The Laramie Project Characters

is Russell Henderson's (one of the men convicted of Matt Shepard's death) landlord.

Emergency room doctor at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie.

He tries to save Matt Shepard's life.

Professor at the University of Wyoming in Laramie; "first 'out' lesbian or gay faculty member on campus."

Rancher, in his fifties, resident of Centennial, a nearby town"Some people are saying he made a pass at them. You don't pick up regular people.

I'm not excusing their actions, but it made me feel better because it was partially Matthew Shepard's fault and partially the guys who did it... you now, maybe it's fifty-fifty.

" (Pg. 58)

Detective sergeant for the Albany County Sheriff's Department in Laramie; chief investigator of Matt 's murder.

Reporter with the Casper Star-Tribune " Well, I remembered a guy, this skin head coming over, and he was dressed in leather and spikes everywhere, and he came over from across the street where the protest was and he came into the crowd and I thought 'Oh, this is gonna be a really ugly confrontation' BUT instead he came over and he started leading them in 'Amazing Grade.'" (Pg.

78)

President of the University of Wyoming.

Policewoman who responds to the 911 call and has to be tested for HIV after attempting to save Matt's life. She is the first police official on the scene.

Bartender at the Fireside bar; also a student at the University of Wyoming.

Republican Governor of Wyoming.

Russell Henderson's grandmother; provided a popular daycare service in Laramie "As the grandmother and the person who raised Russell, along with my family, we have written the following statement: Our hears ache for the pain and suffering that the Shepard's have went through.

We have prayed for you family since the very beginning. Many times throughout the day I have thought about Matt. And you will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers, as we know that your pain will never go away. You have showed such mercy in allowing us to have this plea, and we are so grateful that you are giving us all the opportunity to live.

Your Honor, we, as a family, hope that as you sentence Russell, that you will do it concurrently two life terms. For the Russell we know and love, we humbly plead, Your Honor, to not take Russell completely out of our lives forever." (Pg. 82,83)

One of the perpetrators; he is twenty-one years old when he offers Matt Shepard a ride home." Yes, I would, Your Honor. Mr.

And Mrs. Shepard, there is not a moment that goes by that I don't see what happened that night. I know what I did was very wrong, and I regret greatly what I did. You have my greatest sympathy for what happened.

I hope that one day you will be able to find it in your hearts to forgive me. Your Honor, I know what I did was wrong. I'm very sorry for what I did, and I'm ready to pay my debt for what I did." (Pg. 83)

Detective at the Laramie Police Department and third generation resident. "How could this happen? I - I think a lot of people just don't understand, and even I don't really understand, how someone can do something like that.

We have one of the most vocal populations of gay people in the state... And it's pretty much: Live and let live." (Pg. 45)

Student at the University of Wyoming who found Matt tied to the fence and called an ambulance.

One of the perpetrators charged with Shepard's murder." Uh, I really don't hate them but, you know, when they start coming on to me and stuff like that I get pretty aggravated. /Did he threaten you?/ This gay dude?/ yeah./ Not really.

" (Pg. 93).

Father of Aaron McKinney, truck driver."Had this been a heterosexual these two boys decided to take out and rob, this never would have made the national news. Now my son is guilty before he's even had a trial." (Pg.

49)

Owner of the Fireside Bar, the place where Matt was last seen.

Mother to Reggie Fluty; has emphysema but continues to smoke."And quite frankly I wanted to lash out at somebody. Not at Matthew, please understand that, not one of us was mad at Matthew. But we maybe wanted to squeeze McKinney's head off. And I think about Henderson.

And, you know, two absolutely human beings cause so much grief for so many people... It has been terrible for my whole family, but mostly for her and her kids." (Pg.

54)

Limousine driver who had driven Shepard to Colorado on occasion.

Lesbian who was a close friend of Matt's. She says she used to call him "Choo-choo."

Professor of political science, and Shepard's academic advisor at the University of Wyoming.

Minister from Kansas who comes to Laramie.

Outspoken Catholic priest in Laramie.

"And we got in this huge argument... and my best, the best thing that I knew I had them on is it was just after they had seen me in a performance of Macbeth, and onstage like I murdered like a little kid, and Lady Macduff and these two other guys and like she goes, "Well, you know homosexuality is a sin"- she kept saying that = and I go, "Mom, I just played a murderer tonight. And you didn't seem to have a problem with that..

."" (Pg. 85)

Gay man, in his 40's"But I kept telling myself: People should live where they want to live. And there would be times I would go down to Denver and I would go to gay bars and, um, people would ask where I was from and I'd say, "Laramie, Wyoming.

" And I met so many men down there from Wyoming. So many gay men who grew up here, and they're like: "This is not a place where I can live, how can you live there, I had to get out, grr, grr, grr." (pg. 22)

CEO Poudre Valley Hospital in Ft.

Collins, Colorado, Mormon.

Muslim woman in her 20's"Like people say thing to me like, 'Why do you have to wear that thing on your head?' Like when I go to the grocery store, I'm not looking to give people Islam 101, you know what I mean? So I'll be like, 'Well it's part of my religion,' and they'll be - this is the worst part cuz they'll be like, 'I know it's part of your religion, but why?' And it's how am I supposed to go into the whole doctrine of physical modesty and my own spiritual relationship with the Lord, standing there with my pop and chips? (Pg. 26)

Older homosexual man who lives in the heart of Laramie. "There were at least five hundred people marching for Matthew. Five hundred people. Can you imagine? The tag at the end was larger than the entire parade.

And people kept joining in. And you know what? I started to cry. Tears were streaming down my face. And I thought, "Thank God that I got to see this in my life time." And my second thought was, 'Thank you, Matthew.'" (Pg.

64)

Romaine Patterson's sister; owner of a shop in Laramie"And then I heard... Henderson had to sit in the courtroom while they question the prospective jurors. And one of the questions that they ask is: Would you be willing to put this person to death? And I understand that a lot of the comments were: 'Yes, I would.

'" (Pg. 80, 81)

"You and the straight people of Laramie and Wyoming are guilty of the beating of Matthew Shepard just as the Germans who looked the other way are guilty of the deaths of Jews, the Gypsies, and the homosexuals. You have taught your straight children to hate their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Unless and until you acknowledge that Matt Shepard's beating is not just a random occurrence, not just the work of a couple of random crazies, you have Matthew's blood on your hands.

" (Pg. 56)