Matthew Shepard was a young gay man who was brutally beaten and left for dead in Laramie, Wyoming, in October 1998. He was found tied to a fence, barely alive, and was transported to a hospital where he remained in a coma until he passed away from his injuries five days later.
Matthew had been beaten by two assailants, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. They pistol whipped him with a gun then tied him to a fence in freezing conditions and set fire to him before leaving him to die.
Matthew's murder gained national and international attention, and his story became a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ rights and hate crime legislation. His attackers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, were arrested and charged with his murder. They were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Matthew's death had a significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community and led to increased awareness and activism around issues of hate crimes and discrimination. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
“This does not make the perfect poster boy for the gay-rights movement,” says Jimenez. “Which is a big part of the reason my book has been so trashed.”
Matthew’s drug abuse, and the fact that he knew one of his killers prior to the attack, was never explored in court. Neither was the rumour that the killers knew that he had access to a shipment of crystal meth with a street value of $10,000 which they wanted to steal.
Matthew's murder gained national and international attention, and his story became a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ rights and hate crime legislation. His attackers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, were arrested and charged with his murder. They were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Chasity Vera Pasley was reportedly a friend of one of the two men convicted of murdering Matthew Shepard, Aaron McKinney. She was arrested and charged in 1999 for helping McKinney and his accomplice Russell Henderson avoid apprehension by providing them with a place to stay and helping them dispose of evidence.
Pasley pleaded guilty to the accessory charge and was sentenced to two years of probation and 64 hours of community service.
Pasley pleaded guilty to the accessory charge and was sentenced to two years of probation and 64 hours of community service.
Kristen LeAnn Price was also charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer. District Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in jail. She received 120 days of credit for time already served following her initial arrest, and the remaining 60 days were suspended.
Matthew's death had a significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community and led to increased awareness and activism around issues of hate crimes and discrimination. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
For an alternate version of what triggered the violent murder, visit The Truth behind America's Most Famous Gay-Hate Murder
Jimenez found that Matthew was addicted to and dealing crystal meth and had dabbled in heroin. He also took significant sexual risks and was being pimped alongside Aaron McKinney, one of his killers, with whom he’d had occasional sexual encounters. He was HIV positive at the time of his death.“This does not make the perfect poster boy for the gay-rights movement,” says Jimenez. “Which is a big part of the reason my book has been so trashed.”
Matthew’s drug abuse, and the fact that he knew one of his killers prior to the attack, was never explored in court. Neither was the rumour that the killers knew that he had access to a shipment of crystal meth with a street value of $10,000 which they wanted to steal.
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