winston.com/index.cfm?contentID=24&itemID=10594

In 1984, Governor Thompson appointed Margolis: Davidson, Jean. “State Police Will Get New Boss.”
Chicago Tribune
, April 30, 1987.

Thomson appointed James Zagel: Manning, Al. “The Big Jim image through a looking glass: Thompson's appointees.”Illinois Issues, in Illinois Periodicals online. February 1981.
Accessed July 2, 2011.
http://www.lib.niu.edu/1981/ii810204.html

IDLE Commander Edward Cisowski:
 
Duerksin
, Susan. “6th poison victim dies; 2 more believed linked with Tylenol.”
The Daily Herald
, October 2, 1982.

J&J’s staff of 30 toxicologists at that lab: ABC-News. ABC, October 1, 1982 – United Press International. “Authorities Expand Tylenol Search.”
Altoona Mirror
, October 2, 1982.

9
     
Above the Law

Richard Epstein, a law professor:
 
Bannon
, Tim. “‘McNeil may not be liable’.”
The Sunday Herald
, October 3, 1982.

Illinois Attorney General, Tyrone Fahner: Associated Press. “Tylenol Investigation Continues.”
Bedford Gazette
, October 4, 1982.

According to Fahner, the cyanide-spiked capsules: Malcolm, Andrew H. “100 Agents Hunt for Killer in 7 Tylenol Deaths.”
The
New York Times
, October 3, 1982.

“It is a mathematical”:
 
Malcolm, Andrew H. “Search for the Tylenol Killer: Many Clues, But No Solution.”
The New York Times
, October 10, 1982.

Officials cited this super-corrosive:
Nightline
. ABC, October 1, 1982. – United Press International. “Authorities Expand Tylenol Search.”
Altoona Mirror
, October 2, 1982.

Johnson & Johnson’s legal maneuvering:
 
David Berg and Stephen Robb.
“Crisis Management and the ‘Paradigm Case,’” in
Rhetorical and Critical Approaches to Public Relations
, ed.
Toth
, Elizabeth.
Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992, pg. 92-107.