08:43 AM PST on Saturday, November 1, 2003

By LORI MATSUKAWA / KING 5 News

SEATTLE – A Halloween costume sold at local Wal-Mart stores is an outrage to some people. Now a U.S. Senator weighs in calling for the store chain to pull the product as “inappropriate and unacceptable” in light of two murders in Washington state.

At first blush, it looks like a typical bridal costume, but then the message becomes clear: It’s a mail-order bridal costume, available at Wal-Mart stores.

It’s an outrage to State Representative Velma Veloria who has been fighting unregulated matchmaking services that bring 4,000 to 6,000 overseas brides to the U.S. every year.

KING Many are outraged by Wal-Mart's mail-order bride costume.

The issue is particularly upsetting in King County where two mail-order brides were murdered.

Susana Blackwell and two friends were shot to death by her husband in 1995, and Anastasia King was murdered in 2000 by her husband who had divorced his first mail-order wife and was in the process of finding a third one.

“We're not the only state that has this kind of history regarding mail-order brides and for Wal-Mart to do that is socially irresponsible,” said Veloria.

Senator Maria Cantwell, who this year introduced a bill to regulate international marriage brokers, blasted Wal-Mart's sale of the costume.

"It is outrageous and offensive, demeaning of real women who are threatened every day by abusers," said Cantwell.

Wal-Mart did not return KING 5’s calls for comment, but a Wal-Mart representative did leave a voice mail at the office of State Representative Sharon Santos saying the store did not intend to do any harm and the company did not have "that many" of the costumes for sale anyway.