Halloween Scaries

An orange porch light and a carved pumpkin on the steps with a flickering candle inside. That’s all you needed to create a scary Halloween when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. The most spine-chilling Halloween innovation back then was the introduction of store-bought costumes.

Times have changed. Fright has reached new heights. This year, Americans will spend $13.1 billion on Halloween, with about $4.2 billion on decorations alone. Every block has a decorated home that rivals a blood-curdling Hollywood horror movie set.

Scare Turns to Fear

In 1982, as a rookie parent, I was preparing to take my first child trick or treating in Riverside, Illinois. But a tragic event that season stoked fears that candy could be a potential murder weapon and that apples might contain concealed razor blades.

That tragedy was the Chicago Tylenol® murders. On September 28, 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, mysteriously died. On September 29, six other Chicago area individuals also suddenly died.

Investigators determined that someone had laced Tylenol® with deadly potassium cyanide. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson issued an immediate, nationwide recall of all Tylenol® products nationwide. They also immediately halted all Tylenol® production and advertising. 

The case is still unsolved. Its legacy is the now standard tamper-proof medication packaging.

The story broke on October 1. In retrospect, according to the Chicago Tribune, “Perhaps if it hadn't happened in the run-up to Halloween, the connection wouldn't have been made. But by the time the 31st rolled around, the genial fears of the holiday had been overshadowed by terror.”

Mayor of Chicago Jane Byrne urged extreme caution and vigilance on Halloween, adding that if she had children, she would not allow them to accept any food items. Local hospitals were offering to X-Ray trick or treat bags.

Truth or Urban Legend?

University of Delaware sociologist Joel Best is nation’s expert on Halloween sadism. He has investigated approximately 200 reports of Halloween sadism. None of them turned out to be true.

According to Best’s research, there have been five news stories that attributed deaths to Halloween poisoning. In one case, it was the child’s own father, and the other four cases were all retracted.

Within a few years, the myth of deadly treats faded, leaving costumes and decorations to supply Halloween’s scares.

The Shot

Last week, I walked to a neighbor’s house and took several photos. The owners’ display delights neighborhood children and adults alike. 👻

I’m taking next week off, so the next Friday Photo is November 6.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus