The Laramie Project

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 2001

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Act III, Moments 6-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Act III, Moments 6-9 Summary

In “Aaron McKinney,” we are presented with an excerpt from Aaron McKinney’s confession to Rob DeBree. DeBree asks where Aaron and Russell went after they left the fireside and Aaron tells him that they gave someone he describes as a “queer” (80) a ride. Asked about when they made the decision “about jacking him up” (81), Aaron admits they discussed it at the bar but claims that Matthew grabbed his “genitals” (81) and that’s why he “beat him up pretty bad” (81).

Zackie Salmon tells us, in “Gay Panic,” that when Aaron’s defense claimed that he beat Matthew up for making a pass at him, she felt physically ill, “because that’s like saying it’s okay”(81). On the other hand, Rebecca Hilliker was simultaneously scared and relived by this use of the “‘gay panic’” defense; she felt that the truth was “coming out” (81).

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In the next moment, “Aaron McKinney (Continued),” we return to Aaron’s confession. DeBree asks if Matthew tried to defend himself and Aaron says he did, but that his attempts were ineffective. Matthew asked them to stop and started screaming. Russell laughed at first but then got scared. Matthew was conscious when they tied him to the fence. When DeBree asks Aaron if he hates gay people, he replies that he doesn’t hate them but that he doesn’t like them coming on to him. However, he admits that he didn’t feel threatened by Matthew. When DeBree asks why they took Matthew’s shoes, Aaron responds by saying he’ll never see his son again. He asks if Matthew will die and DeBree confirms that “There is no doubt Mr. Shepard is going to die” (83). He then explains that Aaron will be arraigned and when asked about sentencing, tells Aaron that that is the judge’s job, not his.

“The Verdict” lists all the charges Aaron stands accused of: kidnapping, aggravated robbery, first-degree felony murder (kidnapping), first-degree felony murder (robbery), premeditated first-degree murder, and second-degree murder. He is found guilty of all charges except premeditated first-degree murder.

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In “Dennis Shepard’s Statement,” the narrator tells us that Aaron is eligible for the death penalty. His defense team approached the Shepard family to beg for his life. We then hear part of the statement the Dennis Shepard read out in court. As well as being a tribute to his son, Matthew, Dennis states that as part of “the healing process” (85), they have decided to show mercy to the person who showed Matthew none. He wants Aaron to think of Matthew every day, to realize that Matthew is not alive while he is, and to remember that he has Matthew to thank for his life.

Act III, Moments 6-9 Analysis

This selection of moments considers the confession, defense and judgment of Aaron McKinney. In his confession he admits that he did not feel threatened by Matthew and that Matthew’s attempts to defend himself were ineffective. He also notes that Matthew begged him to stop. Yet none of this persuaded him to grant mercy to a man who, he claims, grabbed “his genitals” (81). This alleged pass formed the basis for Aaron’s legal defense, which, as Zackie Salmon points out, effectively argues that the possibility of a sexual advance from a member of the same sex is sufficient justification to beat, and even kill, that person. Understandably, this argument made her “want…to vomit” (81). However, as Rebecca Hilliker points out, the use of the “gay panic” meant that at least Aaron wasn’t trying to pass the attack off as a robbery gone wrong. The homophobia that underpinned his actions that night were brought to the forefront, rather than swept under the rug, and it was left up to the jury to decide whether or not he was guilty of a crime.

The question of mercy is central to the statement Dennis Shepard—Matthew’s father—makes to the court. He refers to a “healing process” and notes that, while he “would like nothing better than to see [Aaron] die” (85), he chooses not to request the death penalty. His decision to “grant [Aaron] life” is an attempt to demonstrate mercy to the person who denied mercy—and life—to his son, in the hope that McKinney will reflect on what he has done and the opportunity he has been given, and thank Matthew for it.