Naman Shrestha
The three-part docuseries titled ‘Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders’ chronicles the poisoning deaths of seven victims of the Tylenol murders that rocked the Chicago area and the rest of the nation in the span of three days in 1982. A 31-year-old mother of two named Mary McFarland was one of the victims who tragically lost her life, leaving behind her grieving loved ones. The Netflix documentary also features exclusive and in-depth interviews with the family and friends of the victims and the officials linked to the investigation, providing intricate details about the case.
Mary McFarland Was Employed at a Telephone Company Before She Met Her Demise
On December 7, 1950, John F. Eliason and Jane Louise Nicholson Eliason were blessed with the birth of their beloved daughter, Mary Sue Eliason McFarland, in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, she was accompanied by her four siblings. Out of them, she was especially close to her brother, John F. “Jack” Eliason. After completing her education, in August 1980, Mary landed a job as a sales representative at the Illinois Bell Telephone Company, located in the Yorktown Shopping Center of Lombard, Illinois. Apart from that, she was also an integral part of the community and a member of the First Baptist Church in Elmhurst, Illinois.
At some point, Mary McFarland tied the knot with Warren McFarland. Together, the couple gave birth to two loving sons, Ryan and Bradley. Unfortunately, as their marriage deteriorated, Mary and Warren divorced and parted ways. Although the marriage fell apart, she continued to be the doting mother she always was. Since she loved the outdoors, she regularly took her boys to the zoo, swimming, and the park. Her bubbly and sociable personality, combined with a wicked sense of humor, allowed her to light up even the dullest of rooms. Looking forward to the bright future of her kids, the divorced mother of two passed away all of a sudden, forcing Ryan and Bradley to grow up without their mother.
Mary McFarland’s Father Filed a Lawsuit After Her Sudden Demise
Struggling to juggle motherhood and her job at the telephone center, Mary McFarland had been having a rough time. On the fateful evening of September 29, 1982, she was having a severe headache while working. In order to get some relief from it, she consumed a Tylenol capsule. A few minutes later, she started feeling dizzy and told her Illinois Bell Telephone colleagues about the same before collapsing on the floor of the break room of the office. A couple of minutes later, paramedics arrived and rushed her to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.
Initially, the doctors believed that it was a case of an aneurysm, but they were proven wrong as the cause of her death was cyanide poisoning, similar to the other victims of the Tylenol murders. Despite the best attempts to save her, she couldn’t be saved. Around 3 am on September 30, 1982, the 31-year-old mother of two was officially declared dead at the hospital. Since the Tylenol was manufactured by McNeil Consumer Products Co., a division of McNeilab, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Products, Inc., Mary’s father, John, sued the organization after her tragic passing.
According to the suit, McNeil and Johnson & Johnson were responsible for the manufacture and distribution of the aspirin-free pain reliever called “Extra Strength Tylenol” that resulted in the death of Mary McFarland. The suit also mentioned that the bottle of Tylenol purchased by her contained lethal amounts of cyanide. Meanwhile, the authorities followed every clue and lead they could get, and focused on a couple of suspects — Roger Arnold and James Lewis. However, neither they nor anybody else has ever been charged for the murders due to a lack of evidence.
Read More: Roger Arnold: How Did the Tylenol Murders Suspect Die?
