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June 9, 2009

The Unabomber Auction

Posted: 05:52 PM ET

Convicted "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, who terrorized the country with a series of mail bombs over nearly two decades, is fighting to stop a public auction of his diaries and other personal possessions. But Kaczynski's five-year legal battle will come to an end soon unless he can convince the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

The property that is up for auction includes tools, typewriters, knives and a hatchet; Kaczynski's degrees from Harvard and the University of Michigan; and the glasses and hooded jacket made famous by an artist's rendering of the suspect. But experts say the most valuable items probably will be the 40,000 pages of Kaczynski's diaries and other writings.

The only way that the Unabomber victims are going to receive any sort of restitution from Ted Kaczynski is if the government auctions off his personal belongings. At this point, Kaczynski owes four victims $15 million.

What do you think? Should the Unabomber’s possessions be auctioned off? If so, would you ever want to buy any of these items? And if your answer is yes – how much would you be willing to spend?

Watch Abbie Boudreau’s video blog and let us know what you think.

Filed under: Abbie Boudreau • Special Investigations Unit • Uncategorized


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Mike Boudreau   June 9th, 2009 8:17 pm ET

Like your reporter style; good last name; wish they would give you more to do!
Cathy Sorensen   June 10th, 2009 11:19 am ET

He doesn't want his things auctioned? He didn't care about living beings when he was doing his bombing – why should we care about his stuff? I couldn't care less.
Eric Bosch   June 10th, 2009 12:56 pm ET

Kaczynski is nuts. He was convicted for life, and should have absolutely no rights for his former property... It should be used for whatever good it can be to help the victims and their families
JustCurious   June 10th, 2009 5:43 pm ET

Heck ya! Auction his stuff off. Just as long as he doesn't see a penny of it, I'm for it. I have no interest personally in buying any of his crap or thoughts on paper...but I know there are a lot of people out there that would. Spend big. Make the s o b hurt. And it helps those that lost someone.
Robert Taylor   June 10th, 2009 6:28 pm ET

As a near victim of his last bombing, I sympathize with the desire to do something for those he hurt. But after reading Alston Chase's book about Kaczynski, "A Mind for Murder," I think his things ought to go to a university library. He may be a little nuts, but not more than many extremists in the environmental fringe. We need to understand people like Kaczynski.
Jason Risland   June 10th, 2009 6:46 pm ET

It isn't that the money should be awarded to the families that bothers me. It bothers me as to what frame of mind the person has to be in to want any of his possessions. Morbid. Just morbid. These collectors should have their complete identies and records put into the FBI, CIA, NSA, and any other abbreviated affilations books from that point on. If you have that kind of morbid fascination, then you have issues. And, if you have the money to buy it, that makes you a little more dangerous from my perspective. What else do you get into?
brian steiner   June 24th, 2009 3:56 am ET

so did he actually apply till last monday or can the auction take place?
wayne   August 5th, 2009 2:01 am ET

hi i would like to have some items ,if i could afford them !! which i m sure i would not be able to !, imagine what a conversation piece it WOULD BE !!!!!!!!!
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