Mary McFarland, 31, of Elmhurst, Illinois, was one of the seven confirmed victims of the Tylenol poisonings in late September 1982. Employed as a sales representative at Illinois Bell Telephone in the Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard, she was a mother of two young sons, Ryan and Bradley, described as sociable with a sharp sense of humor. On the evening of September 29, 1982, while at work she complained of a severe headache and took an Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule. Within minutes she felt dizzy, told colleagues, and collapsed in the office break room. Paramedics took her to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, but she died; initial thoughts of an aneurysm were overturned when tests showed cyanide poisoning from tampered Tylenol capsules.

The contaminated capsules were traced to multiple lots, including those found in McFarland’s possession. Authorities linked her death to the series of cyanide-laced Tylenol murders that prompted a massive product recall and changes in over-the-counter packaging. No one has been charged with the actual tampering; James William Lewis was later convicted of extortion for sending a letter claiming responsibility but was not directly tied to the capsule tampering. If anyone knew Mary, her routine, or saw suspicious activity around Yorktown Shopping Center in late September 1982, please share what you know.