It's been 20 years since Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old openly gay college student, was abducted and killed in Wyoming.
On Oct. 26, he will finally be laid to rest.
Shepard's ashes will be interred at the Washington National Cathedral after a service to celebrate and remember his life.
Shepard's parents picked the Cathedral as his final resting place because he loved the Episcopal Church and felt welcomed at one he attended in Wyoming.
"For the past 20 years, we have shared Matt’s story with the world. It’s reassuring to know he now will rest in a sacred spot where folks can come to reflect on creating a safer, kinder world," said Judy Shepard, Shepard's mother, in a statement.
On Oct. 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left to die outside Laramie, Wyoming. He died in a hospital six days later. The violent attack shocked the nation and highlighted the problem of hate crimes against LGBTQ people, according to NBC News.
Shepard's parents have advocated for the rights of the LGBTQ community since his death, creating the Matthew Shepard Foundation in his memory.
"In the years since Matthew’s death, the Shepard family has shown extraordinary courage and grace in keeping his spirit and memory alive, and the Cathedral is honored and humbled to serve as his final resting place," said the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral.
