Warning: this case involves mentions of rape, hate crime, hate speech, and the description of a horrific murder. Read at your own discretion.
Matthew's Early Life
Matthew was born Matthew Wayne Shepard on December 1st, 1976 in Casper, Wyoming. He was the first-born son of his parents, Judy and Dennis. His brother, Logan, was born in 1981. The two were very close.
Matthew attended elementary and middle school in the United States, as well as part of high school. In 1994, his father's job relocated the family to Saudi Arabia. After this move, Matthew attended the American School in Switzerland, where he graduated in 1995.
During his time at the American School in Switzerland, he and his friends took a trip to Morrocco. It was during this trip that Matthew was attacked, beaten, and raped by multiple people. His
mother believes that this attack is what caused his panic attacks and depression. Matthew was known to suffer from clinical depression for years leading up to his death.
At the time of his death, Matthew was a freshman at the University of Wyoming. He was majoring in political science and minoring in language.
On October 6th, 1998, Matthew went into the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming. The events following would change America for years to come and be imprinted into many people's minds.
His Discovery and Matthew's Injuries
On October 7th, 1998, passing cyclist Aaron Kreifels saw what he believed to be a scarecrow tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. After a double-take, he realized this was actually a beaten and bloody body. Kreifels called the police.
The first responder to the scene, Reggie Fluty, recalls that she believed Matthew to be a child. At 5'2'' and no heavier than 105lbs, Matthew appeared to be younger than he was. His face was beaten and bloody, save for two tracks from his tears.
When he was discovered, Matthew had been tied to this fence for 18 hours. By this time, he was comatose and struggling to breathe. Matthew was transported to Ivinsion Memorial Hospital in Laramie. It was here that his parents, still in Saudi Arabia, received a call telling them that Matthew had been gravely injured and they weren't sure he would recover. Due to the severity of his injuries, Matthew was then transported to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Matthew suffered four skull fractures and a severely crushed brain stem. He had various lacerations and bruises across his body from being beaten, hit, and kicked. After being left out in the Wyoming winter for 18 hours, Matthew was also suffering from hypothermia. His injuries were so severe that doctors could not operate.
According to the Morbid: A True Crime Podcast episode on Matthew's death, Matthew's mother pulled friend and former guidance counselor Walt Boulden aside and asked him to tell Matthew that it was okay and he didn't have to hang on any longer. So Walt sat with Matthew and spoke to him.
That night, at 12:53 am on October 12th, 1998, Matthew Shepard passed away from his injuries.
The Perpetrators and Their Horrific Confessions
It did not take long for police to hone in on their suspects. After beating and abusing Matthew, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson headed back into town. They planned to rob Matthew's home but on the way, they got into an altercation with two teenagers. After this altercation, police arrived and found their truck, with Matthew's credit card and shoes, along with the .357 magnum they used to beat Matthew.
At this time, Matthew's body had not been found. He would not be found for almost 18 hours after this. Due to this, the police were unaware that they had evidence implicating McKinney and Henderson.
The next day, Aaron McKinney was admitted to the hospital for a hairline fracture to his skull, which he sustained during the altercation in town the night before. During this time, unknowingly, Matthew and McKinney were only rooms apart.
Warning: the following confessions include graphic details.
In the early morning hours of October 7th, McKinney came home to his girlfriend, Kristen Price, covered in blood. According to a Vanity Fair article about Matthew's murder, McKinney's girlfriend said that “he said he thought maybe he killed somebody.”
Price said later that “they just wanted to beat him up bad enough to teach him a lesson not to come on to straight people and don’t be aggressive about it anymore.”
Police were able to point fingers at McKinney and Henderson based on the blood and evidence in the truck.
When McKinney was brought in for questioning, he confessed. He said that together, he and Henderson had come up with an idea to trick Matthew so they could rob him. According to a BBC article, McKinney's own confession said that while they were in the bathroom, the pair "planned to act like they were gay to try to gain Matthew's confidence." The original plan was just to rob Matthew, which one of the two said wasn't hard - he gave them his wallet when they asked.
However, their plan changed when the pair claims that Matthew started to come onto them. According to the Vanity Fair article, though, even one of the owners of the Fireside believes this isn't true. When this happened, McKinney and Henderson claim they either felt threatened or did not like this. The pair began to beat Matthew with the butt of a gun - the .357 later found in McKinney's truck.
McKinney hit Matthew in the head close to 20 times, ultimately leading to the skull fractures and crushed brain stem. Henderson tied Matthew to the fence, continuing to beat and kick him. When they decided they were done, McKinney and Henderson took Matthew's shoes and left him tied to the fence.
According to one source, the pair actually believed Matthew was already dead when they left.
When police first arrested McKinney and Henderson, Matthew was still alive. The pair were being held to be charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. These charges were upgraded from attempted to first-degree murder after Matthew died.
The Trials
When the trials began, McKinney's defense attorneys attempted to use the "gay panic defense" as an excuse for his actions.
According to an article by the LGBT Bar, "the LGBTQ+ “panic” defense strategy is a legal strategy that asks a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for a defendant’s violent reaction, including murder." According to the same article, there are typically three ways this defense is attempted: self-defense, temporary insanity, or provocation.
District Attorney Cal Rerucha was seeking the death penalty against both McKinney and Henderson. In the end, McKinney was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. Henderson was given two life sentences.
Since His Death
Warning: the following section has mentions of hate speech and things some may find offensive.
The brutal hate-crime murder of Matthew Shepard sparked protests and candlelit vigils.
While many of these protests were against homophobia and Matthew's murder, some were against Matthew Shepard as a person and the LGBTQ+ community.
At Matthew's funeral, Reverend Fred Phillips and his followers from the Westboro Baptist Church - an extremist cult and hate group - picketed outside. The group, including children, held up signs with homophobic slurs and statements that said Matthew was burning in hell.
On December 1st, 1998, Matthew's parents started The Matthew Shepard Foundation in his memory.
In 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed. This act, signed by President Barack Obama on October 28th, 2009, "expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability," according to a Wikipedia article.
After his death and the investigation, the fence where Matthew was beaten and tied was removed.
In the years following Matthew's death, many states have added sexuality and gender to their hate crime laws. Out of the 50 states, 15 have not included LGBTQ+ protections.
In the end, Matthew's death was tragic no matter how one wants to spin it. McKinney and Henderson are serving life in prison for their crimes. The Matthew Shepard Foundation, as well as Matthew's parents and many more, are still pushing for eliminating hate crimes and bringing tolerance for the LGBTQ+ community.
Sources
Trib.com Photo Collection
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