Beatles Fans Went Crazy... Bullet That Killed John Lennon Was About to Be Auctioned but Canceled

Transferred to British police involved in investigation
Stored at home before being auctioned off

A bullet that killed Beatles leader John Lennon almost went up for 'auction' but soon disappeared. It appears the auction house withdrew the auction on its own. On the 28th (local time), Fox News reported that the auction house 'Anderson & Garland' located in Newcastle, UK, canceled the auction of the bullet. This bullet is evidence from the firearm used by the murderer Mark David Chapman when he killed John Lennon in Manhattan, New York, in 1980.

The bullet was later handed over to the bereaved family, but they declined to receive it. It was then transferred to Brian Taylor, a former Northumbria Police officer in the UK, and was kept at his home until recently.

Bullets that almost went up for auction. [Image source=Anderson & Garland website]

The circumstances under which Taylor obtained the bullet are as follows. At the time of the incident, Taylor patrolled the crime scene with the New York Police Department. He was the only British police officer involved in the investigation.

After the case ended, Taylor saw the firearm stored at the New York Police Forensic Investigation Department Museum. The New York police, knowing he was a Beatles fan, encouraged him to fire the gun as a form of consolation. After firing the gun, Taylor received the cartridge (the ammunition case holding the bullet) as a souvenir. For reference, the firearm is still kept at the New York Police Forensic Investigation Department Museum.

He then hung the cartridge in his home and kept it as a memento. It was said to be an item "to remind him of his career during his police days."

The auction house's website explains the reason for putting the bullet up for auction, stating, "Taylor's family has now decided that this historic item should return to a true fan of John Lennon."

Mark David Chapman, who fatally shot John Lennon (left). [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, this bullet is now not expected to go up for auction. Usually, auction houses cancel auctions themselves when they judge that the item's value is not high or when the authenticity of the auction item is in doubt.

Why did the auction house give up on the auction? Anderson & Garland told the BBC in an interview, "It is rare for such a unique item to come up for auction. In fact, it is somewhat eerie," adding, "It is difficult to know how much value it holds or whether there is sufficient demand for the auction. Still, it remains one of the irreplaceable and interesting memorabilia."

Some believe that the backlash from Beatles fans against the 'bullet auction' also influenced the decision. On the global website 'Reddit Beatles Page,' where Beatles fans gather, posts criticizing the auction have recently been posted.

Fans expressed sharp comments such as, "Everything about this auction disgusts me," "It would be fine if it went to a museum, but it’s strange for a private collector to buy such an item," and "What real Beatles fan would want an item that killed their star?"