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We don't typically associate murder weapons or tragic accidents with a candy dish or bakery. But surprisingly, treats like chocolate, caramel apples, and bubble gum seem innocent enough, yet they can sometimes be deadly.
Over the years, some of the most shocking and tragic fatalities have been linked to candy and other risky dessert choices. From the infamous Candyman Murders of 1974 to the recent toxin outbreak in India, these ten deadly sweets prove how our beloved desserts can sometimes be unexpectedly lethal.
10. Toxic Pastries
In 2016, in the Punjab region of Pakistan, a family eagerly anticipated the arrival of their newest member. After the birth of a healthy baby boy, an overjoyed father quickly went to a bakery to buy an assortment of delicious 'laddoo,' round, sweet pastries, to celebrate his son’s birth. Little did he know, this seemingly joyous moment would unknowingly lead to the tragic deaths of him and 11 of his closest relatives.
What the father and the other customers didn’t realize was that the pesticide shop next to the bakery was under renovation. Strangely, the bakery owner had agreed to temporarily store some 'packaged pesticides' for the neighboring shop until the construction was complete. While the full details remain unclear, authorities are certain that some of this toxic substance inadvertently made its way into the pastries.
The bakery’s owners and one employee were arrested, accused of knowingly poisoning their customers. More than 70 people fell critically ill after consuming these contaminated pastries, with 23 tragically dying from poisoning. Whether intentional or accidental, the outcome was devastating—on his birthday, a young Pakistani boy lost both his father and extended family.
9. Trick-Or-Treat Murder
Halloween is said to be the perfect time for ghouls and monsters to walk among us. However, under cheap, plastic masks, some real monsters lurk—often much closer than we think.
In 1974, in a quiet Pasadena neighborhood, 30-year-old Ronald Clark O’Bryan lurked under the best disguise of all—a friendly, all-American dad.
On Halloween night, O’Bryan, his wife, and their two children, Timothy and Elizabeth, enjoyed dinner with their close friends, the Bates family. The children rushed through dinner and eagerly prepared for an exciting night trick-or-treating. Armed with costumes, candy pails, and their fatherly escorts, the group took off for a fateful night.
After the children tried and failed to gain candy from a discouraging, vacant house, Jim Bates ushered the children back to the sidewalk in search of a new target. After lagging behind the group for several minutes, O’Brian suddenly reappeared with a fistful of giant Pixy Stix. The children’s eyes grew wide at 22 inches of sugary wonder as O’Brian explained that the “rich neighbors” finally decided to give out the “expensive treats.”
Later that evening, O’Brian’s son, little eight-year-old Timothy, began complaining of stomach pain. Before the night ended, the little boy became violently ill with vomiting and was in excruciating pain. He was dead by morning.
While O'Brian put on a false facade of grief and disbelief following his son's tragic death, a swift autopsy of Timothy's remains revealed a chilling amount of cyanide—enough to take the lives of three adults. The police began an investigation and soon discovered one of the lethal Pixy Stix, which was sent for testing.
Soon, the truth came to light, exposing the full extent of O'Brian's cunning and moral decay. A lucrative insurance policy worth $60,000 motivated the father to kill his son, hoping the money would help alleviate his financial troubles. The jury convicted O'Brian of murder, sentencing him to death, with the execution scheduled for March 31, 1984. Outside the prison, protestors yelled "trick-or-treat!" as the father faced his final moments.
8. Lethal Dose
Too much of anything can be harmful, and this certainly applies to our beloved candies. Driven by a dark curiosity, researchers from the American Chemical Society decided to investigate just how much candy could be considered a 'lethal dose.' Using popular Halloween treats like candy corn, dum dums, and sugar babies, they calculated the dangerously high amounts of sugar that could be deadly.
"LD50," a term that refers to "the amount per kilogram that would kill half of an animal test population," was applied to various candies. For sugar, this number equates to 1 grams per pound. For an average adult weighing 180 pounds (81 kg), consuming about 5.4 pounds (2.5 kg) of sugar would prove fatal. In other words, 262 small candy bars or roughly 1,627 pieces of candy corn could lead to a fatal outcome. Candies with higher sugar content like sugar babies, blow pops, and nerds make it even easier to hit the deadly 20,000 calories required for a sugar-induced death. While not often viewed as dangerous, candy can be a deceptively perilous substance.
7. Explosive Gum
"Explosive chewing gum" sounds like something straight out of a cheesy comic book or a whimsical invention by the fictional Willy Wonka. Yet for 25-year-old Vladimir from Ukraine, this deadly candy led to his tragic and shocking death.
The explosion took place at his family's home, where Vladimir, a young college student, was spending his holiday break between semesters. His mother rushed into the room, only to find her son in critical condition, his jaw gone and most of his face severely damaged.
This young college student was an apt inventor and curious chemistry student at Kiev Polytechnic Institute. Although his family and friends knew of his penchant for tinkering and experimentation, no one suspected the deadly experiment he created.
Forensic testing on Vladimir’s gum revealed a mysterious, unidentifiable substance responsible for the sudden explosion. Many feel this horrible death was an accident. Vladimir was not suicidal; if anything, his academic and social future was very bright. Life is incredibly fragile; something as small as a contaminated piece of gum can easily end it.
6. Death by Chocolate
Anything can become a death trap. At the wrong place and at the wrong time, even our own job may become something out of a horror film. For 24-year-old confectionery worker, Svetlana Roslina, her job became her grave.
Roslina, a mother of two, began a typical day at her job at the Fedortsovo Chocolate factory near Moscow. By 6:00 p.m., police arrived at the scene to find the young woman tragically trapped in a massive chocolate mixer. Her body was utterly mangled, with only parts of her legs still intact. Even if she had been found sooner, the severity of her injuries would have made survival impossible.
While the exact cause of Roslina's death remains unclear, some believe she fell into the mixer while attempting to retrieve a lost cellphone. Others speculate she may have been trying to dump a large bag of ingredients when the mixer blades accidentally caught her.
5. Sweet Heartache
The licorice plant has contributed to much more than the modern-day favorites like "Twizzlers" and "Red Vines." In ancient times, it was a vital medicinal herb for the Greeks and Romans during the third century. Other European nations, including England, continued to grow and experiment with licorice root for both medical and commercial purposes, eventually creating the delicious candy we know and cherish today.
Some people believe that the licorice plant can help treat medical conditions like heartburn and bronchitis. However, an increasing number of medical researchers are warning that its primary ingredient, a super-sweet compound known as "glycyrrhizin," poses significant risks for those with heart problems.
Recent studies have shown that consuming just two ounces (56 grams) of black licorice daily for two weeks can cause dangerously irregular heart rhythms in some individuals. These abnormal heart patterns are linked to improper kidney function. Glycyrrhizin forces the kidneys to release excessive amounts of potassium, leading to an imbalance that can cause the heart to beat erratically and dangerously. This potassium imbalance also leads to problematic water retention, posing serious risks for those with high blood pressure or heart conditions. While black licorice may not trigger a full heart attack, doctors caution that it certainly increases the likelihood of a trip to the emergency room.
4. Poison Apples
For Snow White, a single apple almost led to her demise. Although this infamous apple was part of a fairytale, in real life, apples have turned deadly for at least four people in the United States.
On January 6, 2015, a California apple grower issued a recall of their Granny Smith and Gala apples following an outbreak of the deadly bacteria Listeria monocytogenes—the same bacterium responsible for more than 1,600 illnesses and 260 fatalities annually.
Among the contaminated fruit, pre-packaged caramel apples were identified as the main culprits behind four deaths and over two dozen additional illnesses. The bacteria was particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention swiftly issued a warning as soon as signs of contamination emerged.
Surprisingly, plain apples were not affected by the Listeria bacteria. People were cautioned to avoid caramel apples with toppings like nuts and sprinkles. Although the contamination was eventually contained, its impact was already widespread. What began as a seemingly innocent treat quickly transformed into a national crisis, affecting at least ten states.
3. Forbidden Fruits
In the Bible, Adam and Eve were the first to face the consequences of indulging in a forbidden fruit. However, they were not the only ones to suffer from poorly chosen fruits.
In 2014, Dr. Rajesh Yadav relocated to Muzaffarpur, India, to investigate a deadly outbreak that had been affecting the country. Since 1995, during the monsoon season, children in India began experiencing unexplained seizures, which nearly always resulted in comas. In 40 percent of the cases, the children died.
The outbreak was unpredictable and erratic, surging abruptly before fading just as quickly. One notable pattern was that the outbreaks typically occurred between mid and late May. While other investigators were stumped, Dr. Yadav and the India Epidemic Intelligence Service were determined to crack the mystery once and for all.
With support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, India's National Center for Disease Control began methodically ruling out potential causes of the deadly illness, which predominantly targeted children. Early theories included pesticides, rats, and even heatstroke. In 2013, a breakthrough came when the symptoms were found to closely resemble those of 'Jamaican vomiting sickness,' a toxic outbreak from the West Indies. This illness was linked to fruit toxins, and Indian researchers quickly connected the dots: lychee orchards in rural India were to blame.
Children, drawn to the sweet, dessert-like fruit, often snuck lychees as after-school snacks. Researchers discovered that lychee contains a toxin called 'hypoglycin.' Children who ate unripe lychees on an empty stomach experienced a sharp drop in blood sugar, leading to seizures and comas.
As time passed and more warnings spread, the number of deaths began to decrease as parents realized the deadly risks posed by these fruits. What appeared to be a harmless dessert or snack was, in fact, one of the biggest dangers for Indian children.
While a handful of candy or a warm pastry may not typically be seen as lethal, history has shown us that some of the greatest threats come wrapped in the sweetest forms. Even fruit—nature’s own dessert—can become deadly under the wrong circumstances. Before indulging in our favorite treat, it's worth remembering that it could very well be our last.
2. The Black Widow Jello Murders
When it comes to domestic murder, Julia Lynn Turner has earned a gruesome place in history. With a disturbingly clever but macabre scheme, she successfully poisoned her husband and boyfriend using nothing more than poisoned jello, nearly escaping justice in the process.
Firefighter Randy Thompson and police officer Glenn Turner shared an unexpected fate. Although both men initially appeared to have nothing more than a typical flu, they tragically died within 24 hours from what was later diagnosed as heart failure. It wasn’t until after an autopsy that ethylene glycol, a critical component of antifreeze, was discovered in both of their bodies. Their diagnosis quickly shifted to poisoning.
Julia Lynn Turner denied any responsibility for the deaths, but the $186,000 in benefits and insurance money she received after their passing suggested otherwise.
Turner confessed that her husband Glenn had consumed several crackers and some jello just before displaying symptoms of poisoning. The color and texture of the jello made it the perfect hiding spot for the deadly antifreeze. Despite her conviction, Turner later died in her prison cell, an apparent suicide by overdose—an ironic end for someone who had caused the death of her lovers in a similar manner.
1. Laced Lollipops
Making your own candy might sound like a fun, cost-effective, and healthy alternative. After all, it’s a perfect activity for kids, and who wouldn’t enjoy a homemade treat? However, in San Antonio, homemade candy turned into a nightmare for unsuspecting families during Halloween.
Inside otherwise innocent-looking gummy bears and lollipops, high levels of THC—one of the active compounds in marijuana—were concealed. This chemical causes a massive dopamine release in the brain, producing euphoria and vivid hallucinations that can last up to two hours. While the effects can be enjoyable, the risks escalate when children inadvertently consume these candies. Overdosing on THC, when disguised in a treat, becomes all too easy.
A few days before Halloween, a couple was arrested for allegedly growing marijuana in their backyard. Authorities searched their residence and uncovered homemade candy, candy molds, and the necessary supplies. In their vehicles, they found an alarming stockpile of lollipops and other candies.
The couple eventually confessed that every single piece of candy was laced with THC, a fact later confirmed by forensic experts. Investigators believe the couple intended to distribute these laced candies on Halloween, unsuspecting to trick-or-treaters. Fortunately, the authorities seized all the candy and drugs before any harm could be done, narrowly avoiding a Halloween disaster.
