Two decades after brutal killing, Matthew Shepard is laid to rest

Record ID: 1361871

  • Title: Two decades after brutal killing, Matthew Shepard is laid to rest
  • Date: 26th October 2018
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, USA (OCTOBER 26, 2018) (REUTERS) CLOSER VIEW OF SHEPARD'S SHROUDED REMAINS
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2018 16:44
  • Keywords: Matthew Shepard Dennis Shepard Washington National Cathedral gay student interment
  • Location: WASHINGTON, DC, USA
  • City: WASHINGTON, DC, USA
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA00293PF3GN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Two decades after Matthew Shepard was kidnapped and killed, turning him into an inspirational symbol for the fight against violence targeting gay people, his remains were interred on Friday (October 26) at the Washington National Cathedral.
    The Episcopal cathedral hosted a service for the public, followed by a private interment ceremony in its crypt. Attendees filled the 2,500-seat nave.
    In October 1998, 21-year-old Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was tied to a fence, pistol-whipped and left unconscious in the cold for 18 hours. Days later, he died at a Colorado hospital.
    The violence, said to be driven by his two attackers' anti-gay anger, shocked the country and led many states and the federal government to pass laws cracking down on hate crimes. His parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, established a foundation to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth and to combat hate crimes. Both attackers received life sentences.
    For Shepard's parents, interment of his ashes in a cathedral visited by more than 270,000 people annually and among the remains of notable Americans presents an honor and another opportunity to share their son with the public. Interment is reserved for individuals, such as President Woodrow Wilson, who made a significant contribution to the country.
    Dennis spoke in the service saying that Matthew was now in "a home that is safe from haters."
    Active Episcopalians, the Shepards had long sought a final resting place safe from vandalism or desecration. The interment will give them a sense of closure, said Reverend Gene Robinson, the church's first openly gay bishop and a family friend who helped preside over Friday's memorial service.
    On Thursday the Shepard family donated papers and objects from Matthew's childhood, as well as thousands of condolence letters, to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register