posted on October 16, 2004 06:04:35 AM new
Isn't it ironic that both of these things happened on October 12th?
Monday, Oct. 12, 1998
Matthew Shepard was a college student who was brutally tortured and murdered in a hate crime. Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming, was robbed and attacked by two men near Laramie, Wyoming on the night of October 6-7 because of his homosexuality. Shepard died from his wounds several days later. His killers are currently in prison.
Matthew died while on life support. He had been in a coma since he was found on Thursday by passing motorcyclists.
Shepard, a 21-year-old, met Aaron James McKinney and Russel Arthur Henderson in a bar. After he confided to them that he was gay, they deceived him into leaving with them in their car. He was robbed, brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left for dead. McKinney and Henderson also found out his address and burgled his home. Shepard was discovered 18 hours later, alive and unconscious.
Shepard's injuries were a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear. He also had catastrophic brain stem damage, which affected the body's ability to regulate heartbeat, body temperature, and other vital signs. There were also about 12 small lacerations around the head, face and neck. The injuries were deemed too severe to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. He died at 12:53 a.m. on October 12 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The blood on Shepard's face had been partially washed away by tears, indicating that he had been conscious, for some time, after the beating. He had been pistol-whipped 18 times with a .357-caliber Magnum.
Police apprehended McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim's shoes and credit card in their truck. The two murderers had attempted to get alibis from their girlfriends.
Wyoming's Republican Governor Jim Geringer called on state legislators to adopt laws to deter crimes against lesbians and gay men.
Also on October 12th........
Oct. 12, 2004, 6:35PM
Second convict in Tyler gay slaying executed today.
Associated Press
HUNTSVILLE - Condemned inmate Donald Aldrich was executed Tuesday for the abduction of a homosexual East Texas man who wound up victim of a gay-bashing murder.
Aldrich, 39, was the []second man executed[/b] for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Nicholas West, 23, of Tyler, nearly 11 years ago.
Henry Earl Dunn, 28, was put to death in February 2003. Each man blamed the other for West's slaying, but authorities contended both participated in the shooting.
Aldrich and Dunn were members of what became known as the "CB gang," authorities said, so named because they first became acquainted over CB radios. For months the gang in which Aldrich was known as "Sundance" preyed on homosexuals in the Tyler area. A third member of the gang, David McMillan, who was 17 at the time, was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery and received a life prison term.
Court records showed West, a medical clerk, was robbed Nov. 30, 1993, at a Tyler park and then was taken to a remote area of Smith County where he was stripped, ordered to his knees and shot at least nine times.
At the time of his arrest for the slaying, Aldrich was on parole for a pair of convictions. One was for burglary in Smith County and the second for robbery in Dallas County.
"If you take the position the death penalty is to deter people who don't have a conscience from continuing to perpetrate crimes and who have a past track record of criminal behavior, then he's your poster child," said David Dobbs, the former Smith County assistant district attorney who prosecuted Aldrich.
posted on October 16, 2004 06:12:47 AM new
It is to bad Matthew Shepard's parents had compassion for McKinney and Henderson, but now they can rot in jail for the rest of their life.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
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Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declares: "the area… that coalition forces control… happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
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posted on October 16, 2004 06:30:13 AM new
Since being imprisoned, McKinney and Henderson have both attempted to justify their actions by claiming that they were dictated by the Bible.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on October 16, 2004 08:34:44 AM new
Yeah that is new one for me. The Bible made me do it. LOL
Did the Bible make them get drunk?
Did the Bible make them buy a gun?
Did the Bible make them tie Matthew to a fence?
Well the Bible made me cast my vote for Kerry.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
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Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declares: "the area… that coalition forces control… happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
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Prevent Bigotry through Education.