Cold Case Breakthrough: Decades-Old Idaho Death May Unlock Chilling 1982 Tylenol Murders Mystery

After a member of the Boise church sought an update on the poisoned individual, investigators cracked the case back open in 2019. They were able to identify the man as Mathew Francis Betkouski, according to Ada County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tim Cooper.

Betkouski’s personal life appeared to align with suspicions detectives had about the Tylenol murderer. Betkouski, named the “Unknown Wanderer” before being identified, was a Lockheed Martin organic chemist who also worked on NASA-related projects.

His deep understanding and interest in drug manufacturing could align with the expertise needed to pull off the Tylenol Murders. The Tylenol capsules that took the lives of six innocents were laced with cyanide, matching the very means Betkouski used to take his own life.

The murders first began in later 1982 when Mary Kellerman, 12, died in the hospital after taking Tylenol capsules. Investigators noticed a connection when six more people under 35 died the same way in the Chicago area.

After discovering they were laced with cyanide, a recall was put on Tylenol across the nation.

However, Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures the product, determined the capsules were not laced within their plants or distribution centers, meaning someone was meddling with them externally and placing them back on the shelf for unsuspecting customers to buy.

Betkouski’s career wasn’t the only reason investigators became curious about his potential connection to the Tylenol murders.

After a brain injury in 1974 from falling off a fence, he began to show signs of odd behavior and mental illness. He spent time in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment.

According to Detective Cooper, Betkouski developed a fascination with chemistry and explosives and had a sharp mind.

During his time in New Mexico, Betkouski tried to obtain capsules from a pharmacy in 1982, but police were called to escort him home. They discovered he was stealing material from his lab and found him with cyanide, which he told coworkers could be used to pull off the “perfect crime.”

Ultimately, he was fired from his position, despite efforts to curb his behavior through mental health treatment.

Just two weeks before the Tylenol murders began, Betkouski made calls to chemical supply and pharmaceutical companies in Pennsylvania.

The content or intent of those phone calls was not disclosed, but the timing of events left investigators suspicious. Even his death occurred around the time frame of the murders. He sold his car and possessions before disappearing.