Tue. October 6, 2020
By Bill Pritchard
On the night of October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming. McKinney and Henderson decided to give Shepard a ride home. They subsequently drove the car to a remote, rural area, and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Matt, tie him to a fence, and leave him to die–all because he was gay.
It was reported that Matthew was beaten so brutally that his face was completely covered in blood, except where it had been partially washed clean by his tears.
This crime was the impetus for the Matthew Shepard Foundation and countless conversations about tolerance and anti-bullying. Whether you agree with someone's life or not, doesn't mean you cause them harm. Today, I remember a guy named Matt, whom I've come to know through his incredible Mom Judy Shepard and Dad Dennis Shepard.
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