Murder victim’s relative ‘prime suspect’

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 8

Murder victim’s relative ‘prime suspect’

NZPA Chicago Investigators say that a relative of one of the Tylenol murder victims has been under surveilliance as the “prime suspect” in the seven cyanide killings, the “Chicago Sun Times,” reported yesterday. The newspaper said that unidentified investigators believed that the suspect — possibly acting with another , person — placed cyanidetainted • Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules on the shelves of several stores to give the appearance that the relative was killed by a random murderer.

Investigators were told the suspect had a violent argument with a relative shortly before the poisonings occurred, said the newspaper. As a result, investigators now believe that six of the seven deaths were caused to cover up the one killing, the “Sun-Times” reported. The newspaper also said that the suspect had been under aroqnd-the-clock surveillance since shortly after a task force was organised to investigate the deaths.

But one unidentified investigator emphasised that this could be another coincidence that dosen’t lead to an arrest. A task force spokesman, Morton Friedman, had no comment on the report. “All we are doing is continuing our investigation in a regular manner,” said Police Commander Kenneth Curin. Asked whether anyone had been identified as a suspect, he said “no.”