Pt 1: The Matthew Shepard Story Matthew (Matt) Shepard was a 21 year old openly gay student at the University of Wyoming who was bludgeoned, tortured, and left to die tied to a fence near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He passed away in the hospital 6 days later due to his tragic injuries. Matthew’s murderers Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney reportedly attacked Shepard for no other reason than the fact that he was gay. The nation was outraged and Matthew Shepard quickly became the face for acceptance and equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. Pt2: Ethan Couch: The Affluenza Teen Ethan Couch was just 16 years old when he drove drunk and killed 4 people. During his trial, a psychologist gave a shocking explanation for why Ethan did what he did… He suffered from “affluenza”, the inability to understand the consequences of his actions because of his economic privilege. Basically, the kid believed himself to be above the law because he was rich… Not only did the ridiculous defense work in his favor, but horrifically, it has over and over again throughout the years.