COLD CASE: THE TYLENOL MURDERS is a limited series documentary about the seven people who died in 1982. I do recall the panic and fear people all over the country felt when these innocent victims bought their death sentence by merely purchasing a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol from different drugstores in the Chicago area. Some of the capsules were laced with cyanide. Within minutes, there was virtually nothing to be done to save them.ย
This was a huge deal. Johnson & Johnson was and still is the manufacturer and distributor of this well-known brand. The film shared this horrendous moment in our history. Then it went on to deliver whatever is available through all the investigations from local police, the FBI, family members of the dead, possible witnesses, and suspects. It is a fascinating story. Even though I remember the empty shelves at stores when Tylenol was recalled, I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. It was some weird and scary shit.ย
What makes this documentary so compelling to watch is that it remains unsolved. There are several theories and beliefs, but the evidence is scarce. It did share all the possible angles, which made my heartbeat even faster, as I thought about how easy it would be for this to happen again. I stared at my Tylenol bottle in my bathroom for quite some time last night. Our society does trust the pharmaceutical industry. They hold our lives in their hands. Scary.ย
COLD CASE: THE TYLENOL MURDERS is interesting. I wouldnโt say it’s entertaining due to the gruesome subject matter, but it is an important part of our past. My heart goes out to those poor souls who did not deserve their fate.
It is streaming on Netflix.ย
