Part 2: 20th-Century Poisoners
Graham Young: The Teacup Poisoner (1960s-1970s) Graham Young, nicknamed “The Teacup Poisoner,” was a British man whose fascination with toxicology began in childhood. At just 14 years old, Young began experimenting with poisons, targeting his family members. His stepmother, Molly Young, became his first victim, while his father and sister suffered serious illnesses from thallium and antimony poisoning. These early crimes led to his arrest and incarceration at Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric institution.
During his time at Broadmoor, Young continued studying toxicology and was released in 1971, despite concerns from staff about his obsession with poisons. Soon after his release, he began working at a factory and resumed his experiments, poisoning coworkers by lacing their tea with thallium. This spree resulted in three deaths and several hospitalizations before Young was finally caught.
The Tylenol Murders: A Product Tampering Nightmare (1982) The Tylenol Murders of 1982 remain one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history. In Chicago, seven people died after consuming Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that had been laced with cyanide. The tampering caused widespread panic, leading to massive recalls of Tylenol products and a wave of fear about product safety. Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer, introduced tamper-proof packaging—a practice that became standard across the pharmaceutical industry.
Despite extensive investigations, the person responsible for the cyanide poisonings was never identified, and the case remains open. The Tylenol Murders not only reshaped consumer safety but also inspired significant legal reforms, including harsher penalties for tampering with consumer goods.
Lynn Turner: The Antifreeze Killer (1995-2001) Lynn Turner, a former 911 operator in Georgia, gained infamy as “The Antifreeze Killer” for poisoning two of her partners with ethylene glycol, a key ingredient in antifreeze. Turner’s first victim was her husband, Glenn Turner, a police officer who died in 1995 under mysterious circumstances. Six years later, her second husband, firefighter Randy Thompson, also died unexpectedly. Investigators eventually uncovered that both men had been poisoned with antifreeze, a substance that causes slow and painful organ failure. Turner’s motive was financial gain, as she sought to collect on life insurance policies and other benefits.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series, which will be posted next Saturday.
