The Laramie Project

THE 1998 MURDER OF 21 YEAR-OLD MATTHEW SHEPARD IN LARAMIE, WYOMING SHOCKED THE NATION AND THE WORLD. HIS KILLING WIDELY VIEWED AS A TRAGIC SYMBOL OF ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE. SHEPARD WAS ROBBED. IT TIED TO A FENCE POST TORTURED AND LEFT TO DIE. THE TOWN'S EFFORTS TO COME TOGETHER IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE HORRIFIC KILLING GAVE RISE TO THE LARAMIE PROJECT. IT'S A PLAY THAT HAS BEEN PERFORMED IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES AND 13 LANGUAGES. NOW, THE LARAMIE PROJECT TAKES CENTER STAGE IN BONITA SPRINGS WGCU REPORTER TOM HALL HAS DETAILS. >> I SWEAR I SAW HERD OF BUFFALO. >> ALSO, I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT THE WYOMING SIDE SAID. >> CODY SEE JONES HAS DIRECTED HAIR HAITI'S TOWN TEEN EDITION. CARRIE, THE MUSICAL IN BULLETPROOF BACKPACK. HE GRAVITATES TOWARDS PLAYS THAT RAISED MORE QUESTIONS THAN THEY ANSWER THE LARAMIE PROJECT AS ANOTHER. >> WE LOVE TO PUT ON AN AMAZING ENTERTAINMENT. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. BUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO US IS MAKING SURE WE'RE PRODUCING SHOWS THAT CHALLENGE OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVE OUR COMMUNITY SUBJECT MATTER. NEEDS TO DISCUSS AND WORK OVER AND TALK ABOUT. AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME THAT WE REVISIT THE STORY OF MATTHEW SHEPARD LARAMIE PROJECT CAST MEMBER AND RECENT ESTERO HIGH GRADUATE JALEN, LIBYA SAYS SADLY. >> THE TIMING IS EXACTLY RIGHT. >> I THINK HATE CRIMES AND VIOLENCE AGAINST MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. I HAVE GONE DOWN SINCE MATTHEW AND THEN SHOT RIGHT BACK UP. >> HER SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED BY MATTHEW SHEPARD'S, FATHER DENNIS, WHO SPOKE WITH THE CAST LAST WEEK VIA ZOOM, ALMOST COMPLETELY BACK TO WORK WAS LIKE. >> IN 1998, FOR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ALL THE MORE SHE WAS CLEAR THIS. NOW THAT'S RACE, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN. CHANDOR. >> ACCORDING TO GLASS ANTI LGBTQ EXTREMISM. REPORTING TRACKER IN 2025. THERE WERE 1042 ANTI LGBTQ+ INCIDENTS ACROSS 47 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT MARKED A 5% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. OVER HALF, SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONCONFORMING PEOPLE. >> THAT'S WHY THE LARAMIE PROJECT IS OUT THERE AND STILL BEING PRODUCED TO THE STAY. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO GLAD FOR DOING IT HERE. YOU'RE TO BE A YOUNG MAN. >> AND 13 14 YEARS OLD BECAUSE HE WAS SO TIGHT. >> NEITHER OF THE CRIME NOR THE TRIALS OF THE KILLERS WERE THE FOCUS OF PLAYWRIGHT MOISES KAUFMAN AND HE'S TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT CO CREATIVES. THEY CAME TO LARAMIE A MONTH AFTER THE MURDER TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER LARAMIE WAS DIFFERENT FROM WERE IDENTICAL TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. THERE'S A FAMOUS QUOTE IN THE SHOW THAT THEY BASICALLY SAY. >> THIS ISN'T LARAMIE. THIS LARAMIE IS IS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN THIS. AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE DEFINED BY THE TRAGEDY IN SOME WAYS. I THINK WHAT REALLY HUMANIZES THIS SPECIFIC STORY IS IT BRINGS TOGETHER SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE OF CONTRACTING OPINION AND PERSPECTIVE TO REALLY COME TO FIND OUT THAT THEY ALL HAVE SOMETHING VERY EARNEST AND AND IN COMMON AND THAT'S THAT WE'RE ALL HUMAN THAT WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS THAT WE A LIVE AND BREATHE AND WE ALL BLEED THE SAME COLOR. >> PSYCHOLOGIST DOCTOR LORE RIGHT HAS 2 CHILDREN WHO OFTEN PERFORMING ARTS BONITA. SHE'S INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH JONES APPROACH TO PRODUCING SHOWS THAT CONTAIN CONTROVERSIAL THEMES. HE DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS AT THE END. >> HE GIVES YOU LOTS OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND LOTS OF THINGS TO TALK WITH. MAYBE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAME TO THE SHOW AT THE WORK, MAYBE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAD DINNER WITH EARLIER. >> HE DID IT. AND THE THING. >> IN THE AFTERMATH OF SHEPARD'S MURDER LARAMIE RALLIED TOGETHER TO DEAL WITH THE TRAGEDY THAT SAYS JONES RAISES ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION. >> WHY DOES IT TAKE A TRAGEDY TO BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER? >> CITING THE WORK OF STANFORD PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR JAMEEL ZACK E RIGHT OFFERS THIS POSSIBLE EXPLANATION. THERE IS A TERM FOR THIS CALL, CATASTROPHE, COMPASSION. >> AND IT'S THIS IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING REALLY TERRIBLE HAPPENS, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH ACTIVE OF MEN OR OR OR NATURE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO GET TOGETHER AND HELP EACH OTHER. AND THAT I AND I BELIEVE THAT IS A AS A PERCENT THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST INHERENTLY GOOD AND WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF LEND A HAND IF THEY COULD. >> DENNIS AND JUDY SHEPARD, EXPERIENCE THIS DURING THE 5 DAYS THERE, SOME LINGERED IN THE HOSPITAL BEFORE HE DIED OF HIS INJURIES. HIS STORY AHEAD AND THE UGLY SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD. THERE ARE CANDLELIGHT VIGILS ALL OVER THE WORLD FROM RUSSIAN. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TAIWAN ALL OVER EUROPE. SAUDI ARABIA, OF ALL PLACES OVER THE LEAST. >> SAYS JONES, THE LARAMIE PROJECT HAS CAUSED HIM TO REALLY REFLECT ON WHO AND WHAT COMMUNITY IS. THAT SHOULD BE REALLY KIND OF MADE ME REFLECT ON. >> COMMUNITY WHERE THE TIMES THAT I FELT THE NATIONS COME TOGETHER THE MOST AND THE EXAMPLES I CAME UP WITH WERE COLUMBINE, PARKLAND, OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING 9.11, OR THE TRAGEDIES. YOU KNOW, AND IT DOES FORCE AND BEG THE QUESTION. HOW CAN WE BE BIGGER AND BETTER AS A COMMUNITY AND FIND WAYS TO COME TOGETHER ON COMMON GROUND WITH OUT THE TRAGEDY. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING. >> SAYS DOCTOR LAURA, RIGHT? IT CAN START BY THE SIMPLE ACT OF GOING TO THE THEATER. >> AFTER YOU HAVE SAT IN A THEATER AND YOU WATCH THE LIVE PERFORMANCE AND YOU START TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDING OF A TOPIC. THEY REALLY DOES TRIGGER THIS IDEA OF LIKE, OH, WAIT A MINUTE. I KNOW I KNOW SOMEBODY LIKE THAT OR I HAVE A MORE OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY SAY IS AND SO AGAIN CAN KIND OF TRIGGER THIS OTHER IDEA LIKE, HEY, LET'S HOPE HAVE EMPATHY FOR EACH OTHER. >> I FEEL SUCH A STRONG CASE. THIS YOUNG MAN. >> PERFORMANCES OF THE LARAMIE PROJECT OR IN THE MOTOR TOURNAMENT ARTS BONITA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. >> WE ARE NOW JOINED BY WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL. AND TOM, I FOUND IT RATHER INTERESTING THAT MATTHEW SHEPARD'S, FATHER DENNIS, ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE CAST. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? >> GOOD TO SHARE. BRICK USED TRACK OF EVERY PRODUCTION OF THE LARAMIE PROJECT. SO ARTS, BONITA, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOSEPH BROWER, ARRANGE FOR THE CAST TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH HIM AS PART OF THE RESEARCH INTO THE SHOP. THE COWS GOT ASKING 3 QUESTIONS AND THEY MADE THE MOST OF THAT OPPORTUNITY. ONE YOUNG MAN ASKED HOW HE FELT THE FIRST TIME HE SAW LARAMIE PROJECT PERFORMED. ANOTHER ASKED HIM WHETHER THE TRAGEDY GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET PEOPLE, INCLUDING MATTHEW'S FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE KNOWN. AND JALEN LIA'S WHO YOU SAW IN THE PACKAGE ASKED HIM WHY HE AGREED TO TAKE THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE AT THE END OF THE AARON MCKINNEY TRIAL. DENNIS SHEPARD GAVE LONG THOUGHTFUL ANSWERS TO EACH OF THESE QUESTIONS. AND THEN HE SURPRISED EVERYONE BY REVEALING THAT ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO RAN THE INVESTIGATION, COMMANDER DAVID O'MALLEY, HE NOW LIVES IN BONITA SPRINGS. DAVID O'MALLEY AGREED TO SIT DOWN WITH WGS YOU FOR AN INTERVIEW AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE HIS REALLY POWERFUL STORY WITH YOU. NOW. ON OCTOBER 7, 1998, DAVID O MALLEY WAS COMMANDER OF THE LARAMIE. WYOMING POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS DIRECTING THE DETECTIVE DIVISION. >> I HAD 4 INVESTIGATORS AND MYSELF TO. WERE ASSIGNED TO THAT. HE WAS INVESTIGATING AARON MCKINNEY AND RUSSELL HENDERSON, BUT NOT FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD'S, ABDUCTION AND TORTURE. THEY HAD GOTTEN INTO AN ALTERCATION WITH 2 LATINO ILEANA MORALES AND JEREMY HERRERA. POLICE OFFICER PULLS IN THE AREA. >> SHE'S MCKINNEY AND HENDERSON. THEY RUN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. >> HE CHASES ONE THAT ENDS UP BEING HENDERSON. >> EVENTUALLY CATCHES HIM IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD. AND THAT'S WHERE EVERYTHING REALLY STARTED. WE STILL UNKNOWN ABOUT MATT. WE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS OUT THERE AND THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T HELP. >> SHEPARD WASN'T DISCOVERED UNTIL 6.30, ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER. AND THERE WAS RAW ON ON THE GROUND. >> I JUST DROVE IT. >> OVER THE HANDLEBARS AND ENDED UP ON THE GROUND. >> I GOT UP AND AS YOU KNOW, JUST MYSELF ALL AND I LOOKED AROUND AND I NOTICE. WHICH ENDED UP TO BE. A LINE BY FENCE. I THOUGHT IT WAS A SCARECROW. >> I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A DUMMY. >> I NOTICED HIS CHEST MOVING UP AND DOWN. I STILL THOUGHT IT WAS IT DEFINITELY. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOME SORT OF MECHANISM OR SOMETHING. YOU KNOW. WHEN I SAW HIS HAIR. IT WAS A HUMAN BEING. >> AND CALLED THE POLICE. I WAS IN BED WHEN THE PHONE RANG AND I TALKED TO DETECTIVE SERGEANT PERRY GREAT GUY HAS SINCE PASSED INTO STRAM AMOUNT OF WORK ON THIS CASE. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD FOUND MATTHEW TIED TO THIS FENCE THAT IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT HE WAS GOING TO SURVIVE THE INJURIES THAT HE HAD. AND COULD I COME? >> O'MALLEY DIDN'T KNOW. MATTHEW SHEPARD. >> BUT HE HAD GRADUATED FROM THE CHEYENNE HIGH SCHOOL WITH ONE OF MATTHEWS, UNCLES. >> AARON MCKINNEY LIVE NEXT DOOR. TO ME, IT WAS A COUPLE YEARS OLDER THAN MY SON. RYAN DIDN'T LIKE HIM. PLAY WITH HIM. AND HE'S THE ONLY GUY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE TIME. >> INITIALLY HE THOUGHT THE KIDNAPPING AND ASSAULT WAS MERELY A LOCAL CRIME. >> BUT THEN THE PHONES BEGAN RINGING. I PICKED UP THE PHONE. >> I BELIEVE THAT THE REPORTER AND THEY CALLED IT WAS FROM CHICAGO. I TALK WITH HIM FOR A FEW MINUTES. I SAID, SIR, WE'RE REALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A OF A MASS HERE. WE NEED TO GET THIS INVESTIGATION. THE CONTINUED AND ALL OF THESE INTERRUPTIONS ARE NOT HELPING AND I SAID, WELL, COULD IT HAVE BEEN A HATE CRIME? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW. BUT HE SAYS COULD HAVE BEEN A HATE CRIME. AND I SAID, YEAH, I COULD HAVE BEEN A CRIME, BUT WE THANK YOU TO SLEEP ON THE PHONE DOWN AND THEN THE PHONES REALLY STARTED DURING A MONTH LATER, 10 ACTORS FROM TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT ARRIVED IN TOWN AND STARTED INTERVIEWING EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CASE. >> WELL, NOW HE WAS AWARE OF THEIR PRESENCE. HE NEVER SPOKE TO ANY OF THEM. BUT HE DID SPEAK AT LENGTH WITH MATTHEW'S PARENTS, DENNIS AND JUDY SHEPARD, MANY OF MATTHEW'S FRIENDS AND NUMEROUS MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN LARAMIE. THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED CHANGED MY LIFE PERSONALLY. I CHANGED THE LIVES OF A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. >> AND STARTED MAKING PEOPLE THINK ABOUT COMPASSION AND ACCEPTANCE. >> I WAS A TOTAL HOME FOR HIM. I WASN'T ASKED WHY I CAME TO. I MEAN, SPIRITED THINGS AND ALL THE ODDS. ONE JOKES ABOUT PEOPLE EVER FUNNY THING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT. AND AND SO MOST HYPOCRITICAL FOR ME. BUT I WENT ONE 80. >> O'MALLEY IS SEEING THE LARAMIE PROJECT SEVERAL TIMES. HE'S HAD A STRONG, VISCERAL REACTION EACH TIME. THAT WASN'T THE IMPETUS FOR HIS ONE. 80. >> WHENEVER I AT THE WHITE HOUSE THINK IT IS. HIS INCREDIBLE BEAMING SMILE. I MEAN, HE WALKING IN. HE'D JUST BE LIKE. >> NO, HE JUST SMILED. AND FOR ME, IT WASN'T THE LARAMIE PROJECT THAT IT WAS THE IT WAS THE SIMPLE FACT THAT I STARTED INTERACTING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN LARAMIE. >> BUT FEW OTHERS IN LARAMIE HAD THAT LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. FOR MANY IN THE TOWN, THE CHANGES WERE MORE SUBTLE. >> MOST PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. AND THAT'S OKAY. YOU KNOW, AND THOSE WHO DID FOR THE MOST PART, AT LEAST THAT I SAW. OR OR REFLECTIVE AND POSITIVE. SO I AND I'M SURE THEY'RE NOT ALL LIKE THAT. IF NOTHING ELSE, TOLERANCE LAW. AS IT IS BETTER THAN BEATING SOMEBODY UP. >> DAVID O'MALLEY RETIRED 5 YEARS AGO AND NOW RESIDES IN BONITA SPRINGS. HE WILL GIVE A TALK BACK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE FOLLOWING SUNDAY'S MATINEE