Murderabilia

Murderabilia, also known as murderbilia, is a term identifying collectibles related to murders, murderers or other violent crimes, coined by Andy Kahan, director[1] of the Houston Police Department's Crime Victims Office.[2][3]

Collectibles

Buyers typically seek collectibles that are either artifacts used or owned by murderers and items (often artwork) created by them. According to crime writer Leigh Lundin, buyers may be interested in the macabre, but many believe such artifacts offer power and control.[4]

Virtually anything once owned or created by mass murderers or serial killers can be marketed, such as vehicles, artwork and weapons used in crimes. Clothing is also in high demand,[5] particularly clothes worn during crimes themselves.

Controversy

In May 2001, eBay banned the sale of murderabilia items, forcing the industry underground.[6]

In 2005, a serial killer's artwork was sold online in Massachusetts. State lawmakers proposed to block the activity, setting off a debate on free speech rights of prisoners.[7] In 2007, American school shooter Wayne Lo caused controversy after it was found that he was selling his artwork on a web site.[8]

In 2010, Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota teamed up to introduce a bill in Congress that would outlaw the sale of murderabilia. The bill is called the "Stop the Sale of Murderabilia to Protect the Dignity of Crime Victims Act of 2010," and came after several individual fights over the issue.[9]

In June 2011, the United States Government auctioned off personal items which belonged to Ted Kaczynski which were found in his Montana cabin upon his capture in 1996.[10] The auction took place entirely online. The proceeds went to victims and victims' families of Kaczynski's crimes.[11]

In 2016, George Zimmerman, killer of Trayvon Martin (who was ultimately acquitted of murder charges), sold the handgun that was used in the killing for $250,000.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Macdonald, Sally (July 16, 2010). "Crime Victims Advocate Moved From Mayor's Office to HPD". Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  2. ↑ Barrett, Grant (2006-05-23). The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English: A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionaires and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age. McGraw-Hill. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-07-145804-7.
  3. ↑ Hylton, Hilary (2007-06-05). "Cracking Down on 'Murderabilia'". TIME. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  4. ↑ Lundin, Leigh (2012-10-15). "Merchandising Murder". Murderabilia. Orlando: SleuthSayers.
  5. ↑ Potter, Tim (August 3, 2017). "Outrage – and insight – over Hesston shooter 'murderabilia'". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ Hylton, Hilary (May 13, 2007). "Cracking Down On "Murderabilia"". Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Online auction of killer's art spurs debate". CNET News. November 16, 2005. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  8. ↑ Copulsky, Dan (May 16, 2007). "Wayne Lo 'murderabilia' site causes controversy". Llama Ledger. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  9. ↑ Schneider, James (June 18, 2010). "Senators Try to Halt Sale of Gruesome 'Murderabilia'". Fox News. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  10. ↑ Lohr, Kathy (May 24, 2011). "Unabomber's Criminal Collectibles Up For Auction". Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  11. ↑ Vinciguerra, Thomas (June 4, 2011). "The 'Murderabilia' Market". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  12. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36354206
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.