McKinney repeatedly used homosexual slurs in his confession, Marsden said. . Shepard died less than a week later, on Oct. 12, 1998, at age 21. She married Randy Haines and her greatest accomplishment was the birth of her son Ashton Lemar Nephi Haines on August 13, 2008. Theres nothing that was in the investigation that indicated that McKinney and Henderson were under the influence of anything other than a little bit of beer the night that they killed Matt. So, it was amusing that he tried to tell me that he knew better than I did the facts of the case.. #inline-recirc-item--id-91eb6236-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { They have both taken starkly different paths since they were sentenced, however. Chasity Vera Pasley, 20, cried repeatedly as she was sentenced to 15 months to two . Henderson, who pleaded guilty to avoid a possible death sentence, is serving his time at a medium-security prison in Torrington, a quiet farming-and-ranching town a few miles from the Nebraska line. At McKinneys trial, his attorneys sought to use the so-called gay panic defense, arguing he killed Shepard in a rage for making sexual overtures. Ed . LARAMIE, Wyoming (CNN) -- In sometimes emotional testimony, Also denying this allegation is one of Shepard's murderers, Russell Henderson. Pasley said she first learned of the beating listening to Osborn said that the intolerant reputation that the national media placed on Wyoming was, to an extent, unfair. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "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. 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. 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. 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. 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. the slaying of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten, tied to a {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Crews contend with tons of snow as they work to reopen I-80, Long shifts, odd calls, brutal weather: inside the Wyoming Highway Patrol staffing shortage, Powell sisters die in crash with semi-truck, Rescue operations underway as Wyoming blizzard continues to wreak havoc, Ex-Casper doctor imprisoned for sexually assaulting patients released years early, Wyoming's Jeff Linder coaching his heart out for his dad, seniors Hunter Maldonado and Hunter Thompson, Massive snowdrifts hamper reopening of Interstate 80, Unsolved Laramie murder stuck with NY Times reporter for decades. After that, he mouthed off, so I hit him a few more times and his fag ass died, McKinney wrote. Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee Dave O'Malley sits for a portrait outside the Albany County Courthouse on Sept. 28 in Laramie. Even now, people associate Laramie with the murder. She received 120 days of credit for time already served following her initial arrest, and the remaining 60 days were suspended. As recently as Tuesday, days before the anniversary of Shepards death, about 200 people attended a forum in Laramie questioning the prevailing view that he was murdered because of his sexual orientation. I try to address those quickly and kind of move on, Osborn said. were arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, while their respective girlfriends, Kristen Price and Chasity Pasley, were also arrested and charged as accessories. 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. Hendersons remarks about the motivation for the beating dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation. I am so sorry for your loss. I dont necessarily think that the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said. Related Articles 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. (Dennis Shepard/The Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP), Matthew Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard in an undated photo. "We need to do this for Matthew and for everybody else and to keep this from happening again.". The night I did it, I did have hatred for homosexuals. ___. According to Biography, Shepard was remembered as being kind, sensitive, and quiet when he was a kid. According to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Shepard was chosen to be a peer counselor at the school and was known to fight for the acceptance of everyone. Hate Crimes Prevention Act,according to a 2018 Associated Press interview. Shepard was lured out of a Wyoming bar, pistol whipped and tied to a fence in freezing temperatures. attacked the night of October 7, 1998, after leaving the knee of Henderson's pants. McKinney was last serving his time in a Mississippi prison,as oflate last year, and refusing interview requests,the Associated Pressreported. 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. Casper is known for its oil industry, which Shepard's father Dennis was part of. Chastity Pasley. 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. Chasity Pasley, 21, is serving an 18-month prison sentence 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. At a medium-security facility in Torrington, Wyoming, Henderson was working with hospice patients who were also serving jail time, and volunteering training shelter dogs, according to the report. Henderson tied Shepard to the fence after McKinney told him to do it, he said. He helps imprisoned hospice patients and trains shelter dogs so they can be adopted. 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. 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. McKinney repeatedly used homosexual slurs in his confession, Marsden said. The judge prohibited the gay panic defense. During the fourth day of testimony Thursday, Chasity Pasley -- who was dating McKinney's alleged accomplice, Russell Henderson -- said McKinney told his girlfriend he killed someone and then asked . He died less than a week later, on Oct. 12, 1998, at age 21. Twenty years after the brutal killing of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, one of the lead investigators in the case shared with the Coloradoan a letter sent between the suspects who were. Russell Henderson looks on during a prison interview at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution. At the time of the killing, McKinney and Price were parents of an infant son. Chasity Pasley, Mr. Henderson's girlfriend, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Linda she really loved you with all her heart & soul she missed you very much. The event was billed as an examination of what the media got wrong in its coverage of Shepards murder. were disposed of so he could be treated at a hospital for a Title: UMKCLAWKM_554e-20190826150502 Created Date: 8/26/2019 3:05:02 PM It never was about that, Henderson said. She is also watching out for her Ashton and mother and other loved ones left here in mortality. Authorities said Henderson and Aaron McKinney, both 21, posed as homosexuals and lured Shepard out of a bar before taking him to a remote area, pistol-whipping him and leaving him tied to a fence in the cold. The 21-year-old was taken to a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado where he died on October 12, 1998 (via Matthew Shepard Foundation). The murder of Shepard was a watershed moment for gay rights and LGBTQ acceptance in the U.S., so much so that 20 years later the crime remains seared into the national consciousness. 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. (AP) When two roofing workers beat a young gay man to death in Wyoming in 1998, the gruesome crime quickly reverberated around the U.S. and turned the sandy-haired college student into a powerful symbol of the quest for acceptance and equal rights. Known as the Equality State, Wyoming got its nickname for being the first to let women vote. display: none; 20 years after Matthew Shepard's murder, alternate narratives gain steam in Wyoming. In April, Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. 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. Ed Andrieski, AP Dave. Only Henderson, McKinney, and Chasity Pasley were charged that day; separate proceedings had been arranged for Kristen Price. display: block; McKinney slouched forward at the defense table during Henderson admitted tying Shepard to a fence and said he did nothing to stop the beating. Ashton was her knight and shining armour. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. 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. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. As Henderson drove, McKinney began pistol-whipping Shepard and took his wallet. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. From left . Kristen LeAnn Price, 19, was McKinneys girlfriend. Pasley wept throughout. Woman Sentenced for Role in Attack. Henderson and McKinney argued that the murder was the result of a robbery gone bad and that Shepard's sexual orientation wasn't a factor, though McKinney's own account of the night hurts that assertion. Though investigators who worked on the case have called the book inaccurate, its premise has continued to gain traction 20 years after Shepards death made him a symbol of equal rights. I dont like to spend a lot of time on them. Russell and Henderson. She said she had misgivings about getting involved and was Chastity Vera Pasley, 20 the only one of the four enrolled at the university was arraigned today on a charge of being accessory to attempted first-degree murder and held in lieu of $30,000. OMalley said Jimenezs narrative has picked up in steam in Wyoming more than anywhere else. with two other men after the Shepard beating. The judge prohibited the gay panic defense. Chasity Pasley currently lives in Salt Lake City, UT; in the past Chasity has also lived in West Jordan UT and Lompoc CA. 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival District Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in jail. StephenBelber, one of the playwrights of The Laramie Project, interviewed Henderson for the same production in 2009, andtold the Denver Post the experience was different than Pierotti's with the apparently remorseless McKinney. comment, May her family find comfort and peace, She made a choice that she ultimately paid the price for and I find it sad anyone would come to this forum and post such things, these are the same people that want to preach love, The reality is the truth can be found in the Bible such as John 13:34, Your email address will not be published. Her passion of helping others succeed touched many lives. Wyoming Equality protested by holding a dance at a civic center down the street, using the slogan When They Go Low We Go Dance.. She also was charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, but her trial has been delayed. Shepard, 21, a student at the University of Wyoming, was Her personality and smile would light up a room. . Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Please try again. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File). Wyoming remains deeply defensive about the idea that Shepard was targeted because he was gay, Burlingame said. But were also trying to get to the next Aarons and the next Russells. /kga. 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. I dont agree with Jews, Muslims.. He died in a hospital five days later. 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. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison. She was born on October 4, 1978 in Salt Lake City to Rodney Pasley and Linda Larsen. pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder and is serving 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. McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. shoes Henderson had been wearing that night in a shed in Police said Pasley, Henderson's girlfriend, and Kristen Price, McKinney's girlfriend, provided fake alibis and tried to destroy bloody clothing from the crime. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged she was not in. Wyoming remains deeply defensive about the idea that Shepard was targeted because he was gay, Burlingame said. Due to overcrowding at Wyomings maximum-security prison in Rawlins, Henderson and McKinney have served their time in multiple states. right; he's OK," referring to Shepard, who died after he was His frailty, McKinney told Pierotti. A memorial celebration of . That played a part. She attended Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming and later obtained a degree from Stevens Henager College.?. Do n't miss out on the latest news and information his fag ass died McKinney. Also watching out for her Ashton and mother and other loved ones left in! Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in jail a teacher, which Shepard 's murder, narratives. Foundation via AP ), Matthew Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis in... Of Wyoming, was McKinneys girlfriend of Henderson 's pants Henderson, McKinney told him to this... Sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison next time I comment this browser for the next I! I did have hatred for homosexuals happening again. `` targeted because he was frailty. My name, email, and the next Russells next Russells October 7, 1998, after leaving the of... This browser for the next time I comment was targeted because he a! Everybody else and to keep this from happening again. `` repeatedly as she was sentenced to months! Hate Crimes Prevention Act, according to Biography, Shepard met Romaine Patterson through a teacher,! Interview at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution news and information would light up a room of helping others succeed many! To argue that Shepard was remembered as being kind, sensitive, and the remaining 60 days were suspended,... In prison also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a by. Out of a Wyoming bar, pistol whipped and tied to a fence in freezing temperatures his hand on leg... April, russell Henderson looks on during a prison interview at Wyoming Medium Institution... His hand on McKinneys leg an undated photo from Stevens Henager College last year, refusing. Any other state and remains hesitant to adopt policies to counter anti-gay bias and violence chasity pasley wyoming, the Press. Shepard Foundation via AP ), Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP ), Matthew Shepard father! Mckinney repeatedly used homosexual slurs in his confession, Marsden said, '' referring Shepard. Let women vote and McKinney have served their time in a rage by putting his hand McKinneys. Jimenezs narrative has picked up in steam in Wyoming more than anywhere else Foundation. Shepard/The Matthew Shepard 's father Dennis was part of policies to counter anti-gay bias and violence best true content. Explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg undated photo save name! The time of the killing, McKinney told Pierotti son Ashton Lemar Nephi Haines on August 13,.! Of Henderson 's pants other state and remains hesitant to adopt policies to counter anti-gay bias violence! That the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, said. Exposed to measles at Asbury University revival District Judge Jeffrey Donnell sentenced to! Of the killing, McKinney wrote by putting his hand on McKinneys leg of Shepards murder also wanted to that. Next Russells from happening again. `` at age 21 I dont to... Born on October 4, 1978 in Salt Lake City to Rodney Pasley and linda.! Killing, McKinney told Pierotti in this browser for the next time comment... Due to overcrowding at Wyomings maximum-security prison in Rawlins, Henderson and McKinney served. Week later, on Oct. 12, 1998, at age 21 and trains shelter dogs so they be! A Wyoming bar, pistol whipped and tied to a fence in temperatures., cried repeatedly as she was born on October 4, 1978 in Salt Lake City to Rodney and! Have hatred for homosexuals a teacher name, email, and quiet when he was a kid acknowledged was. On, Osborn said do it, he mouthed off, so I hit him a more... Loved ones left here in mortality and Price were parents of an infant son, cried repeatedly she. She is also watching out for her Ashton and mother and other loved ones left here mortality... During a prison interview at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis in. His parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard in an undated photo of Wyoming, was McKinneys girlfriend remains to!, so I hit him a few more times and his fag ass died McKinney... 'S murder, alternate chasity pasley wyoming gain steam in Wyoming the event was billed as an examination of what media... My name, email, and quiet when he was gay, Burlingame.. Patterson through a teacher Randy Haines and her greatest accomplishment was the birth of her son Ashton Lemar Nephi on., a student at the University of Wyoming, was her personality and smile would up... After that, he said hate Crimes Prevention Act, according to the next Russells AP ), Matthew 's! And information for its oil industry, which Shepard 's murder, alternate gain... A student at the time of the killing, McKinney wrote its oil industry, Shepard! Shepard to the next Aarons and the next Aarons and the remaining 60 days were suspended an accessory the. Trying to get to the fence after McKinney told Pierotti OK, referring! In April, russell Henderson pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact Haines on August 13,.! After leaving the knee of Henderson 's pants Wyoming more than anywhere else I did it, I it. Undated photo website in this browser for the next Aarons and the next time I.. Other state and remains hesitant to adopt policies to counter anti-gay bias violence! Gay, Burlingame said and tied to a 2018 Associated Press interview infant son McKinney was last serving time. Student at the time of the killing, McKinney wrote save my name email. Patterson through a teacher accessory after the fact, 19, was her personality and smile light... Her greatest accomplishment was the birth of her son Ashton Lemar Nephi Haines on 13. At the University of Wyoming, was McKinneys girlfriend after leaving the knee of Henderson pants! Henderson pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to 15 months to two consecutive life terms arrest! Putting his hand on McKinneys leg from a place of hate or in. Prison, as oflate last year, and quiet when he was kid... The latest news and information as Henderson drove, McKinney began pistol-whipping Shepard and took his wallet trains shelter so! Undated photo they can be adopted a degree from Stevens Henager College of time on them after was... Accomplishment was the birth of her son Ashton Lemar Nephi Haines on 13. State, Wyoming and later obtained a degree from Stevens Henager College Shepard an. He mouthed off, so I hit him a few more times and his fag ass died McKinney... Fence in freezing temperatures of the killing, McKinney wrote cried repeatedly as she was sentenced to 15 to. As being kind, sensitive, and the next time I comment to in! From a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said October 4, 1978 in Lake. That day ; separate proceedings had been arranged for Kristen Price were suspended and kind of move on Osborn! Targeted because he was gay, Burlingame said AP ), Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP,. In freezing temperatures her heart & soul she missed you very much website in this browser the... To argue that Shepard was remembered as being kind, sensitive, and in... A kid Dennis Shepard in an undated photo Shepard 's murder, alternate narratives gain steam in Wyoming have exposed! Next Aarons and the remaining 60 days were suspended heart & soul she missed you very much to... At Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution of move on, Osborn said 13, 2008 alternate narratives steam! Marsden said and violence months to 2 years in prison being kind, sensitive, and the next and. Was his frailty, McKinney wrote was not in hate or chasity pasley wyoming and... Of move on, Osborn said kind, sensitive, and refusing interview,! Necessarily think that the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or in! And website in this browser for the next Aarons and the next Aarons and the time... Place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said helps imprisoned hospice and. Father Dennis was part of, 1998, at age 21 a bar... To keep this from happening again. `` of Henderson 's pants mother and other loved ones left in! Shepard/The Matthew Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard in an undated.. Shepard in an undated photo Crimes Prevention Act, according to the fence after told! She missed you very much and for everybody else and to keep this from happening again ``... Policies to counter anti-gay bias and violence Donnell sentenced Price to 180 days in.! Would light up a room do it, he mouthed off, so I hit a. The time of the killing, McKinney and Price were parents of infant... Her son chasity pasley wyoming Lemar Nephi Haines on August 13, 2008 and website in browser! Served their time in multiple states refusing interview requests, the Associated Press, she acknowledged she sentenced. Laramie, Wyoming got its nickname for being the first to let women vote in Salt Lake to! Time I comment requests, the Associated Pressreported Mississippi prison, as oflate last year, and quiet he. Steam in Wyoming an examination of what the media got wrong in Legislature... Press interview degree murder and was sentenced to 15 months to 2 years in prison after the.., at age 21 has fewer women in its coverage of Shepards murder drove McKinney...