New Details Emerge in Matthew Shepard Murder

ABC ^ | 11.26.04

[Coleus]

Six years ago, on a cold October night on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyo., 21-year-old gay college student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left for dead. He was found 18 hours later and rushed to the hospital, where he lingered on the edge of death for nearly five days before succumbing to his injuries.

The story garnered national attention when the attack was characterized as a hate crime. But Shepard's killers, in their first interview since their convictions, tell "20/20's" Elizabeth Vargas that money and drugs motivated their actions that night, not hatred of gays.

While Shepard lay unconscious in a hospital, the national press quickly arrived in Laramie. Cal Rerucha, who prosecuted the case, told Vargas the media descended on Laramie "like locusts." "We knew in the newsroom the day it happened, this is going to be a huge story, this is going to attract international interest," said Jason Marsden of "The Casper Star-Tribune."

"I remember one of my fellow reporters saying, 'this kid is going to be the new poster child for gay rights," he added. News of Shepard's death sparked reaction overseas and demonstrations across America.

"I think a lot of gay people, when they first heard of that horrifying event, felt sort of punched in the stomach. I mean it kind of encapsulated all our fears of being victimized," said writer Andrew Sullivan, a prominent gay rights advocate. But as the push for gay rights found new force, so did a corresponding backlash from anti-gay opponents who came from out of state to grab a piece of the media spotlight.

[Coleus]

It was a robbery and yes, I know the date of the article. Very little was ever said about the murder of Jesse William Dirkhising (May 24, 1986 – September 26, 1999).

[PGR88]

While McKinney and Henderson admit to killing Shepard, both men -- and the man who prosecuted the case -- now say the real story is not what it seemed.

Anyone who has met homosexuals, particularly young adult males, knows that for many of them, their "lifestyle" involves drugs, addiction, depression, extreme promiscuity, disease and yes, violence (from other homosexuals). The more we are told their lifestyle is "normal" - the more I see that convinces me they are suffering greatly with serious mental and substance abuse issues.

[dayglored]

There’s also a related new/recent story that the victim had previously been homosexually active with at least one of his attackers — as a lover. I don’t know what the current status of that story is (proven, unproven, etc.). There were a few threads on FR about it in the past week.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

So will Katie Couric apologize to James Dobson since she basically suggested to him that he and other evangelical Christians were responsible for the murder.

[gaijin]

Dirkhising’s parents TRUSTED the homo pair and tolerated their unusual lifestyel. They befriended and trusted the hair-dresser pair. Too poor to make ends meet they consented to have their young son work at the pair’s hair-dressing boutique.

They drugged, tied, and repeatedly RAPED their poor, trusting son TO DEATH.

And the media SAID NOTHING.

[Peter Libra]

I did some research concerning poor young Dirkhising. I had a sick feeling that the swines might be out of jail. No, both men evaded the death penalty that was apparently still in force, and as of 2013 are still in prison.
We in Canada had our own horror story of homosexual rape of a young boy. The Portuguese community in Toronto often found it wasn't easy to get lucrative employment.

Young Emmanuel Jaques (1965-1977) was a shoe shine boy. The family needed money. The homosexuals got him to an apartment and tortured and raped, then killed him. I will never forget the statement of one of the three men found guilty. He said he had never before experienced such a supreme moment of power when he killed the boy.

I checked up, hardly daring to find out- but it was ok. One man died in prison and the other two are still there. Maybe even the more empathetic variety of parole board people are not going to let them out.

[wku man]

"And the media SAID NOTHING."

To be fair and accurate, the Little Rock media, which I was a part of at the time, reported it pretty thoroughly. But other than WND, I don't recall any other national media saying squat about it.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Yes, the Gay Lifestyle is a veritable cornucopia of perversion, lust, and decadence.

[autumnraine]

The date... haha. I was reading and remembering where I lived when this sappened and it was adding up.

[Coleus]

the years add up, lol.

[cradle of freedom]

Then there was Jeffrey Curley in Boston who was abducted by two gay neighbors, one of whome belonged to NAMBLA, was put in a plastic box and killed.

[cradle of freedom]

This is one of the basic tricks of the media, they put a cordon sanitaire around stories that they want to censure. If the liberals do not want the nation to know about something they will make sure that the story stays in the local media. Associated Press collects news stories from all over the country, if they do not want a story to go national they will not release the story to the nation’s newspapers.

[Peter Libra]

Thanks for the information.

A word of congratulation to the sometimes beleaguered parole authorities in Canada. 35 years and counting for the swines still in prison.

Yet society still falls over itself and allows homosexual men to adopt a male child. I count myself a kindly person tending toward lenience. Against these men I would allow no mercy. Also molesters should have chemical castration in certain cases. I notice that old Elton John is often used as a model. Maybe he is the exception rather than the rule- who knows?