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. According to the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law, this is considered an example of a "gay panic" defense, often used in cases where an LGBTQ person is the murder victim. 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. He later died. Pasley said she was sorry for helping to dispose of bloody clothing her boyfriend, Russell Henderson, wore during the Oct. 7 attack on Shepard, 21. ``I cant bring him back. Wyoming Equality protested by holding a dance at a civic center down the street, using the slogan When They Go Low We Go Dance.. At the time of the killing, McKinney and Price were parents of an infant son. The next day, a mountain biker found him. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days 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. Thank you for letting me be a small part of your life. Associated Press Writer Brady McCombs contributed to this report. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! She said her organization will continue its unapologetic advocacy, reaching out to churches, businesses, legislators and regular citizens about their policies and attitudes. She attended Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming and later obtained a degree from Stevens Henager College. Fireside Lounge with two men and being driven away in a Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Cheyenne owned by her mother. In a letter written from jail, McKinney admitted to being homophobic. "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. Im sorry.. 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. He described himself as a follower of others, including the more charismatic McKinney, and was afraid to lose face by doing more to prevent the crime or just going home. LARAMIE, Wyoming When two roofing workers beat a young gay man to death in Wyoming in 1998, the gruesome crime quickly reverberated around the United States and turned the sandy-haired college student into a powerful symbol of the quest for acceptance and equal rights. He had stayed behind the day the clothes Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. ___. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. After Jimenez and his co-panelists wrapped up their presentation, a Laramie local stepped to an audience microphone and said the presentation had convinced him but first he shared his biases. 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. It is among just five states along with Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana and South Carolina that have not passed laws focused on crimes motivated by the victims identity, such as their sexual orientation. Im so, so ashamed I was ever part of this, Henderson said. Shepard had asked his friends if they wanted to go with him to The Fireside Lounge for a beer but didn't get any takers. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File), Nov. 4, 1999: Judy Shepard stands with Detective Sgt. She said they hid expensive new Shane Sanderson joined the Star-Tribune in 2017. Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee Only Henderson, McKinney, and Chasity Pasley were charged that day; separate proceedings had been arranged for Kristen Price. Still, he insisted, neither he nor McKinney was motivated by anti-gay hatred when they offered Shepard a ride home from a bar. LARAMIE, WYOMING The girlfriend of a man who pleaded guilty in the kidnapping and murder of a homosexual college student was sentenced Friday to 15 to 24 months in prison for lying to police and destroying evidence. Hendersons remarks dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, Marsden said. (Dennis Shepard/The Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP), Matthew Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard in an undated photo. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. McKinney is now in a Mississippi prison and not agreeing to interview requests, according to the Wyoming Department of Corrections. I dont necessarily think that the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said. The next day, a mountain biker found him, at first mistaking him for a scarecrow. Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney and Chastity Pasley wait to be arraigned Oct. 9, 1998. Chasity Pasley, 21, is serving an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the slaying of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten, tied to a fence post. He also makes clear the homophobic element of the brutal murder although he claims not to have known Shepard was gaywhen he and Henderson first approached him. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The University of Wyoming created its diversity office only last year. In April, Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. 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. I think about Matthew every single day of my life, Henderson said, according to the Associated Press. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells. (Judy Shepard/The Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP), 1989: Matthew Shepard, age 12, in San Francisco. 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. Shepard, 21, a student at the University of Wyoming, was 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. We're not gay, and we're going to jack you up." 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. Linda she really loved you with all her heart & soul she missed you very much. Kristen LeAnn Price, 19, was McKinneys girlfriend. display: none; One of the convicted killers, Russell Henderson, now 41, said the U.S. should have laws that protect everyone, no matter who they are. 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. 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. where a year earlier, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was tied and pistol whipped into a coma. Crime and Public Safety | Call 896 6000. And so people were kind of desperate to latch onto any theory that was something other than hate.. 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. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. girlfriend, Kristen Price, drove to Cheyenne to dump upon -- that they watched movies together the night of the fence post outside Laramie and left to die. shoes Henderson had been wearing that night in a shed in I was one lucky sister-in-law to have gained such a beautiful friend, sister. Also denying this allegation is one of Shepard's murderers, Russell Henderson. Were nowhere near done, said Sara Burlingame, executive director of the Cheyenne-based LGBTQ advocacy group Wyoming Equality. To me, it was ridiculous.. Even now, people associate Laramie with the murder. She is also watching out for her Ashton and mother and other loved ones left here in mortality. as a prosecution witness in the trial of Aaron McKinney, who Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Oct. 9, 2018: Russell Henderson at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution, in Torrington, Wyo. 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. pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder and is serving October 18, 2017 at 11:00 AM In this Oct. 9, 1999 file photo, a cross made of stones rests below the fence in Laramie, Wyo. Your email address will not be published. McKinney has pleaded innocent and is scheduled to stand trial in August. Today it has fewer women in its Legislature than any other state and remains hesitant to adopt policies to counter anti-gay bias and violence. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Pasley was one of two women accused of helping McKinney and Henderson dispose of Henderson bloody clothes. At no time did we know he was gay until he tried to get on me.. } But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells. /kga. chasity pasley wyoming obituary. #inline-recirc-item--id-91eb6236-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91eb6236-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { 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. It never was about us hating Matthew because of who he was.. And so, for the conspiracy theorists out there, I suppose its good reading. Wyoming Equality protested by holding a dance at a civic center down the street, using the slogan When They Go Low We Go Dance.. It never was about that, Henderson said. I think about him and every single one of those days that I've had that he hasn't had, his family hasn't had, his friends haven't had. Prosecutor Cal Rerucha said Monday that she was a valuable witness for the prosecution against McKinney. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged she was not in. . November 4, 1999 / 9:24 AM 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. I will keep Chasity always in my heart, I wont find another like her . Twenty-oneyears after beating Shepard into a coma and leaving him hanging in near-freezing temperatures from a wooden fence for 18 hours, McKinney and Henderson both remain in prison. There, Shepard met Romaine Patterson through a teacher. 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So, it was amusing that he tried to tell me that he knew better than I did the facts of the case.. Price was sentenced to 180 days, of which she served 60 days. the girlfriend of one of two men accused in the beating death Linda(Candi),Angela & Andrew I want you all to know Chasity meet the world to me. Where Matthew Shepard was left, near the intersection of Pilot Peak and Snowy View roads, Laramie, Wyo. McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. Livestreaming interviews with inmates is against prison policy, Horan said. He described himself as a follower of others, including the more charismatic McKinney, and was afraid to lose face by doing more to prevent the crime or just going home. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Always in my heart, i wont find another chasity pasley wyoming her next Russells remarks! 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