About Me
Where Matthew met his killers...
Matthew was prematurely born on December 1, 1976 in Casper, Wyoming, the
oldest son of Judy and Dennis Shepard. Matthew attended Crest Hill Grade
School, Dean Morgan Junior High in Casper. His sophomore year he attended
Natrona County High School. The last two years of high school he spent in
Lugano, Switzerland. There he attended The American School in Switzerland
(TASIS), graduating in 1995. While in Switzerland, Matthew traveled throughout
Europe. He spokes three languages: English, German and Italian. He loved
Europe but also loved his hometown of Casper.After coming back to America, Matthew attended Catawba College in
Salisbury, N.C, and Casper College. Moving to Denver he worked several
jobs. Later he was attending the University of Wyoming in Laramie. There
his major was political science/foreign relations and the minors were languages.
Matthew was selected as the student representative for the Wyoming
Environmental Council, and was very active in politics.Matthew started acting in community theatre at the age of 5, and was very
active in front of and behind the scenes in several Casper College and Stage III Theater plays. Matthew also enjoyed soccer, swimming, running, snow
skiing and dancing. He knew he was not the best athlete in the world but h
e had a very competitive spirit. Matthew loved the nature, enjoying hunting,
fishing and camping. Matthew was a member and an acolyte in St. Mark's
Episcopal Church in Casper, Wyoming.Matthew was lured from a campus bar shortly after midnight on October 7 by
two men (Aaron McKinney, 22 and Russell Henderson, 21) who told him they
were gay. He was driven to a remote area near the Sherman Hills neighborhood
east of Laramie, tied to a split-rail fence, tortured, beaten and pistol-whipped
by his attackers, while he begged for his life. He was then left for dead in near
freezing temperatures. A cyclist who found him on Snowy Mountain View
Road at 6:22 pm, some 18 hours after the attack, at first mistook him for a
scarecrow. He was unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. His face
was d with blood, except where it had been partially washed clean by tears.Matthew died at 12:53 am on Monday 12th October 1998, at Poudre Valley
Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his family at his bedside. Hospital
officials said Matthew had a fracture from behind his head to just in front
of his right ear and a massive brain stem injury which affected his vital signs,
including his heart beat, body temperature and other involuntary functions.
There were also approximately a dozen small lacerations around his head, face
and neck. He was so badly injured in the attack that doctors were unable to
operate. He never regained consciousness after being found, and remained
on full life support.Matthew's funeral was held on Friday, October 16, 1998, touched a lot of people
all over the world. The tragic story of this gentle soul has touched the hearts of
people across America, and throughout the World."Matthew was the type of person, that if this had happened to another person,
would have been first on the scene to offer his help, his hope and his heart to
the family. We should try to remember that because Matt's last view minutes
of consciousness on earth may have been hell, his family and friends want more
than ever to say their farewells to him in a peaceful, dignified and loving manner.
Once again, I must express our appreciation for the outpouring of concern about
Matt's wellbeing during the last week, as he fought for his life in the hospital.
We'll never forget the love that the world has shared with our loving son."
Minutes before the guilty verdict was announced.
