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Auction price soars for painting by Trayvon Martin shooter

A patriotic painting of the Stars and Stripes by the man who shot teenager Trayvon Martin has sold on eBay for $112,385.

zimmerman_starsstripes_painting_ebay_photo_.jpg
"First hand painted artwork by me, George Zimmerman," he wrote on eBay, where the highest bid stood at US$99,966. (Ebay)

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Source: AAP


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A painting by George Zimmerman, who shot dead a black teenager in 2012, has sold for just over $A112,385 ($US100,000) on eBay.

The blue-hued portrayal of the Stars and Stripes flag is overlaid with the words "God, One Country, with Liberty and Justice for All" in typewriter font.

The artwork attracted 96 bids before selling at $100,099.99 when bidding closed late on Sunday.

Internet auctioneer eBay declined to provide any information about the buyer.

Zimmerman has said he turned to painting to "express myself, my emotions and the symbols that represent my experiences".

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"My artwork allows me to reflect, providing a therapeutic outlet and allows me to remain indoors," he said.

Zimmerman, 30, a Neighborhood Watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida, shot dead Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, as the unarmed 17-year-old was walking home with iced tea and candy.

Zimmerman said he had been following Martin on suspicion that the high-school student was involved in robbery, and that he shot him in self-defence.

Police soon released him, prompting a national outcry that led to a jury trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter in June this year, at which he was acquitted.

More recently, he faced arraignment for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend, but she dropped the charges.

Meanwhile eBay confirmed that it had withdrawn from its site a painting that critiqued Zimmerman.

The painting showed a man in a police uniform and a white hood of the Ku Klux Klan pointing a pistol at a black youngster holding a packet of candy.


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