Memorial Bench At U Of Wyoming Dedicated On 10th Anniversary Of Death Of Slain Gay Student

September 28, 2008 5:13 a.m. EST

Laramie, WY (AHN) - A memorial bench was dedicated to slain gay student Matthew Shepard on the University of Wyoming campus on Saturday.

Shepard was a student at the University when he was attacked because of his sexual orientation. He died five days after being tied to a fence outside Laramie where he had been brutally beaten and left to die in October 1998. The two men who killed him are serving life sentences for the hate crime.

The violent crime brought a nationwide re-examination of attitudes toward gays.

Officials at the dedication reportedly said that the bench would serve as a reminder that every life is precious.