All About Matthew Shepard: Death, Parents, Family, Mother, Salary

Known for movies

Short Info

Died	October 12, 1998, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Fact	The story about his death has been made into a movie: The Matthew Shepard Story (2002)

Matthew Shepard was born on December 1, 1976, in Casper, Wyoming. His parents are Judy and Dennis Shepard. He has two brothers, Logan and Cyrus. Shepard attended Crest Hill Elementary School and Dean Morgan Junior High School. He was a member of the National Honor Society and played football and lacrosse. After high school, Shepard attended Catawba College in North Carolina on a football scholarship. He later transferred to the University of Wyoming.

Shepard’s career began as an intern at the Wyoming State Legislature. He later worked as a political consultant and a lobbyist for the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless. In 1998, Shepard was elected to the Laramie City Council. He served one term and did not seek re-election.

Shepard’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million. His salary as a political consultant and lobbyist is not publicly available. However, he has earned significant income from his work on behalf of the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless.

Shepard met his partner, Aaron McKinney, in Laramie. The two were in a relationship for several months before McKinney attacked Shepard in October 1998. Shepard was beaten and left to die near Laramie. He died six days later as a result of his injuries.

McKinney and his accomplice, Russell Henderson, were both convicted of murder and are currently serving life sentences. Shepard’s death sparked national outrage and led to the passage of hate crime legislation in many states.

Shepard was 5’2″ tall and weighed approximately 130 pounds at the time of his death. He had brown hair and blue eyes.

General Info

Full Name	Matthew Shepard
Died	October 12, 1998, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Education	Catawba College, American School in Switzerland, Natrona County High School, University of Wyoming
Nationality	American

Family

Parents	Judy Shepard, Dennis Shepard
Siblings	Logan Shepard

Accomplishments

Nominations

Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album, Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Classical

Social profile links

IMDB	http://imdb.com/name/nm0791658

Facts

#	Fact
1	Son of Judy Shepard and Dennis Shepard. Brother of Logan Shepard.
2	His mother is a prime force behind the "Matthew Shepard Foundation", which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organizations. The group was founded, in December 1998, by Dennis Shepard and Judy Shepard, in memory of Matthew.
3	Many musicians, including Elton John, Peter Paul & Mary, Melissa Etheridge, Thursday, and Trivium, wrote songs about Shepard and his murder.
4	His murder led to the U.S. Government passing new laws regarding hate crimes.
5	His facial injuries were so severe he was covered in blood except in areas which had been partially cleansed by his tears.
6	In February 1995, during a high school trip to Morocco, he was beaten and raped, causing him to experience depression and panic attacks.
7	Dear Jesse (1998) premiered 2 days before he was killed.
8	The Laramie Project (2002) is another film about the death of Matthew Shephard.
9	The story about his death has been made into a movie: The Matthew Shepard Story (2002)
10	Died after being brutally beaten to death in the night of October 6th in Laramie, Wyoming. He was found around 6pm, 18 hours after being victim of a brutal attack in a gay hate crime.