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TW: Murder, torture, hate crime.
On October 6 1998 Matthew Shepard, a gay American student at the University of Wyoming met up with friends to plan LGBT awareness week at the town’s campus. Failing to persuade his friends to go for drink after, Matthew went to the Fireside lounge
On October 6 1998 Matthew Shepard, a gay American student at the University of Wyoming met up with friends to plan LGBT awareness week at the town’s campus. Failing to persuade his friends to go for drink after, Matthew went to the Fireside lounge
Matthew met two roofing workers the same age as him Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. McKinney states both him and Russell went to the bathroom and agreed they’d pretend to be gay to win Matthew’s confidence. It’s clear Matthew’s sexual orientation was a driver from the start
They lured Matthew to their pickup truck telling him the would give him a ride but in truth, they intended to rob him. Once in the vehicle, McKinney pulled out a gun and beat Matthew with it after which he seized his wallet which contained $20. They drove 1 mile out of town
They stopped at a place with a barbed wire fence and Russell tied Matthew to the fence with a clothesline. McKinney began violently hitting Matthew with the pistol (pistol-whipping). The sheriff on the case said Mathew was struck 19 -20 times on the head.
Matthew’s injuries were likened to being in a high speed car crash due to the extremely violent compression fractures to the skull. Reports on Matthew’s injuries where highly graphic telling how his whole face was covered in blood except for the parts that were cleaned by tears.
McKinney and Russell then stole Matthew’s patent leather shoes after which they left him to die. Matthew remained in the cold, bleeding for 18 hours. Matthew was found in a coma he was found Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow.
Aaron fell off his bike which was what caused him to notice Matthew’s body. He was found with his hands tied behind his back and his breathing was far and few between. The officer who found him tried to open his airway but his mouth was clamped shut.
Matthew was transported first to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie before being moved to the more advanced trauma ward at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. He suffered fractures to the back of his head and that wasn’t all...
Even worse, his brainstem was crushed which affected his body's ability to regulate his heart rate, body temperature, and other vital functions. There were also about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face, and neck. His injuries were too severe for doctors to operate.
Matthew never gained consciousness. He remained on life support until he died six days later. Matthew’s case sparked outrage and devastation.
His parents rushed to the Colorado hospital from Saudi Arabia, where Dennis Shepard worked as an oil rig inspector.
His parents rushed to the Colorado hospital from Saudi Arabia, where Dennis Shepard worked as an oil rig inspector.
Matthew suffered a lot and was only just getting over an incident of sexual abuse where he was gang-raped by locals on a school trip to Morocco. He suffered depression and anxiety.
He was studying political science and dreamed of working as a diplomat for the Department of State
He was studying political science and dreamed of working as a diplomat for the Department of State
Matthew’s assailants were arrested and charged for his murder. Their charge was upgraded to attempted murder and murder of the first degree. McKinney claimed Matthew touched him but later changed his words conflicting his story several times.
McKinney’s girlfriend Kristen Price told the police McKinney told her the violence against Matthew was triggered by how McKinney "[felt] about gays". But she later changed her statements too. All possible defences that McKinney and Russell put forward we’re denied.
They are both serving two life sentences for kidnapping and the murder without parole. It was decided that the acts against Matthew were hate crimes as a result of homophobic views.
In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.[3] Following her son's murder, Judy Shepard became a prominent LGBT rights activist.
