The Torture and Murder of Matthew Shepard: A Crime That Sparked International Outrage

2021-08-10 13:08:48 Written by Cold Case Blogger

The Torture and Murder of Matthew Shepard: A Crime That Sparked International Outrage

Soon after midnight on October 7, 1998, Wyoming University political science student Matthew Shepard accepted a ride home from two men, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Despite Matthew believing their ambitions to be friendly, what they had planned for him after that drive was anything but. Aaron and Russell drove Matthew to a remote area east of Laramie, Wyoming, tied him to a fence then started to beat him with a pistol, light him on fire and leave him to die in the freezing temperatures. After his death six days later, Aaron and Russell were accused of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

Following Matthew’s murder, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Junior Hate Crimes Prevention Act and Matthew’s mother established the Matthew Shepard Foundation that focuses on LGBTQ rights. 

 

On December 1, 1976, Matthew was born to Judy and Dennis Shepard. Matthew attended public school in Laramie, Wyoming until his family moved to Saudi Arabia for his father’s job during his junior year of high school. While there, Matthew attended the American School in Switzerland and was nominated to be a peer counselor at both schools due to his friendliness, approachability, and genuine acceptance of all people. Up until his final years in high school, Matthew had a seemingly normal life; that was until a class trip to Morocco changed his life permanently after he was gang-raped by a group of men. After this incident, Matthew battled with extreme depression and anxiety, even being hospitalized various times after having suicidal ideations. 

When he began going to the University of Wyoming his mental health issues soon caused him to turn to drugs and alcohol to properly function in everyday life. According to Stephen Jimenez, author of the novel ‘The Book of Matt,’ Matthew became involved in the distribution and use of crystal meth and occasionally heroin. Jimenez questioned 100 people connected to Matthew personally and found that Matthew was involved with Russell and McKinney regularly, even having a casual sexual relationship with McKinney. Despite many sources confirming Matthew’s alternate lifestyle, this was not taken into account during the prosecution of his attackers. 

 

After Matthew was driven to a remote location outside of Laramie, he was tied to a fence post and Russell and McKinney began beating him with the pistol they brought. In total, Matthew was hit at least ten times with the butt of the gun and suffered a fracture to the back of his skull and a fracture in front of his right ear. During the violent assault, Matthew suffered harm to his brain stem which stopped his body from being able to regulate temperature or properly function to survive. Still unsatisfied, the two set him on fire before abandoning his body there. Eighteen hours later, a local student was bicycling and came across Matt’s body; he originally mistook his body for a scarecrow. Matthew was shortly rushed to the Intensive Care Unit at Poudre State Hospital where he remained in a coma for six days until his death on October 12 at 12:53 a.m. 

 

After Matthew’s death, the attempted murder charges McKinney and Russell were facing were upgraded to first-degree murder and they were soon put on trial. Despite the surrounding town of Laramie and Matthew’s friends and family think he was killed because of his sexual orientation, prosecutor Cal Rerucha alleged that his attackers pretended to be gay to lure him into their vehicle for the sole purpose of robbing them and despite the crime being premeditated, the basis of it was not because Matt was gay. 

 

In April of 1999, Russell avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to Matthew’s murder and kidnapping and received two consecutive life sentences. After agreeing to testify against McKinney, McKinney also received two consecutive life sentences and both men were sent to the Wyoming State Penitentiary. Both of their girlfriends were also found guilty of being accessories to his abduction and killing and given miscellaneous charges. 

Despite the atrocity he was faced with in his final hours, Matthew’s memory lives on in the hearts and minds of the millions of people that continue to mourn such a lovely soul. Over 1,000 people attended his funeral service and in 2018 his ashes were permanently put to rest in a cathedral near his home. 

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Cold Case Blogger