Notorious Gangsters Bonnie and Clyde’s Guns Fetch $210000 at Auction

Two guns, which reportedly belonged to deadly outlaws Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow, fetched a staggering $210000 at a Kansas auction Saturday.

The guns were believed to have been seized from the notorious gangsters in the year 1933 following a deadly Missouri shootout. An unnamed online bidder purchased the guns from the auction held at Mayo Auction and Reality.

Both Bonnie and Clyde were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who travelled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their many exploits captured widespread attention, particularly during the public enemy era between 1931 and 1934.

The gang is believed to have killed at least nine police officers and committed several civilian murders before being eventually ambushed and killed in Louisiana by law officers.

The duo had gained such reputation that their many tales were cemented in American pop folklore by Arthur Penn's 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. The two guns were reportedly seized from them after a police shootout in Missouri in April, 1933.

During a raid to find out the notorious outlaws, the police discovered the two guns although the couple managed to escape at that time.

According to Reuters, a police officer later gave the weapons to Mark Lairmore, a Tulsa police officer, and they remained in the Lairmore family, according to a Mayo account of the guns' history.

The two guns include a fully automatic .45 Thompson sub-machine gun and a 12 gauge Winchester shotgun.

These guns are highly collectible and would draw attention in any sale by their own history and merit, said Robert Mayo from the Mayo Auctions and Realty, Kansas City.

Many people, including Michael Brown who was the first Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response, participated in the bid in person. Brown mentioned that he represented a group that wanted the guns for a gangster museum planned in Las Vegas. He bid nearly as much as the winning bidder on each gun and said he especially wanted the Tommy gun.