There are no memorials marking the murder of Matthew Shephard besides this small plaque on a bench on the University of Wyoming campus, where he was a student. It was installed in 2008.
Shephard’s murder, shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, spawned an activist movement that, more than a decade later, would result in passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal law against bias crimes directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people.
A plaque on the bench reads: “Matthew Wayne Shepard December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998. Beloved son, brother, and friend. He continues to make a difference. Peace be with him and all who sit here.” Often the bench has flowers and mementos left by people coming to pay their respects.
