Serial Killers Ink is a

website A website (also written as a web site) is any web page whose content is identified by a common domain name and is published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, educatio ...

dedicated to selling " murderabilia" (collectibles related to murders, murderers or other violent crimes) and serial killer art, interviewing convicted

serial killers A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

and also serves as a meeting place for those interested or involved in the murderabilia industry. The website has been described by true crime author and

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...

personality David Lohr, who is currently a writer and journalist for

AOL News AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...

, as "One of the top selling murderabilia outlets".

History

Founder Eric Holler, who uses the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

"Eric Gein" (an homage to

Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein ( ; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as "the Butcher of Plainfield" or "the Plainfield Ghoul", was an American murderer, suspected serial killer and Body snatching, body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed a ...

according to a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' article) came up with the concept of Serial Killers Ink in the mid-1990s after he began writing to inmates and collecting their artwork and craft items. A friend of Holler's suggested he list items on

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

and offer them for sale. eBay banned the sale of murderabilia in 2001. In 2006, Holler began writing and corresponding with inmates once again in preparation of building a new website. In December 2008, the website launched and in February 2009, the website was redesigned to include a store to sell art, letters, hair and clothing obtained from infamous and news-worthy inmates.

Screen appearances

Eric Holler and Serial Killers Ink were featured in the season 9 premier of the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...

television series ''

Taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

'' titled "Living with the Dead" which originally aired June 17, 2012.

Controversy

The large amount of media coverage sparked outrage and in June 2010, Senators

John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. ...

of Texas and

Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member o ...

of Minnesota teamed up to introduce a bill in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

that would outlaw the trade. The bill is called the "Stop the Sale of Murderabilia to Protect the Dignity of Crime Victims Act of 2010," and comes after several individual fights over the issue. Holler is an opponent of the bill and has enlisted the help of the

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. ...

to help combat the bill as an anti-civil liberties bill. ''

The Texas Tribune ''The Texas Tribune'' is a nonprofit politics and public policy news website headquartered in Austin, Texas, United States. Its stated aim is to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events. ''The Texas T ...

'' first reported that the proposed bill in early June 2010 included a statement in defense of the industry from Holler.

References

External links

*{{official, url=http://www.serialkillersink.net/ Memorabilia Serial killers English-language websites

History

Screen appearances

Controversy

See also

References

External links