Matthew Shepard Beating Death Trial: 1999

The attack and Shepard's death got worldwide publicity. The New York Times, which seldom notices news from Wyoming, ran more than 50 items about the murder. The Times could not resist throwing in a bit of bogus Old West lore, comparing Shepard's being tied to the fence to the "practice of nailing a dead coyote to a ranch fence as a warning to future intruders." Coyotes, among the most observant of creatures in nature, can spot real danger hidden in high grass, but will not be deterred by canine scarecrows.

A cross of stones lies below the fence where gay student Matthew Shepard was tied and beaten to death. (AP/Wide World Photos)

The Shepard case also generated at least 27 national magazine articles and numerous websites. President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno both called for more hate crime laws. There were demonstrations against hate crime, particularly crime against homosexuals, in cities from San Francisco to New York. In New York, the, demonstration turned into a riot, in which 120 persons were arrested.