A gun that once belonged to outlaw Bonnie Parker has sold at auction for $99,450.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the winning bidders for the item asked to remain anonymous. More than 300 people attended the event at Case Auctions and Antiques in Knoxville.
The nickel-plated .38 pistol belonged to Bonnie Parker, who was gunned down by police with her lover, Clyde Barrow, in 1934.
The newspaper reports the bid for the gun, bullets and photos from the shooting scene was below an estimated value of $125,000 to $175,000.
The gun was found hidden in Parker’s dress by a mortician preparing her body for embalming.
Sarah Drury, who is vice president of fine arts and decorative arts for Case Auctions and Antiques, said the event brought out people who normally don’t pay much attention to an art and antique auction.
“It was such a historical object, it really captured the public’s imagination,” she said. “We did have a lot of history buffs who came and wanted to see this firearm sell.”
Dustin Hofstetter, a furniture restorer with the company, said it was an unusual item.
“Case Antiques has been doing a lot of really neat historical items and to have this in the mix of things is huge for Knoxville,” Hofstetter said. “It puts us on the map. There’s a lot of history here and there are a lot of people willing to share that history.”
