Little do most people know that the reason why there are now protective seals on almost every product in stores is because of a series of unsolved murders involving the painkiller Tylenol.
The Netflix miniseries Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders explores the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area after they took Extra-Strength Tylenol in 1982. It was determined that large amounts of cyanide had been added to the capsules, at a time when many products did not have protective seals.
The questions that are asked throughout the documentary are: How did the cyanide get into the Tylenol, and who was at fault?
The documentary does a very good job of covering many angles of the case, from painkiller’s producer, the Johnson & Johnson Company, to a variety of possible suspects. No one was ever convicted in the deaths.
The miniseries does an excellent job of explaining the fear that washed over the nation when people realized what was happening. It also considers how the company and police might have made mistakes that could have cost them the chance to solve the case.
This documentary will have viewers considering how trusting they are of companies and their products, and wondering about how a single common household item could be deadly.
