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Date Posted: 19:32:01 06/16/03 Mon
Author: -- :*~*:. .:*~*:. ..:*~*:. . { JASON } . .:*~*:. .:*~*:. :*~*:.
Subject: Here's an article that isn't about HCL. It's just about Matthew Shepard. Maybe some would like to read it. It's very sad. Sobbing Shepards Reject Henderson Apology
In reply to: John 's message, "Hate Crime Laws" on 10:32:11 06/10/03 Tue


Sobbing Shepards Reject Henderson Apology
Tuesday, 6 April 1999

LARAMIE, Wy. -- Russell Henderson stood before the sobbing parents of Matthew Shepard Monday afternoon and apologized for kidnapping their son, lashing him to a fence and leaving him for dead on a cold night last October.

"I know what I did was wrong. I'm very sorry for what I did," he said. "You have my greatest sympathy for what happened."

Henderson copped a guilty plea in an effort to short-circuit a jury trial which, very likely, would have handed down a death sentence as punishment for his crimes. By throwing himself on the mercy of the court with a plea of guilt before a trial commenced, Henderson may have spared his life.

Shepard's parents dismissed Henderson's apology as an attempt to save his own skin. Judge Jeffrey Donnell, also unmoved, sentenced Henderson to two consecutive life terms. Under Wyoming law, Henderson's only hope for release from prison is a pardon.

Henderson's accomplice, Aaron McKinney, the man Henderson's defense counsel insists inflicted almost all of the deadly blows to Shepard, still faces trial. The proceedings in his case were scheduled for August.

Shepard's mother, Judy, wept into her husband Dennis's side during much of Monday's hearing. She composed herself enough to stand to address Henderson before he was led away.

"At times I don't know how you'd be worthy of any acknowledgment of your existence," she said. "You murdered my son... None of us would be here today going through this agony if it wasn't for you." Shepard said before sitting down again: "It takes someone quite unique to sit and watch someone else be beaten to death and do nothing about it."

Henderson's aunts and uncles, separated from the Shepards by a narrow aisle, also cried at times during the hearing. Henderson was seen to wipe a tear from his eye as his grandmother, Lucy Thompson, told the court the family "will never give up on him because we know there is goodness within him."

It was a rare display for Henderson, who earlier showed little emotion as he described for the court the fatal beating on Oct. 6. He said it was McKinney's plan to entice Shepard out of a bar and into a pickup truck to rob him.

Henderson said he tried several times to persuade McKinney to end the assault. "Matt looked really bad, so I told him to stop hitting him, I think he's had enough," Henderson said. He said at that point McKinney turned on him and struck him in the face with the gun. The beating of Shepard continued.

Shepard died five days later of massive head trauma. He never regained consciousness.

Judge Donnell sentenced Henderson to the maximum sentence allowed under Wyoming law. He said he didn't believe Henderson felt any remorse.

State prosecutor Cal Rerucha told the court, "It is my hope that Mr. Henderson will die in the Wyoming state penitentiary, and the only time he leaves the Wyoming state penitentiary is when they take him out to bury him."

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Replies:

  • Just thought i'd jump in now that everybody's good and damned tired of talking about this...lol. *John, please read this. seriously* -- Josh, 01:02:29 06/18/03 Wed
  • Josh, a voice of reason.... -- John, 03:32:24 06/18/03 Wed
  • Josh, a voice of reason.... -- John, 03:33:32 06/18/03 Wed
  • CRY ON!!! BITCH!...=P..*hugz joshie..*.. u know I love ya! =) (NT) -- Once again, EDDI, not eddie, nor ed, or edi..., 05:09:52 06/18/03 Wed
  • You are SUCH a liarmouth!! And you KNOW it! I totally kicked your ass on the last HC debate and when all the smoke cleared, you were FOR hate crime laws now you ...you...you're undecided?? Did you backslide or what? Are we going to have to do some all night IM discussions? Am I going to have to interrupt your sex life? Don't think I wont! ::in my best Samuel Jackson voice:: Don't make me have to come down there and get medieval on yo ass! (more) -- Lance, 09:00:41 06/20/03 Fri
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