Shephard's murder was a national sensation, the impetus for special-circumstance "hate-crime" legislation from coast to coast – even though robbery appeared to be the motive all along.Robberies generally don't end up with the victim tortured to death.
Q.: What is a "hate crime?" Aren't all crimes based on "hate?"
A: Of course not. What a stupid thing to say. Go take your stupid pills Mr. stupid. That answer wasn't even based on hate, it was based on contempt. Crimes can be done out of desperation, thrill-seeking, greed, love--many things other than hate. Duh.
Q: Well, why should "hate crimes" be punished more than other crimes?
A: Because campaigns of terrorist-style violence against a group in our society is not something we should tolerate. It is worse if a crime is committed as part of a larger group of crimes committed for some hateful end (such as wiping out a group of people).
Hate crimes are much like international terrorism rather than say, international drug dealing. That's another crime that's not committed out of "hate!"
It's almost shocking how hateful Matthew Shepard's detractors are. Almost, but then, it's not surprising at all when you consider who they are.
Robberies generally don't end up with the victim tortured to death.
Frail victim tortured by drug fiends
TWO drug-crazed thugs systematically tortured a robbery victim during a 16-hour terror ordeal.
Their frail 61-year-old victim was sadistically beaten, had boiling water poured over his legs and a bullet shoved in his ear by one of the attackers who threatened to heat it to see if it exploded.
Colin McCormack was also bound and gagged and threatened with a knife before the couple ransacked his home.
NZ backpacker tortured for 16 hours
For 16 hours, a 19-year-old New Zealand backpacker - who only recently arrived in Australia - was tied to a chair in a warehouse and tortured, raped, assaulted and burnt with cigarettes. Then his assailants robbed him.
Woman raped, tortured
Decatur police seek abduction suspects
Three armed suspects abducted, raped, tortured and shot a Decatur woman after forcing the car in which she was riding off the street, police said.
Domestic Abuser Turns Sadistic
The victim (female, 22) was bound and gagged by the her ex-boyfriend (male, 24) The suspect beat and tortured the victim with a hot iron. Victim escaped when the suspect left the room to make a phone call.
THREE CONVICTED FELONS SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 700 YEARS IN PRISON FOR BRUTAL KIDNAPPING AND ROBBERY (JULY 24, 2003)
TWO CO-DEFENDANTS CONVICTED LAST YEAR, ALL FIVE SENTENCED TO 1,223 YEARS IN PRISON
MEMPHIS, TN – Criminal Court Judge Joseph B. Dailey today sentenced three men to more than 700 years in prison for a brutal kidnapping and robbery involving seven victims.
On June 30, a jury returned verdicts of guilty as charged against Jevon Bryant, 28, and Keith Ezell, 21, for seven counts of especially aggravated kidnapping and four counts of aggravated robbery. Bryant was also found guilty for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Torrez Talley, 22, was found guilty on five counts of especially aggravated kidnapping and four counts of aggravated robbery.
Jones was electrocuted for the murders of Graham and Myra Adkins in their Charles City home. He knew the Adkins couple, who were in their late 70s, through their son.
On May 13, 1983, Jones disguised himself and hitchhiked to Charles City. He knocked on the Adkins' door and identified himself as an undercover police officer who was looking for missing children. Once inside the house, he shot and killed Adkins, then bound and gagged his wife.
Jones stuffed Mrs. Adkins in a closet, shot her in the head and poured kerosene on her while she was still alive. He blasted open a bedroom safe and stole the couple's life savings of more than $30,000, then set the house on fire in an attempt to hide his crimes.
In July, 1983, Edmonds murdered Elliott, a grocer in the City of Danville during a robbery. Elliot was first gagged, then stabbed in the neck with a knife and hit in the head with a brick by Edmonds. The robbery netted $40 for Edmonds and Elliot was left behind the counter by the cash register, where he bled to death from his injuries.
Walter Mickens Jr. sexually assaulted 17-year-old Timothy Hall, stabbed him 143 times and left him on a dirty mattress in an abandoned building along the James River in Newport News in 1992.
Mickens had been convicted in 1974 of robbery and sodomy, imprisoned, paroled, then convicted again in 1980 of robbery and sodomy.
In February 1998, James Edward Reid was sentenced to death for the capital murder, attempted rape, and attempted robbery of 87 year old Annie V. Lester in her home in Christiansburg in October, 1996. Lester was beaten over the head with a can of condensed milk and stabbed 22 times with scissors. Reid was 51 years old at the time of the crime.
Once inside, Shannon Dale then discovered that suspects 2, 3, and 4 had surreptitiously entered the home through another entrance, and were already in the course of accosting Freda Dale, his 89-year-old wife. Suspects then bound, gagged and forced both victims to the floor. The four suspects then proceeded to ransack the residence in search of cash money.
Shannon Dale was severely assaulted and tortured by the actors seeking the location of the victim's money. Freda Dale (Wife) died at the scene as a result of a heart attack caused by the trauma incurred from the attack. Shannon Dale was hospitalized as a result of the severe injuries he received.