Before Henderson received his sentence, Judy Shepard, the victim's mother, told the court how much she missed Matthew. I could never understand why anyone would do this to him because he was such a loving young man. Henderson's defense also insisted the slaying was not a hate crime but a robbery gone wrong. Defense attorney Wyatt Skaggs stressed that Henderson is remorseful for his crime. Everyone comes from families that have relatives who appear stoic in hard times.
Different people react differently to difficult situations.
Russell Henderson is no different. Everyone thinks people should cry when hard times happen, but Russell is stoic by nature. The small county reportedly would have had to raise taxes and cut services in order to pay for the trial. In the hours leading to Henderson's plea bargain, a dozen young people dressed as angels with white sheets and wings clashed with anti-gay demonstrators outside the Laramie courthouse. McKinney will face trial in August, and Henderson's testimony against his friend would bolster the prosecution's case.