Tag Archives: Laramie WY

October 6, 1998: The Murder of Matthew Shepard

October 6, 1998: Remembering The Heartbreaking Murder of Matthew Shepard

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23 years ago this night, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson for the first time at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming and became the victim of one of the most brutal and heinous anti-gay hate crimes in history.

McKinney and Henderson said that they would give Matthew a ride home but instead  they drove him to a remote rural area and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Matthew, tying him to a fence and leaving him to die. Matthew hung there all night in the freezing, in pain and alone until he was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow.  Matthew was still alive but by that time has slipped into in a coma.

Matthew suffered fractures to the back of his head and in front of his right ear. He experienced severe brainstem damage, which affected his body’s ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature, and other vital functions and there  were about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face, and neck. His injuries were so severe that doctors could not operate.

Matthew was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998.

Both McKinney and Henderson were convicted of the murder, and each received two consecutive life sentences.

What happened to Matthew angered both America and the world. His senseless murder garnered immense media attention that brought forth and shone a light on the bigotry and hated that LGBT individuals endure

The life and death of Matthew Shepard changed the way we talk about, and deal with, hate in America. Since his death, Matt’s legacy has challenged and inspired millions of individuals to erase hate in all its forms. Although Matt’s life was short, his story continues to have a great impact on young and old alike.  His legacy lives on in thousands of people like you who actively try to eradicate the hatred from those who preach against us and fight to replace it with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

On October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (commonly the “Matthew Shepard Act” or “Shepard/Byrd Act” for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law

Rest well sweet Matthew. We shall never forget.

Gay Couple Challenging Wyoming’s Same Sex Marriage Ban Turn Out To Be Straight Con Artists

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Last week I posted about a young gay couple in Laramie Wyoming named David Shupe-Roderick,, and Ryan W. Dupree who had filed a federal court challenge to the constitutionality of Wyoming’s ban on same-sex marriage and were going it alone because they couldn;t afford a lawyer and “find one to take their case for free.”

Well it turns out that the two are nothing more than a pair of STR8 CON ARTISTS.!

LezGetReal who broke the original story follows up on the report and has found out some disturbing things about Shupe-Roberts and Dupree:

Shupe-Roderick, 25, served 4 years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary after he, his brother, and their two girlfriends left Cheyenne in a rental car in January 2004. When they didn’t return the rental car on time, the rental company contacted police. Two days later, Shupe-Roderick – then known as Gerald Shupe — was arrested in Arkansas after being pulled over for an illegal lane change.

After being sentenced, Shupe-Roderick unsuccessfully requested a reduction in his prison sentence on the grounds that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and wasn’t taking his prescribed medication when he took the rental car.

Lezgetreal has been contacted by parties close to source as well as information from local authorities and now received further verification through the investigation of other media outlets.

Gerald David Shupe-Roderick, aka Gerald Shupe, now asking to be called David- is currently being prosecuted for falsifying state documents. Last October, he applied to become a notary public, and he allegedly certified on his application form that he wasn’t a convicted felon.

The lawsuit also alleges Shupe-Roderick used a fake same-sex union certificate from Massachusetts to obtain a Wyoming driver’s license……

Shupe-Roderick has also been a plaintiff in court as frequently as he has been a defendant. Besides the gay marriage case, says the Billings Gazette. “He’s filed five other lawsuits in the past three years. In one, he accused prison guards of sexual misconduct, and in another, he accused a would-be business client of assault and breach of contract. He has also sought $16,398 in loans and debts from his former employers/roommates and asserted that Bank of America unlawfully refused to release $5,107 from his bank account. All of those cases were eventually dropped or dismissed.”

There is yet a fifth case is pending in federal court in which Shupe-Roderick is suing “Wyoming Child Support Services” — an apparent reference to the Wyoming Department of Family Services — for allegedly intercepting a $643 federal tax refund. Shupe-Roderick had previously paid child support to his ex-wife to support their 5-year-old son, but in 2009 he agreed to give up his parental rights in exchange for dropping all child support obligations.

It has also been alleged that Shupe has two other children with yet a second woman. Likely the Gay behavior of a man who is so upset he cannot marry a same-sex partner who he told LezGetReal he has known for a mere year! It would seem also that Dupree has a neurological problem and one can only wonder if Mr. Shupe, adept at lawsuits, is using the younger man, to further his personal agenda.

I applaud LezGet Real for following up on the story and when getting further detals that exposed the story as a pathetic con for pronting its follow-up.  THAT took alot of integrity. Because many sites would have just let it slide.

Af for Back2Stonewall I published a post that had multiple aources and links verifying it.  And my indignation to the original story and the “lack of help” would remain true to this day if it \WAS REAL or I ran across another story that placed LGBT individuals standing up up against injustice without getting any help from anybody.  If that was the true case I would do the same thing.. 

As for the revelations that David Shupe-Roderick,, and Ryan W. Dupree are nothing more than grifters and con-artists trying to make a buck off our musery.  I hope that they get everything they deserve and they are nothing morte than scum.