The Book of Matt

by Stephen Jimenez

  Elaine Baker — Friend of Stephanie Herrington.

  Christopher Baker — Son of Elaine Baker and friend of Aaron McKinney.

  Lynell Rayos — Daughter of Elaine Baker.

  Jay Pinney — Friend of Aaron McKinney. Committed a murder at the age of twelve in his hometown of Riverton, Wyoming.

  Norman K. Mabbitt (“Little Norm”) — Former driver for Doc’s Class Act Limousine Sevice.

  Marge Bridges — Former driver for Doc’s Class Act Limousine Service.

  Tom Pagel — Former police chief, Casper, Wyoming, and former director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

  Travis Brin — Friend of Aaron McKinney.

  Justin Pinter — Former bartender, the Library Bar.

  Brad Kaufman — Former bartender, the Library Bar.

  Scott A. Barker — Former Laramie resident who was a victim of attempted murder.

  Jason Spencer — Former bartender at the Buckhorn Bar and confessed methamphetamine dealer who served time in federal prison.

  Deb Thomsen — Editor, The Boomerang.

  Tillma Giesse — Ex-wife of former police officer Bob Giesse of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

  John Earl Baker, Jr. — Auto mechanic and repeat methamphetamine offender.

  Robert Bromley — Currently serving long prison term for multiple drug offenses. Communicated with Mr. Bromley through his mother, Norma Bromley, and his appellate attorney, Clifford Barnard.

  Teri Kindler — Proprietor of Laramie tattoo shop.

  Karol Griffin — Author and former Laramie resident.

  Len Munker — Criminal defense attorney and former chief public defender, state of Wyoming. Now deceased.

  Robert Vogele — Laramie teacher and father of the late Dale Vogele, a tattoo artist who designed Aaron McKinney’s “Dopey” tattoo and died in 1999 of a drug overdose.

  Debra Hinkel — Owner, the Ranger Motel and Bar.

  Jerry Coca, Jr. — Auto mechanic and coach at the Laramie’s Cathedral School. Now deceased.

  Brian Gooden — Friend of Matthew Shepard.

  Lewis Macenze — Friend and lover of Matthew Shepard.

  Michele Rodriguez — Friend of Cindy Dixon (Russell Henderson’s mother).

  Shannon Shingleton — Friend of Aaron McKinney and Matthew Shepard.

  Jenny Malmskog — Friend of Aaron McKinney.

  John Mills — Friend of Aaron McKinney.

  Rick Rawson, Ph.D. — Psychologist and substance abuse expert, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

  Duane Powers — Former manager and bartender, Mr. Bill’s, Denver, Colorado.

  Rob Surratt — Former bartender, Mr. Bill’s, Denver, Colorado.

  Orelius Berkel (“Shadow”) — former DJ, the Fireside Lounge.

  Nicole Cappellen — Friend of Russell Henderson and patron at the Fireside Lounge.

  Mike St. Clair — Patron at the Fireside Lounge.

  Mark Beck — Former detective, Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

  Father Roger Schmidt—Former chaplain, the Newman Center at the University of Wyoming.

  Judge Thomas Mealey — Former circuit court judge, Evanston, Wyoming.

  Diane Galloway — Former director, Wyoming substance abuse program.

  Glenn Duncan — Friend of Aaron McKinney.

  Chris Hoogerhyde — Former bartender, the Silver Dollar Bar, Cody, Wyoming.

  In addition, the author interviewed more than twenty other sources who requested anonymity. Some of them appear in this book under pseudonyms.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book had a long gestation and required the help, expertise, patience, and generosity of many individuals, to whom I am immensely grateful.

  Without the honesty and personal integrity of one man — prosecutor Cal Rerucha — The Book of Matt would not have been written. It was he who cautioned me about jumping on “the media bandwagon” and encouraged me to search out the difficult truths of the Shepard murder case before authorizing myself to write about it. I extend my deepest gratitude to Cal, his wife Jan, and their sons, Luke and Max, for more than a decade of friendship and hospitality.

  This book has also come to fruition because of the vision and tenacity of my publisher Chip Fleischer and his dedicated staff at Steerforth Press: Helga Schmidt, Devin Wilkie, and Rebecca Hecht. I’d also like to thank the entire Random House sales force for their invaluable pre-publication feedback, and for spreading the word about The Book of Matt to booksellers everywhere.

  Michael Denneny, my editor, guided me through many phases (and pitfalls) of writing this book with his salty wisdom and wit — and the fierce poise of a Buddhist master. Time and again he whacked me with his little baton to be sure I was awake and paying attention. Many thanks, Michael.

  Very special thanks to my attorneys Richard Hofstetter and Mark Merriman, and legal assistant Lise Horton at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz; and to my extraordinary agent Kim Witherspoon and her colleagues at Inkwell Management. Thank you, Kim and Richard, for your counsel and friendship.

  My fond appreciation as well to my publicist Scott Manning, cover designer John Gall, copy editor Laura Jorstad, compositor Peter Holm, social media consultant Karen Louie Joyce; and to William Callahan and Carla Jimenez.

  I have numerous people to thank in Wyoming — for favors large and small — but especially for their generous cooperation over the years (in alphabetical order): Elaine Baker, Orelius “Shadow” Berkel, Ken Brown, Lynne Callaghan, Jerry Coca, Jr. (deceased), Kevin Cox, Dion Custis, Judge Jeffrey Donnell, Glenn Duncan, Melinda Farris (deceased), Doug Ferguson, Linda and Pat Flynn, Ben Fritzen, Mary Elizabeth Galvan, Tillma Giesse, Tim Gosar, Karol Griffin, Ronnie Gustafson, Alyson Hagy, Stephanie Herrington, Debra Hinkel, Lindsay Hoyt, Deanna Johnson, Lisa Johnson, Jim Kearns and the University of Wyoming News Service, Tyler Kern, Tom Mealey, Trudy McCraken, Bob McKee, Bill McKinney, Matt Mickelson, Priscilla Moree, Len Munker (deceased), Tim Newcomb, Thomas “Doc” O’Connor, Dave and Jennifer O’Malley, Jason Palumbo, Gene Pratt, Ruth Proctor (deceased), Janice Sexton, Jean Shaw, Susan Simpson, Wyatt Skaggs, Paul Sonenberg, Mike St. Clair, Deirdre Stoelzle, Jason Tangeman, Deb Thomsen, Michele Trabing, Robert Vogele, Charlene Wallen, Flint Waters, and Julie Yates. (There are quite a few others whose names I’d like to include here, but they have asked me to omit them for their protection and/or privacy.)

  Three men whose stories are told in The Book of Matt — Russell Henderson, Ted Henson, and Lewis Macenze — have left an unexpectedly strong imprint on my life. I thank them for their astounding candor and the gift of their friendship. In the same spirit, I’d like to express my appreciation to Tina Labrie, Kristen Price, Chasity Pasley — and especially Joan, a confidante of Matthew Shepard who agreed to be interviewed at great personal risk.

  A substantial portion of the research and investigation documented in this book was made possible by ABC News 20/20 and the show’s Executive Producer, David Sloan. I also extend my sincere thanks to Elizabeth Vargas, Carla Delandri, Richard Gerdau, Sara Holmberg — and especially to my reporting and producing partner Glenn Silber. (The Book of Matt would not have been possible without you, Glenn.)

  My heartfelt gratitude to Sharon Dynak, Raymond Plank, Ruthie Salvatore, and the staff of the Ucross Foundation — and to Michelle Sullivan and Elizabeth Guheen — for simultaneously nourishing my love of writing and the breathtaking beauty of Wyoming. I’m profoundly grateful as well to Larry Schiller, Greg Curtis, the staff of the Norman Mailer Center, and my fellow writers in the 2012 nonfiction fellowship program. In your company last summer, this book finally took flight.

  I was equally blessed by the behind-the-scenes support of several individuals at critical junctures in the writing of this book: attorney Robert H. Montgomery, Jr. and Georgetown University professor Thomas M. King, S.J. (both deceased); Dick Nodell and Karin Aarons, who have been my longtime teachers and never fail to light my way; Pamela Talese, Andrew Boylan, and Ann Donaldson, who provided
research and investigative assistance and have been impeccable fellow travelers; JoAnn Wypijewski, the first journalist to map the terrain of this story; activist and attorney Bill Dobbs; Nan and Gay Talese, whose vote of confidence carried me further than they know; my goddaughter Sarah Nodell, keeper of the dreams; and my band of friends who provided logistical assistance and helped me keep the faith — Kelly Johnson, Alexandra Eldridge, Karen Mauch, Diane Zilka, Kevin Baker, Lory Pollina, Darcy Nicholson, Troy Fernandez, James Bristol, Julia Cameron, Gayla Bechtol, Sterling Zinsmeyer, Louis Bixenman, Hampton and Anne Sides, Jean Gardner, Paul Ryan, Katie Leishman, Pamela Tudor, Doug Wiggin, Barbara Sullivan, and Dave Minear.

  I owe a special debt of gratitude to David and Catherine Skinner for supporting this book during a critical stage in its development; and also to Michael Gill.

  Finally, I want to express my love and thanks to my father, Daniel Jimenez, for his generous support of The Book of Matt; to Lucy Thompson, whose faith and friendship have sustained me; and to my partner, Miles Fairris, for joining me in the Big Adventure.