21 years ago: October 6, 1998: Remembering The Heartbreaking Murder of Matthew Shepard

21 years ago this night, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson for the first time at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming and became the victim of one of the most brutal and heinous anti-gay hate crimes in history.

McKinney and Henderson said that they would give Matthew a ride home but instead they drove him to a remote rural area and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Matthew, tying him to a fence and leaving him to die. Matthew hung there all night in the freezing, in pain and alone until he was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow. Matthew was still alive but by that time has slipped into in a coma.

Matthew suffered fractures to the back of his head and in front of his right ear. He experienced severe brainstem damage, which affected his body’s ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature, and other vital functions and there were about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face, and neck. His injuries were so severe that doctors could not operate.

Matthew was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998.

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And still anti-GLBT laws, attacks, and hate are going strong in the 21st century on the 21st anniversary of the murder of a 21yo.