US Parole Board Denies Killer of Matthew Shepard A Commuted Sentence

A parole board in Wyoming has firmly denied the application for a commuted sentence for one of killers of Matthew Shepard.

The Wyoming Board of Parole denied the petition that was filed by Russell Henderson, one of the two men convicted for the gay hate crime murder of Matthew Shepard in the 1990s, who asked for the latter of his two consecutive life sentences to be shortened.

Henderson has so far served 25 years in prison for the horrific crimes he committed against Shepard – kidnapping and murder in the first degree. During the trial, he pled guilty to the crimes in order to avoid the death penalty.

Margaret White, the parole board’s executive director, told Advocate.com, “Mr. Henderson filed a commutation petition which the Board considered in accordance with its policies.”

“The Board held a hearing on Russell’s petition and declined to forward the petition to the Governor. This matter is now decided.”

The 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard

Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, brutally beaten, and murdered by Russell Henderson and his accomplice, Aaron McKinney, in October 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming.

This murder was horrific and devastating – but the anger and devastation felt by the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies created a genuine watershed moment in the history of queer rights.

Advocates – including Shepard’s parents – rose up and spoke out about Matthew‘s heartbreaking death, and this advocacy about gay hate murders and hate crimes resulted in major legislative change both locally and federally in the US.

This significant moment in history – and what is now Matthew‘s eternal legacy – created stronger hate crime laws, and laws protecting marginalised groups of all kinds from discriminatory violence.

And this significant change echoed globally, with meaningful changes to hate crime laws occurring all around the world, including Australia.

Wyoming’s commutation process

Henderson has asked for leniency and reduction in his sentence in the past. In 2004, he filed for ‘post-conviction relief’ on the basis that his legal rights weren’t properly explained to him when he agreed to the plea agreement in ’99.

But he was unsuccessful, and has been incarcerated at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington ever since.

However, under Wyoming‘s state law, inmates who are sentenced to life without parole, and have been remanded for more than 10 years, are legally allowed to file a commutation petition every five years.

“As to Mr. Henderson, he may submit another petition for commutation in five years,” White confirmed.

Shepard’s family continue to fight and advocate

Ever since the murder of their son, the parents of Matthew Shepard have been strong advocates in the fight against LGBTQIA+ hate crimes and violence.

In May this year, Judy Shepard was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, and together they founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which focuses on combating hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ around the world.

Earlier in the year, The Laramie Project – a play about Matthew Shepard’s death and its enormous impact on LGBTQIA+ advocacy – did a one-night show in Sydney.

The cast of the play featured Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father, who read his heartbreaking and deeply emotional victim impact speech that he read in court in real life after his son’s killers were put behind bars.