From T-shirts and hoodies to coffee mugs and shot glasses, merchandise referring to the suspected gunman in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk is popping up on the internet.
Online sellers, looking to cash in on the sympathies that some have expressed for suspect Luigi Mangione, have drawn criticism.
"Some attention in this case, especially online, has been deeply disturbing, as some have looked to celebrate instead of condemning this killer," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a recent news conference.
Etsy, an online platform where the Deny, Defend Depose ornament is listed for sale, did not respond to a request for comment.
Online marketplaces generally prohibit the sale of items that glorify violence, but that prohibition does not extend to all Mangione-related merchandise.
“eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase ‘Deny. Defend. Depose,’” the company said in a statement. “However, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited.”
Amazon told USA TODAY it has pulled merchandise using the phrase for violating company guidelines. A search now only yields links to the 2010 book “Delay, Defend, Deny: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a wealthy family was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a customer at a McDonald's spotted him. He faces charges of second-degree murder, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree. He was denied bail Tuesday and is fighting extradition to New York.
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