BY XAV JUDD
Sometimes a crime is so shocking that it strikes a raw nerve in the public consciousness. The killing of Matthew Shepard is an example. On October 6th, 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, USA, 21-year-old university student Matthew Shepard was tied to a wooden fence, tortured and left to die. On the 20th anniversary of one of the worst gay hate crimes in American history, DNA revisits what happened on that night and why. Matthew’s mother, Judy speaks to us about the events following his death, and how the current US President is undermining LGBTIQ civil rights.
Matthew Shepard.