Matthew Wayne Shepard was born on December 1, 1976 in Casper, Wyoming. He was the oldest son of Judy Peck Shepard and Dennis Shepard. At around midnight on October 6, young Matthew was taken from a bar by two other young men to a place about a mile outside of Laramie. Once there, these men took him out to a split-rail fence, mercilessly beat him with a pistol, tortured him, then tied him up onto the fence, and left him for dead. He was found late the next day at 6:22 p.m. by a two bikers, some 18 hours after the brutal attack. When the bikers first saw Matthew tied to the fence, they thought that what they saw a scarecrow, but realized that it was a person. Matthew remained in a coma until Monday, October 12, when he left this world at 12:53 a.m. with his family at his bedside. The Matthew Shepard Foundation has been set up to help fund programs to educate youth and the public about hate crimes, and what they can do to prevent tragedies such as the Matthew's brutal murder.

After graduation from high school, Matthew attended Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, and Casper College. He had also attended some high school in Switzerland. He then moved to Denver, where he worked several jobs. He was attending the University of Wyoming, with a major in political science and foreign relations with a minor in languages. He was fluent in three languages. He enjoyed the theater and had parts in several Casper College and Stage III Theater plays. In addition he was very active in politics and campaigned for several candidates and held a sincere concern for human rights. He was selected as the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council. He enjoyed several sports including soccer, swimming, running, camping, hunting, fishing and snow skiing, in addition to his interests in dancing and theater.



Special Pages

Learn how hatred changes people's lives.Faces of Victims of Hatred. This is a page where people can share how hatred, prejudice and discrimination has impacted their lives.

Visit our Memories Page. This is a page where people who knew Matthew are able to share memories of Matthew.

Discover how Matthew has changed people's lives in out Difference Page. This is a page where people can share how knowing about Matthew Shepard made a difference in their lives.