How to Pronounce Matthew Shepard
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Dec 01, 1976 Casper, Wyoming, United States Died on 12 Oct 1998 (aged 21)
American student and murder victim
SagittariusMatthew Shepard - Place of Birth, Date of Birth, Age, Wiki, Facts, Net Worth, Birthday, Biography and Family
Matthew Shepard, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Family, Facts, Age, Net Worth, Biography and More in FamedBorn.com
About Matthew Shepard
- Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998.
- He was taken by rescuers to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he died six days later from severe head injuries. Suspects Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with first-degree murder following Shepard's death.
- Significant media coverage was given to the murder and to what role Shepard's sexual orientation played as a motive in the commission of the crime.
- The prosecutor argued that McKinney's murder of Shepard was premeditated and driven by greed.
- McKinney's defense counsel countered that he had intended only to rob Shepard but had killed him in a rage when Shepard made a sexual advance toward him.
- McKinney's girlfriend told police that he had been motivated by anti-gay sentiment but later recanted her statement, saying that she had lied because she thought it would help him.
- Both McKinney and Henderson were convicted of the murder, and each received two consecutive life sentences. Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels.
- In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr.
- Hate Crimes Prevention Act (commonly the "Matthew Shepard Act" or "Shepard/Byrd Act" for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.
- Following her son's murder, Judy Shepard became a prominent LGBT rights activist and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
- Shepard's death inspired films, novels, plays, songs, and other works.
