Akademik

n.

Memorabilia related to a murder or murderer.

Among the documents that would be auctioned are letters that Mr. Kaczynski received over 25 years at his Montana cabin from his brother, David, and his mother, Wanda.

It was David Kaczynski who led the F.B.I. to his older sibling. And while he expressed support for the victims, he said he was distressed that private family correspondence might fall into the hands of strangers and that the government had not asked him if he wanted the letters.

"I'm in favor of anything that would help the victims," David Kaczynski said in an interview. "But in a personal sense, having these letters treated as murderabilia is appalling to us. How do you balance the need for human decency and dignity with doing the best thing?"

—Serge F. Kovaleski, "Unabomber Wages Legal Battle To Halt the Sale of His Papers," The New York Times, January 22, 2007

O.J. Simpson's book, If I Did It, may have been scrapped by its chagrined publisher, but purported copies have been offered for sale online — briefly.

Two major online marketplaces for new and used books, Alibris.com and Biblio.com, removed listings for the book Friday after it was offered at prices up to $5,499. And eBay, the online auction site, has removed at least eight listings, the latest Tuesday. At least one early eBay listing went undetected, and the book sold for $50.

Alibris CEO Martin Manley says, "It's a disgusting book, and we don't want to sell it," even if "people may have a right to sell it." He wasn't aware of the listings until a reporter called.

Catherine England, eBay spokeswoman, cited policies aimed at offensive items and "murderabilia."

—Bob Minzesheimer and Maria Puente, "O.J. book burns up the resale market," USA Today, December 11, 2006

The Chicago Cartoon and Poster Co., 1941 W. North Ave., specializes in limited edition posters, pop culture collectibles, underground publications, adult comics, T-shirts, and "Murderabilia" (like John Wayne Gacy paintings).

—Jeff Huebner, "The Undersee World of Pop Culture," Chicago Sun-Times, January 14, 1994