Matthew Shepard Killer Loses Bid For Shorter Sentence

(Cheyenne, Wyoming) One of the two men convicted of murdering gay college student Matthew Shepard Friday lost an appeal for a shorter sentence.

Russell Henderson contended that he was denied effective legal assistance during his trial. Henderson claimed that his court-appointed lawyers were ineffective because they did not discuss potential appeals.

Prior to the trial Henderson made a deal with prosecutors to void the death sentence and pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping in Shepard's slaying of the gay college student in 1998. He is currently serving two life sentences.

District Judge Jeffrey A. Donnell Friday rejected Henderson's argument.

The second man convicted of Shepard's murder, Aaron McKinney, also is serving two life sentences for the killing.

During their trial the court heard that Henderson and McKinney, both 21 at the time, kidnapped, pistol-whipped, robbed and left Shepard tied to a fence outside Laramie in October 1998. The 21-year-old University of Wyoming student died five days later at a hospital from massive head injuries.

The trial was told that the pair targeted Shepard solely because he was gay.

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/06/0...pardAppeal.htm

Looks like the judge actually saw this appeal for what it was in the end :thumbsup:

I had hoped the fact the waited until the very lat hour to file their appeal would go against them and it possibly did :)

Regards,

Lee

I've never been a supporter fo the death penalty, for numerous reasons I won't bore you with.

But I've never been closer to changing my mind than I was just after this happened.

I remember getting into an arguement with a guy about it, and he gave me one of those self-righteous "WWJD" answers and asked me "Would Matthew have wanted the death penatly?"

I thought about it and answered "No, probably not, but he got it anyway, didn't he?".

But rotting in jail is good enough for me.

i don't believe in the death penalty - not at all, not for anything. these ignorant animalistic thoughtless fuckers didn't mind killing but i wouldn't want their behaviour to change my belief that killing for any reason is wrong.

and yes, i'm a vegetarian who doesn't buy or wear leather...