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 need to do this for Matthew and for everybody else and to keep this from happening again.". Henderson and the other convicted murderer, Aaron McKinney, are currently serving life sentences for their crimes. Casper is known for its oil industry, which Shepard's father Dennis was part of. They have both taken starkly different paths since they were sentenced, however. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more on Shepards murder, as well as other brutal hate crimes and the current rise of extremist violence in the United States, watch Uncovered: KilledByHate, airingSunday at 7/6conOxygen. 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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. Henderson admitted tying Shepard to a fence and said he did nothing to stop the beating. 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. Chastity Pasley. 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. Hendersons remarks dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, Marsden said. She said her organization will continue its unapologetic advocacy, reaching out to churches, businesses, legislators and regular citizens about their policies and attitudes. 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. Henderson tied Shepard to the fence after McKinney told him to do it, he said. The killers' girlfriends Chasity Vera Pasley, 20, and Kristen Leann Price, 18 were charged with being accessories after the fact. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. The judge prohibited the gay panic defense. According to Biography, McKinney would later state that he thought Shepard was dead when they left him, but that wasn't the case; Shepard was still alive, albeit in a coma. I explain in five minutes or so, Here are the many reasons that I dont believe that. But Henderson did not participate in Tuesdays discussion, aside from a nine-minute prerecorded video. Pasley said she lied because "I was protecting someone I But Jimenez did receive approval for a prerecorded interview with Henderson, which was shown in an edited version at the event, held at Laramies Hilton Garden Inn. Keep up the good work. Shepard was discovered by a mountain biker who at first glance thought that Shepard's mutilated body tied to the fence post was a scarecrow on the evening of October 7. The federal government wouldnt move substantially to address the kind of hatred that took Shepards life for almost 20 years, as explained onOxygensnew special, Uncovered: KilledByHate.. Instead, Henderson said in a non-specific manner that drugs played a role in Shepards killing. While Shepard became a symbol of the movement toward equality and laws, the state of Wyoming, where the murder took place, remains one of a handful to have not passed laws pertaining to crimes in which a victim's identity, including their sexual identity, served as a motivating factor. I think he has atoned. } At no time did we know he was gay until he tried to get on me.. Prosecutor Cal Rerucha said Monday that she was a valuable witness for the prosecution against McKinney. Price originally was accused of accessory after-the-fact to first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. Aaron McKinney and Chastity Pasley wait to be arraigned . ``I cant bring him back. The judge prohibited the gay panic defense. ___ Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! That is one of the last things she told me. Marsden pointed out that only Wyomings governor could commute Hendersons sentence, a prospect that he called super unlikely. Burlingame of the Wyoming Equality group said she believes in redemption but doubts Henderson has really atoned for the crime. In this Oct. 9, 1998 file photo, from left are Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney, and Chasity Pasley, three suspects in the beating to death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard wait to be arraigned in Laramie, Wyo. I think about Matthew every single day of my life. And so, for the conspiracy theorists out there, I suppose its good reading. One of the convicted killers, Russell Henderson, now 41, said the U.S. should have laws that protect everyone, no matter who they are. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File), Nov. 4, 1999: Judy Shepard stands with Detective Sgt. 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. His weakness. Pasley is serving 15 to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to an accessory charge. The time finally came, and Wyoming faced off with . Chasity Vera Pasley, 20, cried repeatedly as she was sentenced to 15 months to two years in prison for being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells. I think about him and every single one of those days that Ive had that he hasnt had, his family hasnt had, his friends havent had. One gay rights activist argues that Henderson has paid his dues for what he described as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.. Dave O'Malley sits for a portrait outside the Albany County Courthouse on Sept. 28 in Laramie. Known as the Equality State, Wyoming got its nickname for being the first to let women vote. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were around 21-year-old Shepards age when they chatted him up the evening of Oct. 6 at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie. A memorial celebration of life service will be held on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 11:00 AM at the Elm Creek Ward, 8539 South 2200 West, West Jordan, Utah. Attorneys for Wyoming in 2014 argued in defense of the states definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman, a case later rendered moot by higher court rulings. Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee 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. the slaying of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten, tied to a Even now, people associate Laramie with the murder. display: block; Much love. Nobody wants to believe that we grow children that are capable of hate and violence. 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. Kristen LeAnn Price, 19, was McKinneys girlfriend. The night I did it, I did have hatred for homosexuals. 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. He also admitted that when he and Henderson zeroed in on that night at the Fireside Lounge, they did so because he was obviously gay.. McKinney won mercy from the victim's parents Thursday, who agreed not to press for the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and Two decades after Matthew Shepard was bludgeoned, tied to a rail fence and left to die on the cold high prairie, the emotions stirred up by his slaying linger in Wyoming, which still struggles with its tarnished identity and resists changes sought by the LGBTQ community. 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. McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. Henderson, now 41, said the U.S. should have laws that protect everyone, no matter who they are. Woman Sentenced for Role in Attack. After Shepard's death, the attempted murder charges became full-on murder trials. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She attended Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming and later He helps imprisoned hospice patients and trains shelter dogs so they can be adopted. Hate Crimes Are Designed To Strike Fear In The Broader Community, Heather Heyer's Mother Recalls The Neo-Nazi Rally That Took Her Life, Harrowing Audio From Portland Train Attack Reveals Depth of Christian's Hate, Extremists Sometimes Hide Behind The First Amendment. Brandon Foster is the Star-Tribune's managing editor. District Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in jail. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File). 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival Shepard's parents started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor their son and to help parents understand and accept their children who may be questioning their sexuality. Fireside Lounge with two men and being driven away in a Matthew had just come from a meeting of his college LGBT association, where the group was planning awareness activities, according to theBBC. The flier advertising the event went out before Jimenez asked the prison system for permission to livestream Hendersons appearance, according to Wyoming Department of Corrections spokesman Mark Horan. Both Henderson and McKinney were found guilty of murdering Shepard and were both sentenced to life in prison. McKinney was last serving his time in a Mississippi prison,as oflate last year, and refusing interview requests,the Associated Pressreported. I love you Chasity until we see each other again. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File). A pipe bomb was detonated near McClure Street in Laramie. Its a lot easier to say, Oh, well, there must have been another explanation, he said. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison. Henderson believes thattheUnited Statesshould revamp its federal hate crime laws to protect everyone, even nearly a decade after the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. In April, Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. McKinney has pleaded innocent and is scheduled to stand trial in August. His parents, Dennis and Judy Shepard, declined to comment for this story. That played a part. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The next day, a mountain biker found him, at first mistaking him for a scarecrow. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells.. Pasley was the live-in girlfriend of Russell Henderson, who Shepard and Patterson moved to Denver, Colorado together but returned to Wyoming, at which point he started taking classes in political science and international relations at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She is survived by her son Ashton, mother Linda (Candy), father Rodney (Donna), Sister Angela (Sylvester), brother Andrew and sister Vera Pasley, many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Cheyenne owned by her mother. she learned of the attack and then helped to cover it up. For the last 20 years, the work of Wyoming Equality has really been this race, that we want to get to every LGBT person out there, Burlingame said. Henderson tied Shepard to the fence after McKinney told him to do it, he said. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. LARAMIE, Wyo. The following morning, Pasley testified, eight detectives She said they hid expensive new She worked in the campus activities center and had helped Jim . Matthew Shepard's death was a catalyst for a push toward adopting laws that protect members of the LGBTQ community. Celebration of Life A contradictory statement from McKinney indicates that Shepard didn't touch him, but looked like he was going to. 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