Some of it, though, comes from not wanting to bear the blame for the crime, he said. McKinney slouched forward at the defense table during After leaving Shepard tied to a fence post in rural Wyoming, Henderson and McKinney returned to Laramie, where they got in a street fight with two other men, according to The Coloradoan. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. Dave OMalley, who worked on the Shepard investigation and is now the Albany County sheriff, told the Star-Tribune that Jimenezs book would more aptly be titled The Book of Lies., Nothing was in the investigation whatsoever that indicated that Matt was in any way involved in the use or distribution of methamphetamine or any other drugs, OMalley said. I think he has atoned. . McKinneys lawyers also wanted to argue that Shepard caused McKinney to explode in a rage by putting his hand on McKinneys leg. Im so, so ashamed I was ever part of this, Henderson said. Chastity Pasley. The University of Wyoming created its diversity office only last year. Lookup the home address and phone 2705768642 and other contact details for this person. where a year earlier, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was tied and pistol whipped into a coma. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File), Nov. 4, 1999: Judy Shepard stands with Detective Sgt. She also was charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, but her trial has been delayed. Associated Press Writer Brady McCombs contributed to this report. Henderson and McKinney argued that the murder was the result of a robbery gone bad and that Shepard's sexual orientation wasn't a factor, though McKinney's own account of the night hurts that assertion. Shepard had asked his friends if they wanted to go with him to The Fireside Lounge for a beer but didn't get any takers. To me, it was ridiculous.. Prosecutor Cal Rerucha said Monday that she was a valuable witness for the prosecution against McKinney. I love you Chasity until we see each other again. Pasley wept throughout. McKinney is now in a Mississippi prison and not agreeing to interview requests, according to the Wyoming Department of Corrections. Pasley said she first learned of the beating listening to where a year earlier, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was tied and pistol whipped into a coma. McKinney and Henderson trying "to get their stories straight" Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. It never was about that, Henderson said. Kristen Price, the former girlfriend of Aaron McKinney, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer. He had stayed behind the day the clothes Attitudes against homosexuality persist in Wyoming, but LGTBQ acceptance has advanced, said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation. The Wyoming Cowboys season will come to a close th. Stephen Jimenez, the events host, is the author of The Book of Matt that alleges drugs and not hate led to Shepards death. The judge prohibited the gay panic defense. Twelve states plus the District of Columbia are the only places where this defense has been banned. Then they left Shepard in the frigid darkness. Casper is known for its oil industry, which Shepard's father Dennis was part of. Known as the Equality State, Wyoming got its nickname for being the first to let women vote. But there are also people who think Shepard deserved to die because of his sexual orientation and use Jimenezs theory as an excuse for their views, Osborn said. I think about him and every single one of those days that I've had that he hasn't had, his family hasn't had, his friends haven't had. LARAMIE Russell Henderson, one of two men convicted of murdering Matthew Shepard, was scheduled to appear by live video at an event Tuesday in Laramie called Why Truth Matters.. According to Oxygen, Aaron McKinney has never displayed even an ounce of remorse for his crimes, even doubling down. Pasley faced up to three years in prison. I think about Matthew every single day of my life. Pasley's testimony. Marsden pointed out that only Wyomings governor could commute Hendersons sentence, a prospect that he called super unlikely. Burlingame of the Wyoming Equality group said she believes in redemption but doubts Henderson has really atoned for the crime. These last couple of months Chasity made such changes in her life she would always pray with me when I seen her. comment, May her family find comfort and peace, She made a choice that she ultimately paid the price for and I find it sad anyone would come to this forum and post such things, these are the same people that want to preach love, The reality is the truth can be found in the Bible such as John 13:34, Your email address will not be published. ``I cant bring him back. Hendersons remarks dont change the facts of the case, which include McKinneys confession to police, Marsden said. with two other men after the Shepard beating. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days She received 120 days of credit for time already served following her initial arrest, and the remaining 60 days were suspended. Merry . Jim Osborn, the University of Wyoming Title IX coordinator and 1998 chair of the LGBTQ student group Shepard belonged to, is often the staff member who speaks to UW classes about Shepard. The murder of Shepard was a watershed moment for gay rights and LGBTQ acceptance in the U.S., so much so that 20 years later the crime remains seared into the national consciousness. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Christopher and Lois Pasely; Maternal grandparents Rodney and Margaret Larsen; Brother -in-law James Sams and Uncle Darwin Larsen. The foundation also pushed for the passage of the United States' first piece of federal hate crime legislation the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Pasley testified Price originally was accused of accessory after-the-fact to first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced. Crime and Public Safety | I dont like to spend a lot of time on them. What Matthew Shepards killer has to say, 20, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, 20 years after killing Matthew Shepard, what Russell Henderson has to say, Matthew Shepards parents prepare to lay their son to rest at National Cathedral. Going into the murder trial, McKinney's lawyers used a defense strategy that involved pointing to McKinney's claim that Shepard touched him (via BBC News). Twenty years on, its a heck of a lot closer to being a place where people can enjoy their lives more or less equally, said Marsden, who was a newspaper reporter and friend of Shepards at the time of his killing. She said her organization will continue its unapologetic advocacy, reaching out to churches, businesses, legislators and regular citizens about their policies and attitudes. knee of Henderson's pants. concussion he suffered during a fight he and Henderson had Pasley said she saw blood and a "fleshy" substance on one (Dennis Shepard/The Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP), Matthew Shepard with his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard in an undated photo. The 1998 torture and murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, was a turning point for gay rights in the United States, prompting outrage, sorrow and activism. Even now, people associate Laramie with the murder. Celebration of Life Linda she really loved you with all her heart & soul she missed you very much. By providing an email address. You have permission to edit this article. For more on Shepards murder, as well as other brutal hate crimes and the current rise of extremist violence in the United States, watch Uncovered: KilledByHate, airingSunday at 7/6conOxygen. Chasity Vera Pasley is a resident of UT. Pasley is serving 15 to 24 months in prison after pleading. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. As tragic as it is, and as unfortunate as it is, and as hard as it is for Matthews family, and for my family, for all of us, to go through, it opened up all of us to be better people and really think about who we are, Henderson said of Shepards death in a prison interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Pasley was the live-in girlfriend of Russell Henderson, who This 1995 photo provided by the Matthew Shepard Foundation shows Matthew Shepard. She is also watching out for her Ashton and mother and other loved ones left here in mortality. As recently as Tuesday, days before the anniversary of Shepards death, about 200 people attended a forum in Laramie questioning the prevailing view that he was murdered because of his sexual orientation. Police said the women helped dump bloody clothing and. Authorities said Henderson and Aaron McKinney, both 21, posed as homosexuals and lured Shepard out of a bar before taking him to a remote area, pistol-whipping him and leaving him tied to a fence in the cold. I dont necessarily think that the counternarrative necessarily comes from a place of hate or negativity in and of itself, Osborn said. Wyoming teachers are leaving. Russell Henderson looks on during a prison interview at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution. Chasity Pasley, 21, is serving an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the slaying of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten, tied to a fence post. The night I did it, I did have hatred for homosexuals. A contradictory statement from McKinney indicates that Shepard didn't touch him, but looked like he was going to. (The Matthew Shepard Foundation via AP), Oct. 9, 1998: Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney, and Chasity Pasley, three suspects in the beating death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard wait to be arraigned in Laramie, Wyo. Chasity Vera Haines (Pasley) passed away on October 10, 2017. For the last 20 years, the work of Wyoming Equality has really been this race, that we want to get to every LGBT person out there, Burlingame said. There was a problem saving your notification. He later died. October 28, 1999 Chasity Pasley, 23, could have been sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined up to $3,000 on her guilty plea to being an accessory in the October 1998 slaying of Matthew Shepard, 21. pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder and is serving "We have been assured that Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore are firmly behind this legislation, and that they're going to do everything they can to see that it is passed," said Dennis Shepard. She attended Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming and later obtained a degree from Stevens Henager College. OMalley said Jimenezs narrative has picked up in steam in Wyoming more than anywhere else. And so people were kind of desperate to latch onto any theory that was something other than hate.. Her personality and smile would light up a room. "We need to do this for Matthew and for everybody else and to keep this from happening again.". 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