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By Dave Cullen

April 7, 1999 | LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Most of the world believes a murder trial was averted Monday afternoon in the brutal beating of Matthew Shepard, when Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty, and everybody went home. But Laramie witnessed a whirlwind trial in fast-forward: all the essentials of a three-week trial collapsed into one unrelenting day of drama.

Laramie was braced for a long, contentious showdown. Citizens who mourned the stain of hate the Shepard murder left on their city were hoping for a shot at redemption -- such as Jasper, Tex., achieved in February with the conviction of John William King in the murder of James Byrd. Gay rights opponents were ready for the limelight. Prosecutors had promised three weeks of high drama, including the first graphic pictures of the crime scene and a looming death sentence. The media rolled in the satellite trucks to cover this latest battle in the ongoing culture wars.

But in the final hours before scheduled opening arguments, Russell Henderson pulled down the curtain prematurely with a plea bargain, agreeing to plead guilty to avoid the death sentence. Rumors of a possible deal had swirled around Laramie all weekend, and Monday morning featured a full schedule of demonstrations, just in case it was the protesters' only day in the sun. Predictably, the Rev. Fred Phelps and a dozen picketers from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas were there. They'd picketed Shepard's funeral, too. They were having a ball outside the courthouse, waving colorful placards reading "God Hates Fags" and "Save the Gerbils," and a full-color blowup of Shepard with the caption "Matthew in Hell."

But Phelps' contingent was surprised by a parade of Shepard sympathizers dressed in white angel costumes 7 feet high, with 8-foot wingspans. The "Angels of Peace" quickly surrounded his group and smiled silently at the crowd, which enthusiastically cheered them on.

Oddly, the biggest battles took place not between gay rights supporters and opponents, but within the Christian right. The Rev. Louis Sheldon, a prominent anti-gay crusader, flew in from Washington to denounce Phelps' message of "hate." He maintained a healthy distance of 100 meters from Phelps' demonstration, and spoke to reporters individually. Phelps' tactics also drew angry rebukes from local conservative Christian ministers throughout the morning, including a heated shouting match between Phelps' son Jonathan and the Rev. Ivan Byrd, pastor of Laramie's Redemption Chapel.

"You have already condemned him to hell," Byrd shouted, red-faced and angry. "How do you know he went to hell?"

"Hypocrite!" Phelps screamed back. "Shill! Shill, shill, shill!"

"I would like to see if Christ were standing here today. Christ would have judged you!" Byrd said.

But the courtroom drama appeared to begin and end at 1 p.m., with Judge Jeffrey Donnell's statement to Henderson: "I understand you may wish to change your plea." Henderson agreed to plead guilty to kidnapping, and to felony murder with robbery as the underlying cause. He would accept two life sentences to avoid the death penalty. The charge of premeditated murder would be dropped.

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