25 Years Later: New Special Honors Matthew Shepard, a Victim of One of the Worst Anti-Gay Hate Crimes in US

Matthew Shepard.Photo:Investigation Discovery/YouTube

Investigation Discovery/YouTube

On Oct. 12, 1998,Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, died in a Colorado hospital, five days after he was abducted, robbed, beaten and left tied to a fence in the cold outside Laramie, Wyo.

His convicted killers, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, both are serving two consecutive life terms for his kidnap and murder, after a prosecution in which the suspects raised a “gay-panic” defense and said they beat Shepard because he made an alleged sexual advance, PEOPLEpreviously reported.

The Oct. 9 premiere ofThe Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crimeon Investigation Discovery (ID) will honor Matthew Shepard’s life and legacy as the 25th anniversary of death approaches.

(An exclusive trailer is shown below).

Since Shepard’s murder, his parents, Judy and Dennis, have channeled their grief into fighting for LGBTQ+ rights throughThe Matthew Shepard Foundationand providing support to LGBTQ+ youth throughMatthew’s Place, PEOPLEpreviously reported.

Shepard’s ashes now rest at theWashington National Cathedral, Jason Marsden, executive director of theMatthew Shepard Foundation, previously told PEOPLE.

“Matthew’s story remains just as heart wrenching and relevant today as it was 25 years ago,” said Jason Sarlanis, President, Turner Networks, ID & HLN, Linear and Streaming.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“This tragedy ignited an incredibly emotional and influential chapter in the fight against LGBTQ+ discrimination that brought great progress,” Sarlanis added. “By revisiting Matthew’s story, we hope to educate a whole new generation and underscore the power love and acceptance play in continuing the fight against violence and discrimination in all its forms.”

The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crimewill air Monday, Oct. 9 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery and will stream on Max following the premiere.

source: people.com