Case overview
Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student, was beaten and left tied to a fence outside Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was discovered 18 hours later by a cyclist and died six days after the attack. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested, charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery, and both are serving consecutive life sentences.
The final confirmed movements
On October 6, 1998, Shepard attended a meeting of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association at the University of Wyoming campus. Around 10:00 p.m., he went to the Fireside Lounge, a bar in downtown Laramie. Witnesses reported seeing him sitting alone before he left with two men later identified as Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson.
Shepard got into McKinney’s truck believing he was being offered a ride home. According to court records, McKinney and Henderson drove east out of town. During the drive, McKinney began striking Shepard with the butt of a .357 Magnum revolver. The attack continued after they reached a remote area near Sherman Hills, approximately one mile from town.
Shepard was robbed of his wallet and shoes, then tied to a split-rail fence and left in near-freezing temperatures. The assault caused severe head trauma, including a skull fracture from the base to the right side of his head. McKinney and Henderson left in Shepard’s truck and later abandoned it.
Discovery and medical response
On October 7, 1998, at approximately 6:00 p.m., cyclist Aaron Kreifels found Shepard still tied to the fence. Kreifels initially mistook him for a scarecrow. He flagged down Reggie Fluty, a sheriff’s deputy, who responded to the scene. Shepard was unconscious, hypothermic, and his face was covered in blood except for streaks cleared by his tears.
Shepard was transported to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie, then airlifted to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he was placed on life support. Doctors determined he had suffered a fracture to the back right side of his skull and severe brainstem damage. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on October 12, 1998, at 12:53 a.m.
Arrest and charges
McKinney and Henderson were arrested on October 9, 1998, initially on unrelated charges. Police found Shepard’s credit card in McKinney’s possession. A search of McKinney’s truck recovered the .357 Magnum used in the attack, along with Shepard’s shoes and other belongings.
McKinney’s girlfriend, Kristen Price, and Henderson’s girlfriend, Chastity Pasley, were arrested as accessories after the fact for helping dispose of evidence, including clothing worn during the attack. Both women provided statements that implicated McKinney and Henderson.
On October 12, prosecutors charged McKinney and Henderson with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. Wyoming law allowed the death penalty in first-degree murder cases, and prosecutors initially indicated they would seek it.
Trial proceedings and sentencing
Russell Henderson pleaded guilty on April 5, 1999, in exchange for two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The agreement was reached after Shepard’s parents, Dennis and Judy Shepard, requested that prosecutors not seek the death penalty.
Aaron McKinney’s trial began on October 25, 1999. His defense attorneys argued that McKinney had acted in a rage triggered by an unwanted sexual advance from Shepard, a strategy later termed the “gay panic defense.” The defense also introduced evidence of McKinney’s methamphetamine use on the night of the attack and claimed he had suffered traumatic experiences in childhood.
Prosecutors argued the attack was motivated by robbery and that McKinney targeted Shepard because he appeared vulnerable. They presented testimony from witnesses at the Fireside Lounge, forensic evidence from the crime scene, and statements from Kristen Price detailing McKinney’s actions before and after the murder.
On November 3, 1999, the jury found McKinney guilty of felony murder, second-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery. During the sentencing phase, Dennis and Judy Shepard addressed the court. Judy Shepard asked the court to spare McKinney’s life, and the jury sentenced him to two consecutive life terms without parole.
The motive question
The central dispute in the case involved whether the attack was motivated by anti-gay bias, robbery, or both. Prosecutors maintained that McKinney and Henderson targeted Shepard because he was gay and appeared to be an easy victim for robbery. The “gay panic” defense introduced at trial suggested the attack was an impulsive response to a sexual advance.
In 2004, an ABC News “20/20” investigation interviewed several people close to the case, including a former girlfriend of McKinney’s, who claimed the attack was primarily motivated by robbery and methamphetamine use, not bias. The report renewed debate over whether the case should be framed as a hate crime.
In 2013, author Stephen Jimenez published “The Book of Matt,” arguing that Shepard and McKinney had a prior sexual relationship and that the murder was connected to methamphetamine dealing rather than anti-gay hatred. Jimenez’s claims were disputed by investigators, prosecutors, and Shepard’s family, who called the book a distortion of the verified record.
In 2014, Leigh Fondakowski, lead researcher for the Laramie Project, published a rebuttal to Jimenez’s claims. She interviewed more than 100 people connected to the case and found no credible evidence supporting the assertion that Shepard and McKinney knew each other before the night of the murder.
No evidence introduced at trial substantiated claims of a prior relationship or drug connection. Court records, witness testimony, and investigative findings consistently supported the conclusion that McKinney and Henderson encountered Shepard for the first time on the night of October 6, 1998.
Legislative and cultural impact
The murder became a national focal point in the debate over hate crime legislation. At the time of Shepard’s death, Wyoming had no hate crime statute that included sexual orientation. Efforts to pass such legislation in Wyoming failed repeatedly in subsequent years.
On October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. The federal statute expanded the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Shepard’s parents established the Matthew Shepard Foundation in December 1998 to honor their son’s memory and advocate for LGBTQ equality and hate crime prevention. The foundation continues its work on education, outreach, and policy efforts.
Current status
Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson remain incarcerated in Wyoming state prisons. Both are serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Neither has been granted clemency or parole eligibility.
In October 2018, Henderson gave his first public interview in 20 years to The Associated Press, stating he deeply regretted his role in the crime and wished he had intervened to stop the attack. McKinney has not publicly commented on the case in recent years.
Matthew Shepard’s ashes were interred at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on October 26, 2018, two decades after his death. Cathedral officials approved the interment to provide a final resting place that would honor Shepard’s legacy and offer a site for reflection.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine” (Netflix)
- Documentary: “The Laramie Project” (HBO)
- Book: “The Meaning of Matthew” by Judy Shepard
- Book: “The Book of Matt” by Stephen Jimenez
- Podcast: “Case Remains” (audiochuck)
