Letters from John Lennon's killer to be sold

[alp227]

In his time as a New York City police officer, Stephen Spiro says that it only happened to him once.

Typically, the people he arrested wanted nothing to do with him.

But then, few things about the case of Mark David Chapman were typical.

Chapman, the man convicted of killing former Beatle John Lennon, wrote Spiro, his arresting officer, four letters.

In the letters, Chapman repeatedly tells Spiro to read "The Catcher in the Rye," saying the book would explain much of what happened the night of the murder, December 8, 1980.

...

The letters will be on sale for $75,000, said Gary Zimet, who runs the Moments in Time site.

The site is also selling a "Double Fantasy" record album, which Lennon signed for Chapman before his murder, for $650,000.

full: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/17/us/new-york-chapman-letters/index.html

Announced right when Yoko turns 80. Good or bad?

[duffyduff]

1. Somebody should buy all of the items

and then destroy them or turn them over to Lennon's family to destroy them.

There is no purpose at all for these items to exist.

[onehandle]

2. Nobody, outside of victims, should be able to 'profit' from crime.

Of course the NRA makes millions and millions off of crime, so...

[alp227]

5. So "Son of Sam" laws should extend to the general public?

[onehandle]

6. I don't know if I would go that far, but third parties should not profit...

...off of items directly associated with the crime/criminal.

Who knows if some of the cash will make it back to the criminal.

At the least, the money should go to the victims or victims' families.

Yoko should get the proceeds, in this case. She would put it to good use, I'd bet.

Or be able to choose to destroy the items.

[corkhead]

3. That's creepy. Why would anyone want that stuff.

[onehandle]

7. The NRA for their museum. Relics of a successful kill by a legal gun owner. nt

[DFW]

4. Boy am I glad this is NOT Heritage!

I have friends back in Dallas who work at Heritage Auctions. They do a LOT of music memorabilia, but they usually shy away from ugly or controversial stuff. Guitar enthusiasts (of which I am one) get lost and drool at the mouth when perusing their guitar auctions.

I would have been VERY disappointed if they had accepted these items to sell.