ing State Penitentiary," Albany county prosecutor Cal Rerucha said (qtd. in O’Brien N-1).Rerucha also said that Aaron McKinney's case, the second man charged with the death of Matthew Shepard, would definitely be a death penalty case (qtd. in O’Brien N-1).McKinney was found guilty on charges of felony murder, second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping on November 3, 1999. McKinney will serve two consecutive life sentences for his role in Shepard’s death after a sentencing agreement between defense lawyers and the Shepard family to spare the defendant's life. As part of the agreement, McKinney waives all rights to any appeal and parole (Whitaker N-7)."I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney," Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s father, said. "However, this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy…I'm going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew (qtd. in Whitaker N-7)." Dennis Shepard said this trial was necessary to show the world that this was a hatecrime and "not a robbery gone bad (qtd. In Whitaker N-7)."Describing his son as nice and tolerant of all people, he said, “He was not my gay son.He was my son who happened to be gay. I loved my son...and was proud of him. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew everyday for it (qtd. In Whitaker N-8)."The death of Matthew Shepard forced the political world to face up to the issue of hate-crime legislation. It also stirred the religious world to reappraise its own concepts of hate and crime, love and civility. They are being beckoned to rethink all their old slogans about loving the sinner but hating the sin. Hating the sin is a good idea, unfortunately, it is the...
