10/08/2026
28 years ago today, Matthew Shepard was found by a bicyclist at 6:22 PM.
He was a son, a brother, and a friend, just trying to live his best life and find his own happiness. Stolen from the world entirely too soon, Matthew was only 21 years old, a mere 50 days shy of his 22nd birthday. He stood just 5’2” and weighed around 100 pounds.
When he was discovered the day after the brutal attack, tied to a remote fence on October 7th 1998, the cyclist initially mistook him for a scarecrow or a Halloween decoration, and the first responders on scene thought he was a 14-year-old child.
Matthew was brutally attacked and targeted specifically because he was gay. He wasn’t hurting anyone or committing any crimes; he was a victim of pure hatred. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries six days later, on October 12th.
The following year, in October 1999, the Angel Action Network was formed and put into motion at his murder trial. The movement was originally created to block out the venomous protests of the Westboro Baptist Church. After seeing them disrupt Matthew’s memorial service the year prior, his close friend Romaine Patterson was deeply disturbed and resolved to act. She envisioned and created a physical and visual blockade of angels to completely shield out the hate.
For decades, Matthew did not have a permanent final resting spot, largely out of fear that a traditional grave would be targeted by vandalism.
As the years passed, his legacy reshaped the law. Thanks to the fierce and tireless advocacy of his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law on October 28, 2009.
Finally, on October 26, 2018, twenty years and 14 days after his passing, and 9 years after the hate crimes act was enacted, Matthew Shepard was laid to rest at the Washington National Cathedral. This month will mark his 8th year resting peacefully in the cathedral, safe, honored, and never forgotten.
It is this enduring legacy of love and the memory of Matthew Shepard that ultimately brought the wings to our own city of Spokane.
We stand, we remember, and we protect.
RIP Matthew Shepard.
