The Laramie Project

“A Laramie Man” opens with Jon Peacock’s recollection of first hearing about the attack on Thursday evening, the day after it happened. The violence of the crime and the victim’s name were not revealed at first and he felt a great sense of disbelief when he learned that it was Matthew Shepard who had been attacked. Matthew’s friend, Romaine, first heard the news at work and wondered if the victim was her friend. She called her sister, Trish, to ask if she knew and Trish confirmed that it was Matthew who had been attacked. Matt Galloway learned of the attack on Friday and bought a paper to get further details, but before he could read it, his boss, Matt Mickelson, demanded a meeting to discuss what happened in the bar that night. Jon Peacock tells us that the ordeal was made worse when Rulon Stacey, the local hospital’s CEO and spokesperson, announced that the attack might have been a hate crime. Matt Galloway and his boss agreed to attend the arraignment to identify the perpetrators.

In “The Essential Facts,” a newsperson announces that Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson have been charged with beating Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming.