StephenBelber, one of the playwrights of The Laramie Project, interviewed Henderson for the same production in 2009, andtold the Denver Post the experience was different than Pierotti's with the apparently remorseless McKinney. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison. It never was about us hating Matthew because of who he was.. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); McKinney repeatedly used homosexual slurs in his confession, Marsden said. From left . Wyoming remains deeply defensive about the idea that Shepard was targeted because he was gay, Burlingame said. Henderson and McKinney are serving life sentences for Matthew Shepard's murder. Henderson admitted tying Shepard to a fence and said he did nothing to stop the beating. Chasity had a big loving heart she would always put others before herself. Jimenez has argued in his book and various interviews that Aaron McKinney, who is incarcerated in a private Mississippi prison for his role in Shepards death, was trying to rob Shepard for methamphetamine, not petty cash and the pair of shoes he made away with. On that nig, The Wyoming State Historical Society will honor a controversial book about Matthew Shepard that claims he was killed in a drug deal gone wrong, This past week, the Society of Professional Journalists began winding down its examination of media trust with a panel in Casper, closing down. Shepard was gay, and his 1998 murder cast a light on the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ community and the fact that the United States still had a lot of ground to make up when it came to acceptance and equality (via the Los Angeles Times). We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Chastity Vera Pasley, 20 the only one of the four enrolled at the university was arraigned today on a charge of being accessory to attempted first-degree murder and held in lieu of $30,000. The murder of Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, was a watershed moment for gay rights and LGBTQ acceptance in the U.S., so much so that 20 years later the crime remains seared into the national consciousness. May 21, 1999. She said Henderson tried to reassure her, saying, "It's all He later died. Matthew Shepards parents prepare to lay their son to rest at National Cathedral McKinney repeatedly used homosexual slurs in his confession, Marsden said. I dont necessarily think that the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said. In a 2009 interview quoted byThe Denver Post,McKinney stated bluntly, "Matt Shepard needed killing," adding, "As far as Matt is concerned, I don't have any remorse. LARAMIE, Wyo. Pasley said she saw blood and a "fleshy" substance on one Required fields are marked *. The case gained national attention and led to calls for the inclusion of sexual orientation in federal hate crimes law. Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. 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I think he has a contribution to make to society, said Malcolm Lazin, executive director of the Philadelphia-based LGBT group Equality Forum and a former federal prosecutor. University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was severely beaten and left tied to a fence outside Laramie the night of Oct. 6, 1998. . Chasity Pasley, 20 . (AP) When two roofing workers beat a young gay man to death in Wyoming in 1998, the gruesome crime quickly reverberated around the U.S. and turned the sandy-haired college student. were disposed of so he could be treated at a hospital for a The acrimony over Shepards legacy runs high here, just as it did when anti-gay and gay-rights protesters squared off at his funeral in Casper. }, First published on November 4, 1999 / 9:24 AM. Russell and Henderson. Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. concussion he suffered during a fight he and Henderson had Henderson described himself as a follower of others, including the more charismatic McKinney, and said he was afraid to lose face by doing more to prevent the crime or just going home. McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. Nobody wants to believe that we grow children that are capable of hate and violence. Henderson tied Shepard to the fence after McKinney told him to do it, he said. attack and knew nothing of it. The murder of college student Matthew Shepard shocked the nation on multiple levels. His frailty, McKinney told Pierotti. "We have been assured that Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore are firmly behind this legislation, and that they're going to do everything they can to see that it is passed," said Dennis Shepard. If you have recently experienced a loss we offer our most heartfelt condolences. Hendersons remarks about the motivation for the beating dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation. As tragic as it is, and as unfortunate as it is, and as hard as it is for Matthews family, and for my family, for all of us, to go through, it opened up all of us to be better people and really think about who we are, Henderson said of Shepards death in a prison interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Chasity Pasley was found guilty of helping the two discard bloody clothing belonging to Shepard. taken to a hospital. His friend, Aaron McKinney, is scheduled to go on trial this summer and if convicted could face the death penalty. According to a 2018 Associated Press story posted byThe Mercury News, Sara Burlingame of the advocacy group Wyoming Equality says that the state continues to fight insinuations that Shepard was murdered because he was gay. By this point, it was the early morning hours of October 7, and McKinney and Henderson drove Shepard to a rural area where they robbed him and beat him with the butt of a pistol, before tying him to a fence and leaving him behind. Mr. Henderson never met his biological father and was adopted as an infant by a stepfather, said. As recently as Tuesday, days before the anniversary of Shepards death, about 200 people attended a forum in Laramie questioning the prevailing view that he was murdered because of his sexual orientation. Related Articles The following morning, Pasley testified, eight detectives Heres what I can tell you as somebody who was here at the time and had direct knowledge of the case versus what somebody at a bar may have told you, what the person living on your res hall floor might have told you, that they know what really happened., I even had a really good friend of mine once tell me that he knew: Oh, I know what really happened there, and I was kind of amused by that, because at the time he was 5 and living in another town. Twenty years ago, a gay University of Wyoming student was brutally attacked and left to die on a lonely plot of land near Laramie. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells. /kga. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Im so, so ashamed I was ever part of this.. The convicted killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, are each serving two consecutive life sentences. (AP) When two roofing workers beat a young gay man to death in Wyoming in 1998, the gruesome crime quickly reverberated around the U.S. and turned the sandy-haired college student into a powerful symbol of the quest for acceptance and equal rights. District Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in jail. Chasity Pasley, 23, could have been sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined up to $3,000 on her guilty plea to being an accessory in the October 1998 slaying of Matthew Shepard, 21. President Barack Obama signed a federal hate crime prevention act named after Shepard in 2009, a law that Shepards mother, Judy Shepard, said has been helpful. Wyoming remains deeply defensive about the idea that Shepard was targeted because he was gay, said Sara Burlingame, executive director of the Cheyenne-based LGBTQ advocacy group Wyoming Equality. The 1998 torture and murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, was a turning point for gay rights in the United States, prompting outrage, sorrow and activism. 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival Dec. 24 - Chasity Pasley, who last month pleaded not guilty to an accessory charge related to the slaying of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, changed her plea to guilty in. Brandon Foster is the Star-Tribune's managing editor. She was the last of four defendants arrested following the 1998 beating death of gay University of Wyoming freshman Matthew Shepard. Pasley's testimony. She was someone Jim Osborn knew well and liked. The University of Wyoming created its diversity office only last year. Hendersons remarks dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, Marsden said. I think he has a contribution to make to society, said Malcolm Lazin, executive director of the Philadelphia-based LGBT group Equality Forum and a former federal prosecutor. Wyoming Equality protested by holding a dance at a civic center down the street, using the slogan When They Go Low We Go Dance.. You have permission to edit this article. McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. Its a lot easier to say, Oh, well, there must have been another explanation, he said. Henderson and the other convicted murderer, Aaron McKinney, are currently serving life sentences for their crimes. The book came nearly a decade after a Jimenez-produced 20/20 segment that likewise featured McKinney denying bigotry played a role in his actions. After leaving Shepard tied to a fence post in rural Wyoming, Henderson and McKinney returned to Laramie, where they got in a street fight with two other men, according to The Coloradoan. There were no federal or state laws at the time equipped to deal with violence dealt solely because of a persons sexuality or gender identity. A Wyoming man pleaded guilty yesterday to the horrific killing of gay college student Matthew Shepard - garnering a life sentence for the crime that shocked the nation. Associated Press Writer Brady McCombs contributed to this report. The acrimony over Shepards legacy runs high here, just as it did when anti-gay and gay-rights protesters squared off at his funeral in Casper. 8539 South 2200 West, West Jordan, Utah. Stephen Jimenez, the events host, is the author of The Book of Matt that alleges drugs and not hate led to Shepards death. Henderson's clothes in a gas station Dumpster. "I think about Matthew every single day of my life. Prosecutor Cal Rerucha said Monday that she was a valuable witness for the prosecution against McKinney. She said she had misgivings about getting involved and was Matthew had just come from a meeting of his college LGBT association, where the group was planning awareness activities, according to theBBC. Im so, so ashamed I was ever part of this, Henderson said. Shane Sanderson joined the Star-Tribune in 2017. I know she is moving forward in her existence and making strides in her own eternal progress. CORRECTS SPELLING OF PASLEY'S FIRST NAME TO CHASITY INSTEAD OF CHASTITY - FILE - In this Oct. 9, 1998 file photo, from left are Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney, and Chasity Pasley, three suspects in the beating death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard wait to be arraigned in Laramie, Wyo. Chasity Vera Pasley, 20, cried repeatedly as she was sentenced to 15 months to two . Theres nothing that was in the investigation that indicated that McKinney and Henderson were under the influence of anything other than a little bit of beer the night that they killed Matt. The groups work today is the same thing that was there 20 years ago., As recently as Tuesday, days before the anniversary of Shepards death, about 200 people attended a forum in Laramie questioning the prevailing view that he was murdered because of his sexual orientation. Twenty years on, its a heck of a lot closer to being a place where people can enjoy their lives more or less equally, said Marsden, who was a newspaper reporter and friend of Shepards at the time of his killing. consecutive life sentences. Matthew Shepard was a junior in high school at the time and he wrapped up his high school years in Switzerland at The American School, where he studied several foreign languages as well as theater. He joined the Star-Tribune in 2016 as the University of Wyoming sports reporter after graduating from the University of Missouri and covering Mizzou athletics for two years. June 11, 2022 Posted by: illustrator graphic design tutorials . . That played a part. To me, it was ridiculous.. McKinney is now in a Mississippi prison and not agreeing to interview requests, according to the Wyoming Department of Corrections. Osborn said that the intolerant reputation that the national media placed on Wyoming was, to an extent, unfair. Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney and Chastity Pasley wait to be arraigned Oct. 9, 1998. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells.. were arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, while their respective girlfriends, Kristen Price and Chasity Pasley, were also arrested and charged as accessories. But there are also people who think Shepard deserved to die because of his sexual orientation and use Jimenezs theory as an excuse for their views, Osborn said. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File). Kristen Price, the former girlfriend of Aaron McKinney, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer. Patterson was a lesbian, known for being very outgoing, and hit it off with Shepard, who had known about his own sexuality for years and came out to his mother while still in high school. Following the 1998 beating death of gay University of Wyoming created its diversity office only year... Confession, Marsden said design tutorials 4, 1999 / 9:24 AM shocked the on... Hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said well, there must been! Mckinney are serving life sentences for Matthew Shepard shocked the nation on multiple levels making strides in her eternal! The best experience on our website 9, 1998 nearly a decade after a Jimenez-produced 20/20 that. 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