The attack was motivated by Shepard's homosexuality.
The case brought national attention to the issue of hate crimes.
Shepard's killers were convicted of murder, but not charged with a hate crime because there was no Wyoming hate crime legislation at that time.
Brandon Teena was raped on December 24, 1993, and later murdered on December 31, 1993 by John Lotter and Marvin Nissen. Their attacks were motivated by Brandon's transgender status.
The story was the subject of the movie "Boys Don't Cry."
The criminal cases against the defendants are ongoing.
a. Nissen
1) Pled to being an accessory and testified against Lotter.
2) Received a life sentence.
3) Appealed his sentence.
4) Recanted his testimony against Lotter on September 20, b. Lotter
1) Was convicted of murder.
2) Received the death penalty.
3) His sentence and conviction are currently under appeal.
James Byrd, Jr. was murdered by Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence Russel Brewer, and John William King on June 7, 1998 in Jasper, Texas. The murder was motivated by Byrd's race.
1. A KKK lighter was found with Byrd's body.
2. The killing was brutal- Byrd was beaten, then tied to back of a pickup truck and dragged for approximately three miles; evidence suggests he was alive during this prison.
5. The crime was charged as a hate crime, and its racial overtones were emphasized by the similarity to lynchings.
The Jena Six case emphasizes the danger of retaliation and escalation in hate crime cases. After white students reportedly hung a noose from a tree at a high school in Jena, Louisiana, tensions between white and black students escalated. The culmination was that six African-American students beat up a white student, Justin Barker. Barker does not appear to have been involved in the prior incidents, but may have used racial epitaphs towards the defendants. Five of the six defendants were charged with attempted second-degree murder.
Mychal Bell was convicted, but his conviction was overturned, and he subsequently pled guilty when charged as a juvenile.
Charges are pending against the remaining adult defendants.
People rallied to support the Jena Six, alleging that they were treated much more harshly than white students who had committed similar crimes.
A further criticism is that, if officials had responded to the hate crimes, such as the hanging of the noose at the school, the problem would not have escalated.
References
Anti-Defamation League. (2006). Hate crime laws: federal initiatives. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from the Anti-Defamation League.
Web site: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/federal.asp
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2008). Hate crime. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Web site: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/hate.htm
Turner, N. (2008). Responding to hate crimes: a police officer's guide to investigation and prevention. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from International Association of Chiefs of Police. Web site: http://www.theiacp.org/documents/index.cfm?fuseaction=document&document_id=141
