EBay Removes Drawings That Glorify Slaying of Abortion Doctor George Tiller

EBay has removed an auction posted by supporters of Scott Roeder, the man charged with the May murder of abortionist George Tiller. The listing featured graphic prison art celebrating the murder, and was an effort to raise money for Roeder's legal defense. The Kansas City Star first reported the auction, and TPM Muckraker captured the series of images: a drawing of Tiller beheaded, and several of the grave stones of aborted babies. As of late Monday morning, links to the auction returned a message saying the listing had been removed.

The popular online site had implied it would not permit items related to the murder to be posted, including a Bible (with "pro-life" passages highlighted) that had belonged to Shelley Shannon, who tried unsuccessfully to kill Tiller in 1993, and a religious document written by a convicted abortion-clinic bomber. After the Kansas City Star reported plans for the auction last week, eBay officials said they would "not allow listings that promote or glorify violence, hate, racial or religious intolerance, or items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity."

But the auction's organizers posted what they considered "less offensive" items -- a cookbook written by Shannon, a grisly drawing by Roeder's cell mate -- and managed to get the listing through eBay's filters. There had been one bid of $50 before the listing was shut down.