The Untold Truth Of The Vending Machine Killer

Publish date: 2024-05-14

Since there were no leads to follow, the authorities were stumped. They had no clues left to look at, no trails to track down. There was only a string of poisonings, an energy drink, and a mysterious psychopath on the loose. The forensic technology of 1985 had been exhausted, and to this day, the identity of the Vending Machine Killer remains a mystery.

It's possible this killer was none other than a notorious Japanese crime group that specialized in extorting food manufacturers during the 1980s by poisoning candy and other such treats: The Monster with 21 Faces. The New York Times refers to them as "The Mystery Man with 21 Faces," but they seem to be the only publication who uses this translation.

The methods used by the Vending Machine Killer were different from those of the 21 Faces. Plus, this group of poisoners liked to get credit, and The Monster with 21 Faces wrote a letter telling authorities they'd backed out of the game and had nothing to do with any of the vending machine murders.

To add a little bit of fear to the heaping vending machine fire, a second wave of poisoned drinks started appearing in dispensing slots in 1998, according to CBC, but it's unclear whether these were connected to the first killer, influenced by him, or simply the work of another twisted individual running on the same wavelength. No one's in custody for either crime. We might never know.

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