Morbid - Episode 149: The Tragic Murder of Matthew Shepard Part 1

Episode Date: June 20, 2020

If you grew up in the 90s, Matthew Shepard's face is something that has probably stayed with you since his murder on October 6, 1998. Matthew was lured from a bar in Laramie, Wyoming by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Their intent was to pose as gay men and rob Matthew. What occurred was much more than robbery. They used a .357 magnum revolver to beat him to death, tying him to a buck fence and leaving him to die for 18 hours in the freezing Wyoming cold. His death was a scream for stronger legislation of hate crimes, particularly against the LGBTQ+ community. In Part 1, we discuss Matt's life, his murderer's lives and his brutal assault. Check out these sources: Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard Thanks to our sponsors! SimpliSafe Head to SimpliSafe.com/MORBID and get FREE SHIPPING and A 60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE and to make sure they know that our show sent you. Molekule For 10% off your first air purifier order, visit Molekule.com and at checkout enter Morbid. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/morbid60 and use code morbid60 to get $60 off your first three weeks, including free shipping on your first box. Additional restrictions apply, please visit HelloFresh.com for more details. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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That's ANGI, or download the app today. Hey weirdos, I'm Alena. I'm Ash, and this is morbid. What, what? It's a big one. It's huge. Gonna be two pots, kid. This is a two-patter for sure because there's just too much. A two-part bummer.

A real bummer of an episode. We're gonna be covering today the really, really tragic and awful case of Matthew Shepherd. And this happened in 1998. Obviously we're gonna go into it in a minute, but I was like 13 years old at the time, so I remember this vividly when this happened. Yeah, I was three, but I was like 13 years old at the time. So I remember this vividly when this happened. Yeah, I was three, so I don't remember it happening, but I do remember like learning about this in high school. And if you've ever seen the play the Laramie project, that will ruin you. So, so will this episode. And I think I was talking about it with John

earlier, and he was like 15 or 16 at the time. he was in the same kind of bowdye was where he remembers it like really vividly and he kept saying to me I just remember that one photo that he kept showing of him like it's just like burned in my brain that like it's this black and white like kind of professionalist kind of photo of him and he just looks like really sweet and handsome and just very like he's just sweet and it's just and it like, oh, this one's really gonna, it's this one's gonna be a tough one. I think I'll probably end up crying. Yeah, I was lit. I burst into tears at one point while I was researching it. So I remember watching that play in my high school auditorium,

like, bawling my eyes out. It's a tough one. And just to warn straight up ahead of time, there are a couple of parts in this Podcast where I am going to have to be discussing hate speech We're going to be I'm just gonna be saying a word that can be a little triggering for people It's I know it's triggering for me. I don't like the way I hate this word But I think it's important that I read what this, you know, the people who did this to Matt actually said so you can really get a feel for how awful they are. I agree.

I don't wanna like censor it to take away from the brutality of what they say. But I will before I say it, I'm gonna say, hey, it's coming just so you guys know, so it's not just like banging in the face because sometimes hearing certain words can be like, ah, so I understand that, But just wanted to let you guys know, before we jump into this case, we just wanted to quickly update on our show situation because people have been asking. So we just

wanted to give a quick update just to give you what we have so far. So we'll just run through this quick. And then for Patreon's asking, we are going to be shouting out some names at the end of this episode. Yes. So on August 11th, we are going to be at the Punchline Comedy Club in Philadelphia, but that's gonna change. Yeah, we will not be there. I guess we'll be there.

I always say we're gonna be there, but that's just the kind of like placeholder date. That's our placeholder date that is going to be moved. So if you have tickets for the Philly show in August, it's going to be moved up again. Hold on to those tickets. We're working on it. September 16th, we're going to be at the DC improv

in Washington, DC. So far that's happening. September 23rd, Zany's and Nashville two shows going on there. Let's hope we can get there in the fall, guys. I know, seriously. September 24th, stand up live and hump the Alabama. Alabama. We'll come before you.

Regardless of when it is. Regardless. October 11th, two shows at Talia Hall, spooky spooky in Chicago. Come on, give us that spooky time date. So excited. November 10th at the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte.

November 11th at the Good Night's Comedy Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raleigh, what coming? March 26th, yes, I remembered which number three represents this week at the Wilber Theatre, the Wilber Theatre in Boston. And remember, buy tickets to that, guys. This ticket's left, and we want to pack that place out

because now we have all this time to prepare for it, so it's gonna be a crazy show. Oh my god, I literally can't wait. And then last but not least, we are going to have a show on January 27th at Comedy Work South in Greenwood Village, Colorado. We are so Denver, Colorado. We are coming for you. I know, it was just one to say Denver when I talk about Colorado.

It's just like the first thing I think of it. It's Colorado. We're coming for you. I know, it was just like the first thing I think of. It's Colorado. We're coming for you January 27th. Let's get it. All right, so I'm going to start the case. So everybody hold on to your butts. With extra care. Yes.

October 7th, 1998. Aaron Cryfels was only 19 years old and he was a student. He's just riding his mountain bike near what is currently pilot peak and snowy view roads in Laramie, Wyoming. The street names were changed after Matthew's murder. That sounds like such a peaceful place. That's like to find something so horrifying. Yeah, so their pilot peak and snowy view roads now. find something so horrifying. Yeah, see, so their pilot peak and snowy V roads now. And also the fence that is involved in this case

is no longer there. Good, it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be. Nobody can go look at it or anything. I don't really, I wouldn't want to. Yeah, but he's just never now. I just wanted to tell people, don't go look for it. Yeah.

So initially Aaron had hit something with his bike and he had flown like over the handlebars and onto the ground. Oh geez. And so he got up, he's dusting himself off, and he just looks around really quick, and he notices something kind of flopped against the fence. This area was surrounded by buck fences,

which are fences, everybody's seen one for sure. It's fences built with wooden posts that are placed in an X, and then the other posts are kind of laid against it. Yep, yep, yep. It's like what you see in placed in an X, and then the other posts are kind of laid against it. Yep, yep, yep. It's like what you kind of see in like Western movies and stuff, it's like that fence that you picture. I just think of Tom Sawyer when I think of fences.

It's not that fence at all. It's not, but I just think of it. But it's like, you would see in like a Western movie are like in the prairie, it's just the kind of fence. When you're just stumbling through the prairie. Yeah, like a tumbleweed's gonna blow by, like that's like the think of yeah, so Aaron saw something crumpled along the fence near him and when he first noticed it He assumed it was a Halloween prop. Mm-hmm. He thought it was a scarecrow someone had put out there to scare people and Honestly, he was like shit. It was scary. So he's like I had to take a harder look because I was like

That's like a scary prop. He takes a harder look and he sees that it was covered in blood and dirt and not fake blood or fake dirt So he's like starting to get some so yeah senses here. So now he says he saw real hair And then he saw that the scarecrow is slightly breathing. Oh my god And he said he could see the chest moving up and down very slowly and very labored, but he was moving nonetheless. So he realized it was a human being. And he immediately called police. Right. Now, Officer Reggie Flutey was the first officer on scene and she is a fucking legend. Really? Legend. This woman made me want to hug her. Like her interviews are so genuine, and she was so selfless in her care of Matthew at the scene.

In the documentary, which I recommend everybody watch, it'll just like it touches your soul. It's called Matt Shepherd as a Friend of Mine. Oh, in this documentary, Reggie explains what happened when she arrived and it goes like this. So she said, she couldn't drive all the way up to the fence because she said it was, it was like hard terrain. So she drove as far as she could and then she walked all the way or really ran because when she saw and she immediately, which I'll talk about in a second, she thought this was a younger child

when she first saw him. So she said she went on foot, she ran all the way back to him. He was on his back with his hands tied behind his back and then tied to the fence. And she said blood was absolutely everywhere. She said he had clearly been brutally beaten. She couldn't even see facial features. She said the one thing she could see, and this is like, this part really got to me. The one thing she could see is that on both of his cheeks, the only place that there wasn't blood, were the trails where his tears had washed it away.

Oh my God. And she said, like, she literally said there were two trails where tears had just streamed on his face. You would just it clean. You would never be the same again after stumbling upon them. No. And she said when, and somebody asked her in the documentary, you know, you've seen photos of Matt now.

Did he look like the... No, you tell that that was him and she said, absolutely not, he looked deformed. How do you do that to somebody? Oh, did you find out? So now one thing that also made me like tear up about her interview was that she said when she walked up after noticing Matt, she noticed a big dough deer lying like near him and she said it

was like in a bush a little bit but laying down. She said this deer didn't run away as she ran up to Matt and she said she just watched me slowly and she goes and then she slowly stood up and trotted away because she was like okay help us come. And she said she so Flutie said she this made her feel good because she said she okay she he wasn't alone and hopefully he knew that this door was there and she said she felt like this doe was like looking over him until someone came. Wow yeah. So she said the first thing she thought of was that due to his stature, he must have been about 12 years old.

Like, she was literally like, this is a little boy. Right. In reality, Matthew was 21 years old, but he was small. He was about barely 5'3", which is barely taller than me. Yeah. And everyone's always commenting like, Elena's like, you're a Pee-Maver. He was barely dollars in me And I think he at like he was at his most he was like 110 pounds right he's a very tiny dude

So she called for backup and then took it very then they obviously all took it very seriously because They thought they were dealing with a legitimate child Yeah, which is probably good. I guess that they they thought he was a child right got everybody moving a little faster I'm not saying they wouldn't have moved fast, but it just it worked out how it should. Yeah, it puts up the the little red alerts right So while waiting for backup to arrive, Flutey said she just went into life-saving mode and she was like, I just wanted to keep Matt alive as long as I could so he could get to the hospital. Right. I wanted to make sure when he was with me, he was alive.

So she also was very concerned with him not feeling like he was alone. Yeah. And she kept saying, I wanted him to know that I was there and that I was there to help him. So she kept being like, I'm here. You're not alone. I'm here with you now. Pure. And so anybody does.

Exactly. Right. And so she threw on the last pair of medical gloves provided by her Sheriff's Department. And she started clearing away Matt's airways of blood. Because she there was just blood in his nose and his throat. He was gurgling on it. So she said she just was trying to get the blood out so we could get anything out of there. Well, the gloves were faulty. And they started breaking. And she didn't care. She just kept going with her hair. So she kept going anywhere.

It's ways cleared his airways of all the blood that had built up Mm-hmm, and she had cuts on her hands because she had built a shed the day before because she's just like a super woman She's just doing everything and she wasn't even concerned with her own well-being She was just she wanted to save his life. She just helped him like she's legit a hero Because that's what you're supposed to do as a first or so. I mean that's above and beyond obviously Yeah, it's like I wish all people were like that But to have that mentality of just like altruism. I'll do it. I mean I'm doing what I have to do to keep this person alive right now

We'll back up all the way back to December 1st 1976 in Casper, Wyoming Is that his birthday when Matthew Wayne Shepherd was born to Judy and Dennis Shepherd, he had a younger brother named Logan who he was very close to. They were total opposites, I guess. Logan was tall, he was athletic, but he was also a bit of an introvert, and that was very tiny, not athletic at all, and love to be around people. Really? But they balanced each other really well, and they just got along. Yeah.

And there's a lot of, in the documentaries, I was watching there's a lot of home videos, and they just have this cute brother relationship where Logan's the little brother who's always wanting to be around Matt. Like, it's just really cute. I always love that. Yeah.

So his mother said that when Matt was little, he loved to do creative things. He was always writing. He was always writing. He was always like acting. He was very like, like theatrical. And he loved to write poetry. So he would write poetry for the neighbors and leave the poems in their mailboxes. Stop. And then I guess I think it was like his grandfather or something was like a postmaster and told him like, technically you have to put a stamp on it. it's illegal. He's like, I'm just on being philanthropist. He's like, I'm sick. So he was like, okay cool. I'll just find

beautiful rocks and I'll leave these people beautiful rocks. So like their day. So his mother was like, yeah, so he just like left the like clearly an empath of the highest degree. Oh yeah. And then his mother also said it took him a long time what you will get into To come out to anyone right including his closest friends his family anyone I think about the time to be honest and but his mother said she knew from a very young age that he was gay She just know yeah, mom's just know and she said and she one of the interviews, she's like, I know this seems very like stereotypical and I hope I'm not being like, she's like, I hope I'm not like being cliche here like, depending anyone.

But she said, his favorite Halloween costume was Dolly Parton. That's incredible. And she was like, he was her many times for Halloween. And then he would dress up like, not on Halloween as her. Oh my God. And he was, she was like, and obviously that doesn't like make you gay, but she was like, but it definitely made me think like maybe, you know, it could be a possibility. Right.

So like I said, Matt was very small in stature. I mentioned he was like five three. At the time of his murder, he was like only like barely 101 pounds. He was tiny. So he was an athletic and he did get teased a bit when he was younger, like just normal stuff, but he didn't seem to have any real problems getting people to see his sweet and caring personality.

He was a good person. He would win people over a lot. Right. His family says he was actually elected peer counselor in school, and he made friends very easily. In fact, he was voted friendliest in his high school class. There you go. So he definitely, like, he was a charmer.

He was sweet. He was caring. He obviously liked him. Yeah, people said he just cared a lot about people. And he loved, like, he thrived. He's one of those people who thrived on being around people. So his friend said he enjoyed acting in all the school

plays. He was really interested in politics. That was something he got really interested in from a young age too. And he loved to read the newspaper. He was a big newspaper kid. So like he could like keep up with adults with like current events, news, politics. Like he was like up on it. That's awesome. And he had big dreams of getting out of Casper, Wyoming, and being something great. But he wanted to help people too. That was like his part of his plan. And so, and again, he was really informed.

So he had like all the tools to do it. And in fact, his one of his dreams was either, he wanted to be famous for something. And which unfortunately later, everybody was like, well Matt always wanted to be famous. So he just, friends were like famous not the way Matt always wanted to be famous. Like his friends weren't like famous. Like his friends weren't like famous. Not the way we wanted him to be famous.

But he also wanted to be like a diplomat and like really make change. Good. I think that. So noble. Now, well in a way I guess he did. He did. He did.

He very much you know. He formed change and like created. He I mean he created new legislation. Obviously not in the way that he wanted to. No. But luckily something came out of it you know. Right. and like created, he, I mean, he created new legislation. Obviously not in the way that he wanted to, but luckily something came out of it, you know. So the family had their sons,

they attended public school in Casper until Matt's junior year of high school, which was in 1994. Okay. So in 1994, Dennis, whose Matt's father, got a job as an oil rig inspector with a Saudi Arabian company. Oh wow.

So he moved the family to Saudi Arabia. Now they said, I mean, this was, I mean, his senior year of high school. That stinks. And but it didn't, though. Okay. Because first of all, the parents, I'm like, kudos to you. They were like, we wanted them to see more than Wyoming. And we wanted them to, and they were like, we also wanted them to see more than the United States. Right. We wanted them to see more than Wyoming. And we wanted them to, and they were like, we also wanted them to see more than the United States. We wanted them to see other cultures. The world.

We wanted them to be worldly and appreciate other people for their differences. And we wanted to make them try to work through the hard, you know, the culture shock that you get by living somewhere else. We wanted them to figure out how to deal with it. When it seems like because of like who Matt was, he'd be pretty down to do that. And he thrived.

I could see that happening. So for his senior year of high school, he actually attended the American school in Switzerland, which is a boarding school. Because Saudi Arabia didn't have any American high schools at that point, Matt loved it there, like loved it. Really? He had tons of friends.

He ended up telling his mother that he met the best people he would ever meet in his life at that boarding school. Oh my God, I love that. He made like life like they were friends afterwards. I mean, he had amazing experiences. At this point, he still wasn't out. Like he was not out to his friends. People knew though.

Like his friends were like, I knew I've been around him. Like I was not out to his friends. People knew though. Like his friends were like, I knew, I've been around him, like I've spent so much time with him. You know, I mean, like one of my best friends, I met like when she finally told me, my reaction was like, I know. And I was like, I just wanted you to feel comfortable talking to me.

Like can we still have pizza? I literally said like, can we give it a pizza now? I remember when I told you that I was going on a date with Annie, you were like, okay, cool. Yeah It was like awesome like that's great tell me when you're close to someone sometimes you know before they're willing to tell you Right, it's just one of those things you have to let them Tell you and they're yeah, you don't push somebody. Yeah, never try to force someone just wait until they feel good about it And they'll tell you right actually if they want if they feel if safe with you. If you're supposed to know you're gonna know.

If they feel safe enough to tell you, they'll tell you. So his friends knew, but he was obviously not out. And this boarding school that they went to had this thing where they like to send kids to like different countries and different places for like, almost like an abroad kind of thing. Yeah. And they just wanted them to like, broad in their views, get new experiences. That's what it was all about. So he was like, abroad kind of thing. Yeah. And they just wanted them to like, broaden their views, get new experiences.

That's what it was all about. So he was like, a broad, going abroad. Exactly. So Matt and his friends chose Morocco. Even though the school was a bit hesitant because of safety concerns, because it just wasn't like, it didn't seem like the safest place

to just send a bunch of like, American teens over. Right. So unfortunately, something terrible did happen there. Oh, really? Now, his friends say that everything was going well, they were loving it. They were trying to be as safe as possible, staying in groups, but Matt knocked on their friend's door at 2 a.m. one night, screaming. Oh, no.

And so, they opened the door and they're like, what is going on? And he's shirtless, he's sho shoelace and he's screaming and sobbing Uh-huh, and when he was able to speak to them He had taken a he said and let me just preface this Trigger warning So just know that there's that When he was able to speak to them. He said I I went out to take a walk just to cool my thoughts. And he said, when he was on his way back to the hotel,

he was just pulled into an alley by six men who robbed him and raped him. Oh my God. His friends said, obviously, this incredibly horrific violation changed him completely. Right. Obviously. His mother said he really retreated into himself. He didn't want to tell anyone else. horrific violation changed him completely. Right. Obviously.

His mother said he really retreated into himself. He didn't want to tell anyone else. Like, he was, they said, he came back to school and he was, he was like haunted. That's like a horrific experience. That's not even like a good word for it. It's like there is no word for that. Right.

And his, I mean, people said that like, he was even, I think his mother said something along the lines of like, he even took on the posture of a victim. Like he was, he slumped over and kind of like hid himself and himself. Like what she said, yeah, what she said was totally not met. Yeah. And so that was, that was a really, really, really traumatizing and awful thing that happened to him. What makes a person a murderer? Are they born to kill or are they made to kill? I'm Candace DeLong and on my podcast killer psyche daily Which you can find exclusively on Amazon music. I share a quick 10 minute rundown every weekday on the motivations and

Behaviors of the criminal masterminds you read about in the news. I have decades of experience as a psychiatric nurse, FBI agent, and a criminal profiler. On Killer Psychie Daily, I'll give you my expert perspective on cases like the mysterious New York City drugings, Breaking down Lori Valow, a K-A Mommy Doom stays motives, and what drove Caitlin Armstrong to murder? I'll also bring on expert guests who add even more insight into these criminal minds. I promise you won't regret adding these 10 minutes to your morning routine. K-Pri members listen to the Amazon Music exclusive podcast Killer Psychie Daily in the Amazon Music app.

Download the app today. What if you were trafficked into a cult over shot nine times, or fell in love with a vampire, or went into a minor surgery and woke up one week later, paralyzed? What would you do? I'm Whit Missildine, the creator of this is actually happening, a podcast from Wondry that brings you

extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a young man that dooms his entire future with one choice, to a woman who survived a notorious serial killer, you'll hear their first-person account of how they overcame remarkable circumstances. Each episode is an exploration of the human spirit and personal discovery. These haunting accounts sound like Hollywood movies, but I assure you this is actually happening. Follow this is actually happening wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wonderly app. He had, again, at this point, still hadn't come out to anyone really. He was very much closeted.

He came out to his mother, his freshman year of college, at Kataba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. His mom handled it with total love and acceptance. Good, I love that. Which he was worried about, I guess, before. He teased the guidance counselor, like, I'm worried my parents will just, like, totally disown me.

I think even when you know what your parents' reaction is gonna be, like, there's always a hesitancy there. I'm sure. Is that a word hesitancy? Yeah, sure. And also, you know, this is, Wyoming is not like known as being super...

I mean, they're especially not conservative. Yeah, it wasn't very progressive. But they're really not known for being like, super anti. I mean, that's not something they're really... I think they have their motto is something like live and let live or something like that.

But I think it's most... But I think one of the people I saw in one of the documentaries was like, I think the live and let live is like, I'm gonna live and you can live, but like live way over there. Like don't let me see you live in. So I think it's a little bit of love. Yeah, so I think he was a little, you just don't know. Right, you don't know. And I think his dad was a real like dudes dude, so I think he was a little worried that he might be like disappointing him in some way or something. I remember like it's not the same time as right now. No, for sure. So he tells his mom, his mom's totally fine.

This tells him I love you, Matt. I like I don't care. It doesn't change anything. Yeah, it doesn't change the fact that you're my son and I love you. And so I guess Matt was like, you know, let me tell dad. Don't tell him I want to tell him. So his mom was like, I promise I won't. And then she was like, you know, let me tell dad. Don't tell him, I want to tell him. So his mom was like, I promise I won't. And then she was like, and then I immediately told this dad because she said not to be a dick. Right. She was like, I did it because I know sometimes people can react in the moment. And she was like, I didn't want him to say something to Matt that he couldn't take back

later. Right. Just in the moment. I just say something the wrong thing. She was like, I just didn't want him blindsided because she was like, I didn't know what the reaction was in. Right. Just in the moment, just say something the wrong thing. Yeah, she was like, I just didn't want him blindsided because she was like, I didn't know what the reaction was in. Right. He could say something just off the cuff that would be very damaging.

Even without meaning to. Exactly. It could be very damaging without him and tend to get to. You could say like the smallest thing to somebody when they come out to you and it could be taken the wrong way or exactly, you know. And that's why she was like, so I told them just so like he would have a buffer.

I kind of like that. I do love that she did that. I think that was a good like mom. She's protecting her son. That's a good mom move. That's a mom move. She was like protecting both of them. She was protecting, you know, she was protecting their relationship. That's a matriarch right there. That is good for Judy. So he tells his mom and his dad, or he tells his dad and his dad literally said that he was like, dad, I have something really important to and his dad literally said that he was like, dad, I have something really important to tell you, and he said I'm gay. Uh-huh. And Dennis was like, okay.

And then he was like, what's the really important thing you had to tell me? I love that. And he said, and he said the same thing. Right. And he was like, I, you're my son. Right. That's all that matters. You're my son, you're my son.

You're a son of a gay. You're a son of a gay. Which is like, that couldn't have gone better. No, that's the perfect way for it to go. And I think this gave him a lot of like super, you know, sorry if you're gonna hear squeaky cheer guys. I gotta move my back. I gotta readjust actually too.

So I think this gave him a lot of confidence now to feel like, okay, this was the big hurdle. And now I can start trying to be a little more open about maybe I kind of brought him back to life a little bit to know that he was accepted. Oh, I think it definitely did because then he started coming out to a couple of friends. Like very close friends.

He was still very like concerned about it being like super. Yeah. But he moved to Denver for about a year. And this is what he did go kind of, he kind of slid back a little. He went through, this was only for about a year. And this is what he did go kind of, he kind of slid back a little. He went through, this was only for about a year, but he went through some severe periods of depression. Yeah, I mean, that makes sense based on everything that he had gone through. Yeah, he was still, I think he was still very much reeling from that experience.

And at one point, so they said, like, you know, friends would show up and he'd just be like on the couch for days, they couldn't get a hold of him or space of silence. But then he'd go through periods of being like Matt really high highs, like super high highs, super low lows. And they all kind of like knew he was obviously going through something to be expected. And he was very, he was a piscopalian in his family was. And they were very involved in like church and everything. And he went to a church at this point.

At one point, that was near his home. It wasn't an Episcopalian church. But he went in there and he asked whoever was there, you know, I'm having trouble. I'm struggling. Yeah. Like being gay, I'm having struggle with it. I'm having trouble telling people, right. Just make me feel that one of I do. And whoever it was in there basically told him like it was was a sin and you're gonna burn in hellfire. Cool, so we're you. So we're you disgusting. And basically treated him like a diamond. And this person, like it just shook his core.

That makes me so mad. Because he cared about the church. And he was like to have them, somebody from a church where it's supposed to be the safe place, like sanctuary. It's supposed to be a sanctuary. And he's going in there there being like please just tell me that it's okay that I'm okay I just if you're like you're not affected by somebody else being gay It does literally nothing to you. So like why is me loving who I love going to make me go to hell

It doesn't make sense. It does and not one person on this earth will ever convince me that they have any business being involved in somebody else's relationships, right so That bummed him out, but then he transferred to the University of Wyoming as a political science major Okay, he really really thrived here really so he went there He immediately got involved in stuff on campus his friend Jim Osborne said in the match shepherd as a friend of mine, that Matt immediately created a mentoring program for the school to help new students. I love that. Particularly LGBTQ students.

So he was very invested in just helping them transition into the school, giving them a place where they could feel like comfort. He seemed to really settle in. He was really feeling good mentally, emotionally. He started, he stated to several people only weeks and days before his murder that he was finally feeling safe in Wyoming. Oh my God. Yeah. So October 6, 1998, Matt had met with the LGBTQ group at the University of Wyoming, and they were planning a celebration for the upcoming gay awareness week. They were like planning a bunch of events because he was part of this whole thing.

Right. Very exciting, and they're on their way home. He decides he wants to stop and have a drink at the fireside bar. Okay. And he went around eight or nine and he was like, does anyone else want to come with me? And they were all like, no, we have to run and go, you know, we have to, you know, study, prepare, or sleep. We have to do this. Not everybody had an excuse.

And so he was like, all right, well, I'm just going to stop and have a beer. And so he stops around eight or nine around. And he's just sitting there. I think the bartender said he just came up to the bar, had a beer, just sat and just chatted with him a little bit. It was very just a show. Just living his own life.

And he said he had seen him before coming by himself and just sitting have a drink and then he would just go home. Yeah, it wasn't like it. It's a very normal thing. So around 10 or 11 p.m. Two straight up monsters, 21 year old Russell Henderson and Henderson and 21-year-old Erin McKinney walked into the bar. They were roofers, they were like very sporadic with their work. The bartender said they bought a picture with dimes and nickels. And the bartender was like, I was really

hoping they didn't have any more dimes and nickels because I didn't want to deal with that again. So he was like, I was really hoping they were't have any more dimes and nickels because I didn't want to deal with that again So he was like I was really hoping they were just gonna leave after this right But the under sheriff Rob Debris and sheriff Davo Malley Both describe Aaron McKinney as someone who got in trouble a lot Was basically just straight up asshole and did everyone just knew him as a dick. Yeah, Russell was quiet and was a follower. Oh good. Yeah. And McKinney had recently had a baby, a son, with his girlfriend and had dropped out of high school.

He was known again as an asshole who liked to fight. He had already been in trouble for burglarizing a Kentucky Fred chicken. What? And making off with $2,500. Wow, Kentucky Fred chicken's doing well, right? Okay. And they also, he was also spent time in a juvenile detention center, like three months

or something like that for stealing from a cash register. Too bad he didn't get stuck there. Yeah. And he was actually waiting for a sentence from the Kentucky Fried Chicken theft. Was he? Yeah. And when he was arrested for this and he was also openly homophobic and racist. If you're openly, if you're homophobic at all or racist, but to be open about it is

like, wow, cool. He was a straight up asshole. What is wrong with you? Yeah, so much. There's so much wrong with this, dude. So Russell Henderson was a high school dropout with a ton of DUIs and driving offenses, but he started out as a junior high honors student.

What happened? Very well-rounded kid. Apparently lived with his grandparents at one point and was like super respectful, helpful, even neighbors were like, he was a good kid. So like don't be a follower. And that's the thing, people are like, I can't see him doing this. Like they were like he was a good kid. So like don't be a follower. And that's the thing, people are like, I can't see him doing this.

Like they were like, and then they're like, I can't see him leading this. And so people are like, I know he's like, really? He gets led astray. And it's like, okay, that's all well and good. But like you have to be, there has to be some evil in you if you're gonna follow someone to this, the depths of this. Like I'm sorry, we've all been in situations where I'm sure we followed a crowd,

like junior high and stuff like that, like done something that we're like, you're not proud of. I probably shouldn't have done that. Right. I just followed along with the popular kids. But not this, but you don't fucking murder someone. If you're murdering someone then you wanted to that's the end of it So People who knew him did say he never expressed hatred for gay people or big a tree of any kind But again, he was a true follower He didn't have an original fucking thought of his own. Well, it was obviously there if he did. Yeah, he just, and honestly ignorance is not an excuse. No, it's just not.

Now, they both said that they saw the two of them wrestle in Aaron. They saw Matt and they thought he must have money. Mm-hmm. Like, just obviously. And we only have nickels and diamonds. Exactly. And they knew he was gay. And so they said they went into the bathroom and they discussed it.

They were gonna act like they were gay. And they were gonna rob him. Okay. Which is like really? To pay for like another picture. Exactly. So, and it's like, why don't you just like, like consecutively fix roofs

instead of doing it here and there? Well, and also like just, I hate people who steal. Right. Like just get a job. Well, and it's like not even that. It's not even like I hate people who steal. Right, like just get a job. Well, and it's not even that, it's not even like just get a job, because sometimes it's hard to get a job. Yeah, but don't steal. Don't steal from other people.

Like this is just like, that's not right. I hate people who steal. Well, and I think if, I honestly think that if they had said, like, hey, buddy, can we like grab 10 bucks, Matt probably would have given it to them. Honestly, and that's, and we will find out that they don't really have to do anything

for him to give up his wallet. Right. He literally gives it up. Right. He offers it to them. So, they figured, you know, they're going to pretend they're gay, they're going to lure him out of the bar, and the bartender remembers them all leaving together. He said, I saw Matt and them talking.

He said, I thought it was a little weird because when they came up to order the picture, Matt was at the bar and they never interacted. But then all of a sudden they were talking. So he's like, they obviously didn't know each other. They just started talking. So he's like, all right, they walked out together. And the bartender was like, that was the last time most people saw Matt alive.

Right. Now, so they drive away. And they drive away in Aaron's truck Russell is driving which is like good job Because Russell's the one with all the DUIs and the driving offenses, but like definitely have him drive your dumb You're an idiot and I think it's Aaron's father's truck actually I'm pretty sure like it's one of they borrowed the truck from one of their fathers So Aaron McKinney said to said to Matthew in the car out of nowhere. He just said, we're not gay and you're getting jacked. So what? He also tried to claim later, which no one believes that Matt tried to like grab his leg. It's like no. And it's like, no, it's just didn't happen. It's like, come on. Like, and I believe

later, they like recanted that and said it didn't happen. I think they were trying to use which we're going to get very far into later, the gay panic defense, which didn't happen. I think they were trying to use which we're gonna get very far into later the gay panic defense which didn't work. That's just insane to me. He then started, as soon as he said, like you're getting jacked, he then just starts to assault Matt and try to get his wallet.

So Matt just hands him his wallet. It's literally like here you go. Gives it, Aaron admits in his confession because the police are like, did he give you, like did you have to take the wallet by force and he's like no he just gave it to me. Right so then like what are you doing? So why did you keep hitting him? Like what are you doing? And so he just kept going so this so he's hitting Matt with the butt of a 357 magnum revolver. Oh my god. And he was just hitting him over and over and over like psychotic.

Now this is when they pull off into an isolated area like in the prairie basically. They drive out to that fence. They dragged Matt out of the truck. And after a struggle, which they could tell that Matt struggled a lot. There were evidence that he tried to run. Right. That they got him, evidence that they dragged him and he ran away. It's awful. Um, and just I mean everybody like this gets worse. So just like it's a really bad case guys. So Aaron told Russell go get some rope in the truck and we're gonna time to the fence.

Like why though? I just I don't understand. And so he had, he had a length of rope in his track, Russell and got it. Russell apparently according to Aaron tied him to the fence. Also tied his hands behind his back. And Russell is just a little lemming and just literally everything. So according to Aaron as well, Russell didn't hit Matthew. Yeah, but he didn't stop

But he's just as bad. He didn't stop him and he also at one point claims that Russell was giggling like found it funny Yeah, so he's so gross as well and I will say Aaron does not throw him under the bus for hitting him right so But he does tie him to the fence and he ties his arms and he does nothing to stop this. Right. So once he's tied to the fence, he just Aaron starts beating him again and again and again. Well he's tied. Well he can't do anything. And with the butt of the revolver, he said he also used his fists a couple of times.

Once he was satisfied, he stole, he had the wallet and he stole his shoes. Like why? Yeah. Now all in all according to the autopsy there were 18 hits to his head and face with the butter of the revolver. Yeah. There were four skull, skull fractures. Oh my god. And what ended up being the fatal blow was behind his right ear where they had caved in his skull and crushed it so badly that it crushed his brainstem, which your brainstem is like all your major functions. So they crushed it. They didn't totally kill it basically, but it was why he ended up living slightly. I say quote unquote living. Right. They also, this blow also tore his ear almost completely off.

Oh my god. Like to. Yeah. And for no reason. And they, this is not robbery. No, no, this is not robbery. You are first of all. That's a hate crime.

He, willing, you gave you his wallet. He gave you. And you said so. And you stole his shoes. You could just leave. Right. There's no... To brutally hit someone that hard, you have pure hatred for them.

And like for no reason that affects you at all. No, none. Now Matt was left tied to that fence bleeding and going in and out of unconsciousness in the freezing cold Wyoming winter because this is October. Oh my God. Freezing cold. In the middle of the night, it goes down below freezing sometimes for 18 hours.

Because it was so secluded. Yeah, thank God that guy was riding his bike. Exactly. Tempts literally dip below freezing. Right, he was out there in just wearing, you know, normal clothes with no shoes and bleeding profusely. This is when officer Reggie Flute arrived on this scene where we talked about in the beginning. Now when we left left left her she was using her bare hands to clear

matte airways of blood right bad bitch alert this just shows her complete altruism right just jumping into action without regard for any self. I'm gonna save this guy. More people just need to have that kind of mentality. Compassion for another human being. And for a stranger, just a complete stranger. She didn't know him. Right.

So when Sheriff Dave O'Malley arrived on scene, he said there was blood spattered in a 50-foot radius. Oh my god. And he said there were drag marks all over the ground where like we said, Matt had clearly tried to escape and been dragged back several times. In a book called Unfinished Lives, Reviving the Memories of LGBTQ Hate Crimes,

it's by Steven Sprinkle. Officer O'Malley or Sheriff O'Malley said it was the worst crime scene he had ever witnessed in his entire career. Yeah, I could believe it. And this is very interesting. This I found like, wow. He also said, quote, I was a rotten son of a bitch when it came to dealing with gay issues. I had preconceived ideology that I grew up with hearing it from my father and friends. The jokes we used to tell and the things we used to say. And then he said after seeing Matt, quote, my eyes opened up. I didn't realize how a hate crime

affects all gaze, not just an individual. Right. Matt's friends were scared to death. Some left town as a result of what happened. Some transferred to other schools. They knew if it could happen to him, it could happen to anybody. All kinds of people get killed every day. But I'm not afraid to walk down to the liquor store and buy a six pack as some of these people were. It's absurd that it took something this tragic for it to hit me. Wow. But at least it did hit him.

Good for him for admitting that. To admit that is huge. And to just be like, to be like, it took this, this horrific, the worst crime scene I've ever seen in my entire career, which is a lengthy career at this point. It took that for me to not look at all gay people and be like, gross. Right. Like that, and for him to admit that, that's pretty great. That's huge. And it shows that you can't, it's okay to tweak your, your thoughts, your outlook on the world. Now it's called growth. Exactly.

It's okay to sit there and go, well shit. I was wrong. I looked at this situation for how long? And I looked at it this way, because I was taught this way, or I just looked at it this way. And this is what I believed. It's okay to learn information or absorb a situation and then go, whoa, whoa, whoa, I got to switch this.

Because it's like, it's unlearning hate because hate is a learned behavior. And I feel like a lot of people feel like they can't do that and it's like, they can't. No, you're allowed to do that. You should actually. It's being a decent human being to evolve into like, you should be evolving with the world and you should be evolving your way of thinking. Things change all the time. So it's like, guys, do that. Right, do it. Right.

Oh, so meanwhile, McKinney and Henderson went back into town after they left Matthew, tied to this fence and just didn't conscious. I'm conscious. At this point, they were asked later, like, did you think he was dead? And McKinney's like, yeah, I figured he was probably dead. And he was like, I didn't, he probably, he just didn't conscious. I'm gonna fuck. At this point, they were asked later, like, did you think he was dead? And McKinney's like, yeah, I figured he was probably dead.

And he was like, I didn't, he probably, he just didn't care. Oh, he literally said he was like, I really didn't give a shit. Like, I don't care. So he was like, yeah, I figured he was dead. Should I just go about your night after that? Well, guess what they do. So they go back into town and they pick a fight

with two Mexican-American teens. Good. Yeah, the teens were a Miliano Morales and Jeremy Herrera, both 18 years old. They both said that these two assholes just jumped to them on the street. Because they just weren't done with their night of fucking terror. Yeah. And Morales was hit in the head with the revolver. The same one. Yeah, the same one. And ended up needing 21 staples. And that's when his friend Jeremy hit Aaron with a stick to get him off of him. Right.

He was like, what the fuck? And then they ran away. Well, McKinney ended up with a hairline fracture that night from getting hit with the stick. And he, so he had a hairline fracture in his skull and was brought to the hospital. Police questioned they were like, I know you're bleeding. Like, why do you have that much blood on you? you? And they were like, what the fuck is that? Because it was soaking is clothing. And he was just like, oh yeah, it's from my own head.

I just bleed a lot. And they were just like, okay, that much. And in reality, it was mostly Matthews, obviously. Wow. He was put in a room four doors down from where Matthew lie unconscious in a coma. No, no. For a period of time that night,

they were four doors away from each other. Wow. So Matthew was laying in a coma in one room and his killer was laying four doors down and they had no idea. That's insane. Isn't that unbelievable? To go back and know that, it's like unbelievable.

Wow. What are the fucking odds? That's the thing. And it's like, in knowing now, and I'm just asking his parents, I keep thinking of, like, because I'm gonna get into, you know, his parents coming back and everything,

probably in part two, I think, because we're gonna end this in a bit. But I just think of his parents now knowing that information and knowing like, while you were trying to get to your son, who was laying in a coma after being beaten for no reason whatsoever, and then tied to a fence for 18 hours alone while you had no idea. Right.

Then you have to sit there and know that for a period of time while you were there, he was four doors away from the man who did that to him and that no one knew. Mm-hmm. And it's like, huh! That's like the Cindy and D thing. Honestly, it blows my- Yeah, that is like- That like, when does that Why? Yes, that is like,

that like, when does that happen? Right. When does that happen? That's like, we always say like when you're watching movie and you're like, okay, like that was a little over-boy. Exactly. And it's like, but this is the reality of the situation. Right.

It's insane. And I think I am going to end part one here. Wow. Matt is now in the hospital. He is in a coma. And McKinney and Henderson are not caught yet. Wow. So we are going to stop part one here. Okay. Give you guys a little bit of a breather. His part two is pretty rough too. So we're gonna, I think everybody needs to be like, to take a minute. Yeah, and I suggest

anybody wanting more information. Definitely read, I'll link it in the show notes. His mother, Judy wrote a book. Matt Shepherd is a friend of mine. He's a great movie to watch. It has everybody who was close to him talking about him. It's just like really like touchy. Like a celebration. It's so, and it's like very heart-wrenching at times,

but it's, I believe, like beautiful at the same time. Definitely watch those, but you're in luck because part two is going to be coming out on Sunday. So only in about two days. So you don't have a long time to wait. I won't make you wait like a week for part two. We're going to give you part two right away. So I hope you everybody is feeling okay right now.

And I hope maybe you took something away from it so far. I hope you did because you know what? It's Pride Month and that's the whole point of us doing this. Yeah. And we need to celebrate, but we also need to be aware of what the LGBTQ plus community is dealing with every day. So hopefully this, this is gonna inspire someone to change their way of thinking me. I hope so.

I hope so. So, well, we're gonna thank our Patreons. Yeah, you're a tug way of sorry. We're gonna take a quick right turn to like a happy thing. Yeah, yeah. So, number one is Margaret Connet. Margaret Connet, you're on it. Oh, girl.

Next is James, uh, Paria. James, Paria, I can't wait to see you. I can't wait to see you. Next we have a Madonna. Oh, Aaron. Aaron. She's like our like fifth Patreon that's Aaron and it's just Aaron. I love it. Aaron's so hot right now. Aaron's so hot right now. Next we have Morgan Elizabeth. Morgan Elizabeth. You are the tizabeth. I don't know what that means. That's my favorite, yeah.

You're my favorite. Next is Janine Pain. Janine Pain, you're not a pain. You're not a pain in my neck, and you're not. Next is Grace Hanger. Grace Hanger, you hang her in there, because you're the best. Hang her in there.

Then we have Megan Harmeyer. Megan Harmeyer, you rock. You rock in there. Then we have Megan Harmeyer. Megan Harmeyer. You rock. You rock my socks. Then I'm sorry if I mess up your last name, I'm gonna look at this for like one more second. Chris Moregs. Chris Moregs.

Yeah, give me Moregs. Give me Moregs. Thanks Chris, you're awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Our next one is another muchana. Allison. It's Allison is another Madonna. Allison. It's Allison.

It's with a Y. Ooh, Allison with a Y. So hot right now. So hot right now. Then we have Catery, I think, since scenarios. Cicneros. Catery since scenarios.

That's an amazing name. Yeah. Maybe you're the best, and we're really sorry if we said it wrong. We love you, Catery, Cicneros. Love you. the best and we're really sorry if we said it wrong. We love you, Catarice, his narrows. Love you. I'm gonna do two more Patreons. Ooh, who will it be?

Trisha Bell. Trisha Bell, you ring my bell. Yeah, ding, ding, ding. And then last, but certainly not least, is Danny B. Danny B! You're an A plus in my book. You're an A plus plus in my book. Thanks, Danny.

Well, as always, guys, you can find us on Instagram at Morbid Podcast. Hit us up on Twitter. A Morbid Podcast. Send us a Gmail. Please, please, please, please, please send all your listener tails to the Gmail account, which is with the subject, listen our tails, and then

whatever fun thing you decide to write, because those are really funny. Yes. Morbid Podcasts at gmail.com. And we hope you keep listening and we hope you keep it weird. But not so worth it your dry nance when you walk into a barn and kill some people for no reason

because that really just makes me want to punch you directly in the face. But I wouldn't do that because I'm too nice by I'd punch you. So yeah, I'd make her do it but don't be that important. Hey, Prime Members! You can listen to Morvid, Early, and Add Free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen Add Free with Wondery Plus and Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash

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