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Oak Lawn Public Library Welcomes the Reporters Behind Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders
Investigative reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair from the Chicago Tribune will speak about the Tylenol murders and their coverage of the ever-relevant crime at Oak Lawn Public Library on Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Despite occurring in 1982, the Tylenol murders, which saw seven Chicagoland residents die from taking Tylenol laced with cyanide, remain unsolved.
Considered by some to be the first act of domestic terrorism, the crime has remained in the public’s mind due to its profound impact and has seen widespread coverage since it occurred.
This includes the gripping and widely-acclaimed 2022 article series and podcast from Chicago Tribune investigative reporters Christy Gutowski, a former Oak Lawn resident, and Stacy St. Clair.
The Tylenol murders struck fear into the Chicagoland area, where Gutowski grew up, but the impact extended well beyond the region. As she describes, “Tylenol represented a loss of innocence, not only for the victims and their families but for us as a society.” Society would respond with the adoption of important advancements in consumer safety that are still in place to this day, such as the tamper-resistant medicine bottles that are now standard.
OLPL will welcome Gutowski and St. Clair to speak about the crime and their investigation on Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders. The program, named after their podcast, will mark their first time presenting on the subject at a library. The duo will discuss their insights on the case, give a first-hand look into journalism and podcasting, and take time to answer questions from audience members.
OLPL is proud to have a speaker with as deep of a connection to Oak Lawn as Gutowski. She described that connection thusly: “My family moved to Oak Lawn when I was in the fourth grade. I attended St. Gerald’s for church and graduated Covington and Oak Lawn Community High School. I recall spending many hours in the Library studying and researching class projects. In fact, the Library helped foster my love for research, reading, and journalism. The childhood friendships I formed in Oak Lawn remain my most treasured and, decades later, I remain very close to my former classmates.”
To an extent, the program will provide Oak Lawn and other Chicagoland residents an opportunity to commiserate over the fear they faced when the crime took place. Hearing from individuals who also faced that fear, including individuals she grew up around, is a facet of the program that Gutowski looks forward to.
However, Gutowski is most looking forward to discussing law enforcement’s investigation, including the years-long cat-and-mouse game the main suspect played with them, as well as sharing the stories of each victim and their loved ones. She hopes to enlighten the audience to the creative methods that detectives made use of without modern investigative tools while still giving the victims of the crime the focus they deserve.
She also hopes the program and its behind-the-scenes look at their investigation will inspire appreciation for journalism in the residents of the town that sparked those same passions for her when she was growing up. She feels honored to be invited to present at her hometown’s library, which played a large part in igniting those interests and shaping her career trajectory.
Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders is the highlight of the True Crime Summer programming series from OLPL’s Adult/Young Adult Services Department. The series also includes:
- Public Enemy–Dillinger in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 8 from 4-5 p.m.
- Podcasts Unsealed on Friday, Aug. 15 from 11 a.m.-noon.
- Craft Class–Cyanotype Evidence on Friday, Aug. 22 from 4-5 p.m., which requires registration through OLPL’s online event calendar.
- Handwriting Analysis on Thursday, Aug. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
- Screenings of a variety of mystery and crime films.
Find all of OLPL’s programs at: oaklawnpl.librarycalendar.com
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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