Anderson Cooper, host of his new daytime talk show “Anderson” and CNN’s nightly program “Anderson Cooper 360” offered his afternoon audience with the topic called “Making Money off Murder”, which aired Thursday, Feb. 16. The program presented three men who were into selling and buying murder collectibles from inmates, criminals and serial killers (dead or alive), two females that are affected by what these men are doing and an advocate that wants murder items sold online to be stopped. The new term “murderabilia’ was presented and defined as “people obtaining personal items from murderers and selling them online”.
Of the three men who appeared, two were collectors (“Joe” and “Todd”) and one was an owner of a website that sold murderous items. They all thought what they were doing was okay and no wrongdoing should be applied. “William”, the owner of the website, has items for sale that include a picture of Charles Manson’s hair and John Wayne Gacy. According to Wikipedia, Gacy was a serial killer and rapist who murdered at least 33 young men and boys from 1972 to 1976. He was executed by lethal injection in May 1994. William also has gone to grave sites to get dirt where criminals have been buried and wanted an item from the racially motivated crime in the killing of James Byrd Jr., the African American who was tied up and dragged behind a truck in Jasper, Texas on June 7, 1998.
Anderson thought that collecting these items "was no different than collecting from Nazis and that the men were not historians."
But William held his ground by saying, "People that collect World War II memorabilia understand that millions of Jews were murdered," whose website also sells personal letters from Michael Carneal. "It doesn't change the fact that people want to collect that type of memorabilia."
Michael Carneal was the shooter whose stray bullet hit “Missy”, one of the females on Anderson. Missy, in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the chest down, as a victim could not understand why William was selling Carneal’s letters on his website. She was 15 at the time of the shooting that happened on December 1. 1997. Carneal was a 14-year-old teenager who went on a shooting rampage on praying students at Heath High School, located in West Paducah, Kentucky. The shooting spree killed three students and injured five. Carneal, now 28, is incarcerated with a life in prison sentence with parole for 25 years.
"We are people that are living this every day, and when we see that stuff, it is so hard to not feel victimized again," Missy says. "These people are getting glory for things that we're having to go through."
The other woman, “Dee”, whose 28-year-old daughter was studying to be a paralegal, was strangled by Henry Louis Wallace. Wallace is a serial killer who murdered ten women in Charlotte, North Carolina. The span of killings occurred from 1990 to 1994. Wallace, 46, is awaiting an execution date in Raleigh. William has on his website for sale a drawing of the murderer’s hands that strangled Dee’s daughter.
After the women’s statements, Anderson commented that there seemed to be no empathy or remorse from William. Anderson also wanted to know if William would give an apology and take the items talked about off his website that offended the women. William refused.
"To say that I'm appalled is an understatement. This is adding insult to injury," Dee said. "When I have to live with the fact that there are individuals who are literally monetarily prospering off of my pain… it defies… what makes me human."
The show continued with Andy Kahan, Director of the Houston Mayor's Office of Crime Victims Assistance. Kahan believes that earning profit from items obtained by criminals or related to criminal cases is an unethical practice. Kahan stated that “no one should be able to rob, rape or murder and make a profit off of it. It constitutes blood money, plain and simple.” His goal is to pass a federal law to outlaw murderabilia. Read more at:
http://www.andersoncooper.com/2012/02/15/how-you-can-put-a-stop-to-murderabilia/#ixzz1madThasW3D0
Another crime-related topic came forward that dealt with the publishing of mug shots. “Isaac” is publisher of “The Slammer”, a weekly newspaper that displays and reports mug shots of those convicted of crimes. Isaac claims he works with law officials and gets his information from public records. He believes the public has the right to know what persons have been convicted of crimes in their communities.
Sitting next to Isaac was “Jason”, a man arrested with felony drug charges who was not convicted but is in Isaac’s Slammer. Jason is trying to get his life back together but is hampered by his mug shot in getting a job. His sister was in the audience in tears, stating her brother had a great opportunity but it was ruined due to The Slammer.
"The simple fact is, I'm not hazardous to the community," Jason said. "I didn't do anything [but] hurt myself… being a not-convicted felon; I don't think [future employers] have the right know any of that. That's my business. I'm moving forward, it's a new life."
More on The Slammer can be found at http://www.theslammer.com .
These hapless examples on Anderson’s program further shows that something needs to be done more in the justice system to stop ruining people’s lives, their privacy, and protecting one’s rights. The recent rape definition that was changed by Attorney General Eric Holder is a great illustration that was on the books for over 80 years that needed change. It’s time to get rid of the old, update and modify what’s needed, and instill fair and ethical mandates for all citizens.
Anderson is seen Monday thru Friday at 4 p.m. on Washington, D.C.’s station WJLA.
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