‘Deny, Defend, Depose’ CEO Murder Merch Sweeps Online Stores
Christmas tree ornaments, lawn signs, and other items featuring words linked to Brian Thompson’s killing are being sold across the web.
NYPD News/via REUTERS
Merchandise bearing words written on the bullet casings found at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing are available to buy on online retail sites.
Everything from pint glasses and baseball caps to Christmas tree ornaments and a sweater with an image of a guillotine and the words “Deny, Defend, Depose” are being hawked online. The phrase might be a reference to the methods health insurers use to avoid paying claims.
A Christmas decoration being sold on eBay
eBay
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan last week
United Health Group
The three words are now synonymous with the slaying of Thompson, 50, who was gunned down outside a New York City hotel December 4. Luigi Mangione was arrested Monday in connection with the incident and charged with murder and other counts.
Almost immediately after the shooting, some people voiced their support for the attacker and their chagrin with insurance companies.
Soon after, merchandise became available across eBay, Etsy, TikTok and Amazon among other sites. The latter reportedly removed items after being contacted about them by The Washington Post. Amazon said the products violated their guidelines, but didn’t say which ones.
A 2010 book about insurance companies, Delay, Deny, Defend, is listed as a best seller on Amazon and is sold out in hardcover on the site. Its author, Rutgers Law School Professor Jay M. Feinman, has been contacted by The Daily Beast for comment.
A t-shirt with the slogan and the UnitedHealthcare logo
eBay
Luigi Mangione was arrested in connection with the killing
Anadolu via Getty Images
eBay still has plenty of merch available, including stickers, hoodies, t-shirts, buttons and lawn signs. A spokesperson for eBay told the Post that its policies do not ban the sale of items featuring the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose.” But “items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited.”
It’s a similar story on Etsy and TikTok Shop, the video-sharing site’s retail section. All sites named in this piece have been contacted for comment.
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Mangione was taken into custody at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon.
The 26-year-old then had a preliminary arraignment Monday night at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, where he was charged with second-degree murder, gun charges, and forgery.
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