About The Laramie Project
Laramie, Wyoming, population 26,687. Laramie, often referred to as the “gem city of the plains” was the site of the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21 year-old, gay, University of Wyoming student. On October 6, 1998, he was found tied to a “buck” fence, beaten and unconscious. On October 8, 1998, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney were arrested for the kidnapping, aggravated robbery and attempted first-degree murder of Matthew Shepard. On October 12, 1998, Matthew Shepard died in Poudre Valley Health Center after 5 days in a coma. The charges against Henderson and McKinney were amended to include first-degree murder. The Laramie Project is a play about the town of Laramie, its citizens, and their reaction to Matthew Shepard’s murder.