Matthew Shepard

[choff]

LOL, no shit! It amazed me that anyone would even say such a thing. People outgrow things like eating boogers and jumping on the bed, but sexual preference isn't something that people outgrow.

For the most part you are right....most people do outgrow these things..well the more senior crowd is the exception. This is why every year the tabloids such as The National Enquirer, National Examiner and The Globe even in 2013 still continues to do their "who IS gay and who is NOT" lists. The average age of those papers is way beyond 50 ( I think the National Examiner's is closer to 70 !! ) so among that group of people they still are "shocked" that Elton John and Rosie O'Donnell are gay...meanwhile among the younger crowd all of this it really is like "..who cares !!". This is why the tabloid magazines that tend to skew young such as "In Touch" and "OK" its very rare if they do so at all bring up ones sexual preference.

Of course I am not saying that all old people are anti-gay or that all young people are gay friendly but there really is a generation gap when it comes to this subject.

[Lea22]

LOL, no shit! It amazed me that anyone would even say such a thing. People outgrow things like eating boogers and jumping on the bed, but sexual preference isn't something that people outgrow.

I out-grew my skinny jeans

[Lea22]

For the most part you are right....most people do outgrow these things..well the more senior crowd is the exception. This is why every year the tabloids such as The National Enquirer, National Examiner and The Globe even in 2013 still continues to do their "who IS gay and who is NOT" lists. The average age of those papers is way beyond 50 ( I think the National Examiner's is closer to 70 !! ) so among that group of people they still are "shocked" that Elton John and Rosie O'Donnell are gay...meanwhile among the younger crowd all of this it really is like "..who cares !!". This is why the tabloid magazines that tend to skew young such as "In Touch" and "OK" its very rare if they do so at all bring up ones sexual preference.

Of course I am not saying that all old people are anti-gay or that all young people are gay friendly but there really is a generation gap when it comes to this subject.

I get what you're saying, but I'm the younger generation, so to speak, and I care in a sense of nosiness! When Wentworth Miller came out, I was shocked and interested because I'm generally interested in the way that I like to know things about people! It doesn't actually have any affect on me if he likes front bottoms or back bottoms. I do think it's only reported because people who read gossip mags like to collect information about celebrities. If you understand what I mean!

[cash]

Everything you know about Matthew Shepard is wrong:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articl...html?nopager=1

Jimenez's book got good reviews but zero national attention.

[beep]

Jimenez's book got good reviews but zero national attention.

Because it's a load of bullshit.

[Mammy]

Because it's a load of bullshit.

LOL, no beating around the bush with you, huh? I'm glad it didn't receive national attention. Why cause more pain for his family and basically kick the skeleton of a man that was brutally murdered fifteen years ago? He should be left to rest in peace without being disparaged by someone using him to try to gain their own notoriety.

[cleanskull]

Any famous death ends up with a conspiracy theory or two.

[cindyt]

I don't care what he did, he didn't deserve to die the way he did. That's a simple fact that some people apparently do not get.

[Mammy]

I wouldn't even want to see his murderers die like he did.

[cindyt]

I wouldn't even want to see his murderers die like he did.

Exactly.

[McMorbid]

I wouldn't even want to see his murderers die like he did.

I probably wouldn't mind that much.

This book is yet another attempt to capitalize on a known name with controversial and poorly written compilations of second hand accounts or imaginings by a writer that just can't write. I suppose that's one way to make money.

[Mammy]

I probably wouldn't mind that much.

This book is yet another attempt to capitalize on a known name with controversial and poorly written compilations of second hand accounts or imaginings by a writer that just can't write. I suppose that's one way to make money.

Well, I never said they didn't deserve it. Lol

I support the death penalty if there is overwhelming evidence of a person's guilt as long as the case isn't only based on circumstantial evidence. That being said, I can't imagine beating a person nearly to death and leaving them tied to a fence to die, even the guys who did the same thing to someone else. If an execution is to take place, then it needs to be something fast like a lethal injection, gunshot, hanging, gas chamber, etc. The death penalty is to punish them for their crimes, but there's no need to torture the person in the process, even if they deserve it. IMO (Your mileage may vary)

[McMorbid]

You've proven yourself more civil than I.

[Mammy]

You've proven yourself more civil than I.

I've acquired slightly more civility since I've aged. I'm not really sure why.

[Drew]

I wouldn't even want to see his murderers die like he did.

One chilling story told in the book is that, three months after Shepard’s death, Henderson’s mother, Cindy Dixon, was raped and left to freeze to death in a lonely canyon near Laramie. The culprit was a friend of McKinney’s. He, too, entered a plea deal with the prosecution. But he received a far less severe punishment, despite the similarities to the Shepard murder, and was back on the streets in four years.
Jimenez points to the distorting effect of the media as one reason for this discrepancy. The media, in his eyes, also played a role in mythologizing Shepard and discouraging deeper inquiries into what happened, and why. It was easier, in the end, to believe that an over-trusting young gay man faced grave danger simply because he was living in the macho cowboy culture of the prairie. http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...r-wyoming-book

[cleanskull]

Jimenez wrote a book for people that want to believe his vile story.

[Deathgoddess]

Jimenez wrote a book for people that want to believe his vile story.

Exactly.

[cash]

just read: The Book of Matt by Stephen Jimenez. My Review:

The Real Matthew Shepard story:

He was molested as a child by three different men
He was charged with molesting three eight year old boys when he was 15 years old.
He was gang raped at age 16 while visiting Morocco.
He was HIV positive.
He abused meth, cocaine, oxycontin, heroin, alcohol and prescription drugs.
He tried to commit suicide on October 2/1998 ( four days before his death) by taking 15 Klonopin.
He told a number of people days before his death that he was in danger and feared for his life.
He worked as a gay escort and was popular with Laramie's "Cowboy Mafia" - a group of older wealthy Laramie businessman.
He was a meth dealer ( and a very good one at that)
He was heavily in debt to a Denver meth dealer.
He had an ongoing friendship and sexual relationship with Aaron McKinney ( one of the men convicted of killing him).
He was killed because Mckinney believed Shepard had in his possession 6 ounces of meth ( about $10,000 worth in 1998).
Everyone in Laramie - the cops/defense/families/media/parents/lawyers/friends etc. knew that Mckinney killed Shepard because of drugs not sexual orientation.
The media is full of shit - they ran with the easy narrative and never asked the tough questions.
The national gay rights organizations are very powerful and capable of mythmaking.

Overall a good book if you are interested in the true story of the life and dead of Matthew Shepard. Shepard was operating in a dangerous underworld - he took many risks and paid with his life. He didn't deserve to die a brutal and violent death. He was no saint and no martyr just a psychological damaged/drug abusing kid who crossed paths with another damaged kid. Both were gay. End of story.

[TaupinJohn]

I'm not going to quote the post above mine, because I'm not sure who wrote it (like if it's an exerpt from the book or not.) I'm not criticizing any certain person here, more a certain way of thinking.

Having said that and meant it sincerely:

A lot of things on the list above I simply don't believe. Most of the rest don't make a bit of difference in how I perceive Matthew Shepard. All are defamatory and factually baseless, and I'm not sure that's fair. But such is life. For example:

*If he was molested as a child, okay. Is that... code for something else? Are they implying he asked for it or it somehow turned him into something less than he was?

*Ditto for being gang raped. What's the point of this... if there is one? I'm sure this is trying to lead the reader someplace, but I have no idea where.

*Being HIV Positive is a medical condition, not a scarlet letter. If that's supposed to make anyone feel his death was less than the atrocity it was, it doesn't. HIV is not a death sentence, and his status should have zero bearing here. Not even sure there's proof of it, but the point is: What on earth would his HIV status have to do with his murder?

*You can't say, "Everyone in Laramie knew" (that he was killed over drugs, not sexual orientation.) Unless you've spoken to everyone in Laramie, so this isn't true at all.

*Wow, he was on meth AND heroin AND alcohol AND coke AND scripts? Weird, there isn't a single conviction of him using or buying or selling them. I know that I never saw a single picture of him that looked like he was stoned or drunk or tweaking, no tell-tale tracks on his arms or anything, or a police report detailing any of that... no arrests for a single intoxication charge... if he did all that, I'll say this for him: he could sure maintain! (I don't believe a bit of that.)

*If he told people he was in danger and in fear of his life, perhaps being a young gay man in that part of the country was a bit difficult and in fact scary at times. I think that's within the scope of reason, absolutely. And as it turned out, his fears weren't a bit unfounded, so there's that...

*The "Cowboy Mafia" story sounds like a lot of bullshit. I'm sorry but that's as kind as I can put it. It just does.

*Where is the proof you must have when you state "He was a meth dealer and a good one." Without evidence to back it up (was he tried and convicted for selling meth? That would be an indicator that he might've sold it.) Also: what's a "good" meth dealer? Not one that would get himself killed over it, amirite? Oh wait...

*No proof AT ALL he was "in debt" to a meth dealer. Nothing, it doesn't exist.

*There is zero evidence he was in possession of meth (let alone "six ounces" of it) when he was killed. None. If the murderers made up something about drugs to make themselves seem less culpable, okay; happens a lot. But without proof, this just isn't a fact.

*"The media is full of shit." Sometimes, yes. But to be fair, so is this list.

*And the last one... how the National Gay Rights Organization is "capable" of mythmaking? So are both political parties, so am I, so is everyone. Doesn't mean they all act on it. I'm also capable of running naked through the street singing "God Save The Queen" but I'm probably not going to do it. We are all capable. The list didn't say, "They are known for..." just "are capable of." It's like saying, "Siamese cats are capable of losing their minds and eating off their own tails." Capable? Perhaps... when delusional with distemper or some mental disorder of unknown etiology. Probably gonna? Not a chance.

You wanna see some mythmaking? Take a gander at this list!
I don't know who created it so I'm not harboring judgement on anyone in particular. Honestly. I wouldn't say if I didn't mean it. I don't know the author and have not read his book, so nothing personal here. But to read ... that... about a murder victim, it just pissed me off. People can say anything, I get it. But hopefully, so can I.

Statements listed in a neat row do not make them factual ones. In my opinion (see that?) this is nothing more than the vicious, non-believable trashing of a young man who was killed in an especially heinous and barbaric manner. I believe he was killed by homophobes because he was gay (and most of the world believes the same, to be fair.)
But let me ask you this:

If he was killed for some other reason, he's still just as dead, right?

So the fact that the murderers were (God forbid) punished for making a veritable SCARECROW out of this young man didn't set well with some folks. Again, okay. But to make up a list of ... hell just call it what it is: "Things That Suck About Matt Shepard And Why His Murder Wasn't So Bad After All." And in that list, put all kind of things that cannot be proven... and I mean lay it on thick... Because who's gonna prove it wrong... certainly not Matthew Shepard, amirite? Put it all in a book and imply that this is "the Matthew Shepard nobody wants you to see" because that sells books, yes it does. And profit, profit, profit. I wouldn't line my catbox with it. That could've been my child he's spouting shit about... could've been anyone's child.

My Point: This list tries to minimize the loss of life in Matthew's case. "He was just a psychological damaged/drug abusing kid who crossed paths with another damaged kid. Both were gay." Again, "He was just..." Wow.

The clear implication here is that no valuable soul was lost that day, that this was nobody of importance, this murder victim. Unless I really really suck at reading comprehension (and I don't believe I do) that's the vibe I'm getting off this... that these wildy speculative rumors and the like can somehow lessen the tragedy that happened that night in Laramie, Wyoming.

That this wasn't a person of worth at all. He was damaged (that's what it says it says "damaged") by being the victim of alleged rapes as a child, by unproven allegations of every drug on the PLANET (using, abusing, and selling... and being good at it!) And that there is, therefore, no reason to mourn the loss of Dennis and Judy Shepard's son. Because well... his death isn't the tragedy it's perceived to be... it was almost a mercy killing, really.

And to me, that is positively shameful.

[ichabodius]

I'm not going to quote the post above mine, because I'm not sure who wrote it (like if it's an exerpt from the book or not.) I'm not criticizing any certain person here, more a certain way of thinking.

Having said that and meant it sincerely:

A lot of things on the list above I simply don't believe. Most of the rest don't make a bit of difference in how I perceive Matthew Shepard. All are defamatory and factually baseless, and I'm not sure that's fair. But such is life. For example:

*If he was molested as a child, okay. Is that... code for something else? Are they implying he asked for it or it somehow turned him into something less than he was?

*Ditto for being gang raped. What's the point of this... if there is one? I'm sure this is trying to lead the reader someplace, but I have no idea where.

*Being HIV Positive is a medical condition, not a scarlet letter. If that's supposed to make anyone feel his death was less than the atrocity it was, it doesn't. HIV is not a death sentence, and his status should have zero bearing here. Not even sure there's proof of it, but the point is: What on earth would his HIV status have to do with his murder?

*You can't say, "Everyone in Laramie knew" (that he was killed over drugs, not sexual orientation.) Unless you've spoken to everyone in Laramie, so this isn't true at all.

*Wow, he was on meth AND heroin AND alcohol AND coke AND scripts? Weird, there isn't a single conviction of him using or buying or selling them. I know that I never saw a single picture of him that looked like he was stoned or drunk or tweaking, no tell-tale tracks on his arms or anything, or a police report detailing any of that... no arrests for a single intoxication charge... if he did all that, I'll say this for him: he could sure maintain! (I don't believe a bit of that.)

*If he told people he was in danger and in fear of his life, perhaps being a young gay man in that part of the country was a bit difficult and in fact scary at times. I think that's within the scope of reason, absolutely. And as it turned out, his fears weren't a bit unfounded, so there's that...

*The "Cowboy Mafia" story sounds like a lot of bullshit. I'm sorry but that's as kind as I can put it. It just does.

*Where is the proof you must have when you state "He was a meth dealer and a good one." Without evidence to back it up (was he tried and convicted for selling meth? That would be an indicator that he might've sold it.) Also: what's a "good" meth dealer? Not one that would get himself killed over it, amirite? Oh wait...

*No proof AT ALL he was "in debt" to a meth dealer. Nothing, it doesn't exist.

*There is zero evidence he was in possession of meth (let alone "six ounces" of it) when he was killed. None. If the murderers made up something about drugs to make themselves seem less culpable, okay; happens a lot. But without proof, this just isn't a fact.

*"The media is full of shit." Sometimes, yes. But to be fair, so is this list.

*And the last one... how the National Gay Rights Organization is "capable" of mythmaking? So are both political parties, so am I, so is everyone. Doesn't mean they all act on it. I'm also capable of running naked through the street singing "God Save The Queen" but I'm probably not going to do it. We are all capable. The list didn't say, "They are known for..." just "are capable of." It's like saying, "Siamese cats are capable of losing their minds and eating off their own tails." Capable? Perhaps... when delusional with distemper or some mental disorder of unknown etiology. Probably gonna? Not a chance.

You wanna see some mythmaking? Take a gander at this list!
I don't know who created it so I'm not harboring judgement on anyone in particular. Honestly. I wouldn't say if I didn't mean it. I don't know the author and have not read his book, so nothing personal here. But to read ... that... about a murder victim, it just pissed me off. People can say anything, I get it. But hopefully, so can I.

Statements listed in a neat row do not make them factual ones. In my opinion (see that?) this is nothing more than the vicious, non-believable trashing of a young man who was killed in an especially heinous and barbaric manner. I believe he was killed by homophobes because he was gay (and most of the world believes the same, to be fair.)
But let me ask you this:

If he was killed for some other reason, he's still just as dead, right?

So the fact that the murderers were (God forbid) punished for making a veritable SCARECROW out of this young man didn't set well with some folks. Again, okay. But to make up a list of ... hell just call it what it is: "Things That Suck About Matt Shepard And Why His Murder Wasn't So Bad After All." And in that list, put all kind of things that cannot be proven... and I mean lay it on thick... Because who's gonna prove it wrong... certainly not Matthew Shepard, amirite? Put it all in a book and imply that this is "the Matthew Shepard nobody wants you to see" because that sells books, yes it does. And profit, profit, profit. I wouldn't line my catbox with it. That could've been my child he's spouting shit about... could've been anyone's child.

My Point: This list tries to minimize the loss of life in Matthew's case. "He was just a psychological damaged/drug abusing kid who crossed paths with another damaged kid. Both were gay." Again, "He was just..." Wow.

The clear implication here is that no valuable soul was lost that day, that this was nobody of importance, this murder victim. Unless I really really suck at reading comprehension (and I don't believe I do) that's the vibe I'm getting off this... that these wildy speculative rumors and the like can somehow lessen the tragedy that happened that night in Laramie, Wyoming.

That this wasn't a person of worth at all. He was damaged (that's what it says it says "damaged") by being the victim of alleged rapes as a child, by unproven allegations of every drug on the PLANET (using, abusing, and selling... and being good at it!) And that there is, therefore, no reason to mourn the loss of Dennis and Judy Shepard's son. Because well... his death isn't the tragedy it's perceived to be... it was almost a mercy killing, really.

And to me, that is positively shameful.

Fabulous post!

I seriously doubt Stephen Jiminezezeseses journalistic integrity and purpose for writing and publicizing this work of historical fiction.

He states in the forward notes of his book:
“Though this is a work of nonfiction journalism, I have occasionally employed methods that are slightly less stringent to re-create the dialogue of characters — words I did not personally hear; nor could the characters themselves recall every word exactly from memory,” he explains. “But my intention throughout has been to remain faithful to the actual characters and events as they really happened.”

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013...-jimenezs-ego/

[beep]

just read: The Book of Matt by Stephen Jimenez. My Review:

The Real Matthew Shepard story:

He was molested as a child by three different men
He was charged with molesting three eight year old boys when he was 15 years old.
He was gang raped at age 16 while visiting Morocco.
He was HIV positive.
He abused meth, cocaine, oxycontin, heroin, alcohol and prescription drugs.
He tried to commit suicide on October 2/1998 ( four days before his death) by taking 15 Klonopin.
He told a number of people days before his death that he was in danger and feared for his life.
He worked as a gay escort and was popular with Laramie's "Cowboy Mafia" - a group of older wealthy Laramie businessman.
He was a meth dealer ( and a very good one at that)
He was heavily in debt to a Denver meth dealer.
He had an ongoing friendship and sexual relationship with Aaron McKinney ( one of the men convicted of killing him).
He was killed because Mckinney believed Shepard had in his possession 6 ounces of meth ( about $10,000 worth in 1998).
Everyone in Laramie - the cops/defense/families/media/parents/lawyers/friends etc. knew that Mckinney killed Shepard because of drugs not sexual orientation.
The media is full of shit - they ran with the easy narrative and never asked the tough questions.
The national gay rights organizations are very powerful and capable of mythmaking.

Overall a good book if you are interested in the true story of the life and dead of Matthew Shepard. Shepard was operating in a dangerous underworld - he took many risks and paid with his life. He didn't deserve to die a brutal and violent death. He was no saint and no martyr just a psychological damaged/drug abusing kid who crossed paths with another damaged kid. Both were gay. End of story.

I wish this conspiracy theory fad would just die off. It seems to be the new trend. These kinds of posts are just embarrassing.

[TaupinJohn]

Heh. I know that as a child, I could be certain of punishment whenever I employed "less than stringent methods."
Translation: I caught hell if I lied.

Writers can and do spin things All.The.Time.

All I know of this book is it's allegations. I don't know from which sources those allegations came, nor do I know of any validity (or lack thereof) of any sources this, ah, author Jiminezesessesezzsez used. This is merely an example of how I imagine it going down, nothing more. Pure speculation.

I'm writing this to show how easily it can be done; books can be published citing any sources... credible or not, and they can spin that information however they feel will sell the most books.

This is how I imagine this writer's information being obtained:
**Note: I have no idea how folks speak in Laramie, Wyoming.
What you're seeing is the dialect of SE Tennessee (home of Elvis Presley, good ol' boys, and folks who know their place.) Obviously no offense intended to anyone, anywhere, ever.





(Transcript of tape):

Yeah hey, thank ya this is ah... this here's Tommy Ray Hall and I'm the sheriff over here in Laramie, Wyoming. And I knowed that boy who got killed up in here as good as anyone so I reckon I'll talk on that a while and then I'll get on back to work. You turned it on yet? It's a-going round so I reckon ya did... ::shuffling::

::sigh:: Oh lordy I don't rightly know where to start this up at.

Man's voice: Just... Tell me about Matt Shepard. About his life, his legacy.

Sheriff: His life and his... what now?

Man's voice: Anything you think belongs in a book about Matthew Shepard, tell me. Just talk at your own pace until you're finished. Taping now, begin anytime you're ready.

Sheriff: Well I'll give it a try I reckon... Matthew Shepard? Hell, he don't need no book about his life... he wa'nt nothin' to write a book about. I reckon I knowed Matthew Shepard since... before his mama knowed his Daddy, so I been knownin' him for a minute. I'll be glad to tell ya what I know, yes I would... an' you say this here's gonna be in your book? Well see, Matthew there, he was what ya called your bad egg. I mean he couldn't help it a lot of times but he... he did most of it on his own. Thing is, Matthew Shepard was a drug crazed sissy boy used to cause trouble up in here... Drug user and all that stuff, seller... hell he did it all really... And see, he molested no tellin' how many children (and he had the gay, so you know... who knows if them kids got it or not?) Hell ya can't tell 'til they're growed but he might've spread that to a whole mess o' kids... you how they do, just goin' crazy for kids and everything... no telling how many he ruint, ain't no tellin'.

See, Matthew, he was damaged all to hell from having let all kind of people molest him when he was just a little kid... see he was already showing them signs like they do.... well he let them do whatever they wanted to him which was his bad, and he had to've liked it I mean if he didn't he wouldn't have kept lettin' it happen, so he just... man, he's been doing it wrong all his life, see... word probably got out that he liked that thing with the men and all... hell all kinds of people could've been ruint by his love for the menfolk... and you know, that's a shame, 'cause we's... we's a god-fearing people here, and we know the Lord don't approve of them people. That's why he sent them the AIDS... and yeah ol' Matthew went and got that too... like I said man, he was into all that stuff, just all that mess them people's into.

And Matthew, he just... I mean he took every wrong turn a boy could take with the cocaine powder and the needles and that... I mean he was all messed up and got to where he had to sell it to use it, you know, so he did that, too. Did it good... I mean I'll say that for the kid, he was good at dealing them drugs. Dealt 'em all kinds of ways, you know... dealed big, dealed small... dealed up and dealed back down, he did.

And when he wasn't doing all them drugs (or selling 'em... real good like he did) he was doing other even worse things... Matthew was just a bad little ol' boy, that's all they is to it. I reckon he seen hisself for what he was: a girly boy who didn't fit in nowhere with no one so he wanted out, he couldn't see no nother way. A fella might say he was asking for it, for some help just ending his life of crime and pillage and all that gay sinning when he was a youngun... he was practically beggin them boys to do him in. And that Moroccan gang-rape he endured at age 16? Man, you know he went down there to Morocco with his family for one purpose only and that was to entice those gang members (who were otherwise upstanding citizens and considered pillars of their community, I mean they was good ol' boys) into losing their shit and raping him because man, he just LOVED to mix it up! Got to where you couldn't take him nowhere but what he wasn't a-hankerin' to get hisself molested or raped and all that again, and the folks 'round here well, they was concerned they own selves... I mean who's to say he wasn't gonna come and get some farmer's boy from helpin' in the field and taking him off and turning him into a homosexual like him... and what's a farmer gonna do with some homosexual kid prissing around all over hell and back? How's he supposed to deal with that? See, Matthew, he did a lot of damage to the good folks here in Laramie... ain't no doubts about that right there, the boy done some damage, yeah he did... He wa'ant nothin' but trouble no matter what he put his hands in well there was some trouble coming out with it... and hell we was... we was scared half the time of what he'd be into next. I mean I had a new baby at home you know a baby boy and hell, ol' Matthew could sniff out that kind of thing and I was right concerned, well anyone would've been, you know.

I reckon you can turn that tape recorder off, 'cause that's about all I know about ol' Matthew Shepard. Now I know the lord loves all his children, but when there comes a Matthew up outta the bunch... I mean even God don't like the gays, you know. And don't you know his mama, she's glad to have him out from under her, the way he prissed around the house and just made everyone nervous, really... don't nobody wanna see that.

This here was just some no 'count ol' boy who wasn't right and couldn't get hisself right for nothin', that's all they is to it.
This wasn't no big thing, this here... this was Matthew Shepard.
And Matthew Shepard... well he didn't matter no way. He was just....

(end of tape.)

[Mammy]

TaupinJohn, Have I told you today that I heart you deeply? I never get tired of reading your posts and you are spot on with it all. There is no way this "author" could know and verify all of these things about Matthew. It is disgusting to trash a man who has been dead for fifteen years and rip the scars off of old wounds for Matthew's parents and cause them even more pain. I believe none of it. Matthew may not have been perfect and made mistakes in his life, none of us are perfect and all of us make mistakes, and he was still very young. No matter what, he is still just as dead, brutally murdered by two worthless, evil idiots who left him there to suffer for hours before he died. If the same treatment was applied to them, it would be called cruel and unusual punishment and there would be a huge uproar over it. This book is trash and never should have been written. It exploits a murdered man for profit at the expense of the people who loved him with a bunch of unfounded, baseless accusations about a man who cannot defend himself.