Ryan Skipper
Encyclopedia
Ryan Keith Skipper was an American man from Polk County, Florida
who was murder
ed on March 14, 2007 in what authorities declared a hate crime
. Skipper's body was discovered on March 15 along a roadside in Wahneta, Florida
. Two men were arrested in connection with the crime: William David Brown Jr., and Joseph Bearden, 20 and 21 years old at the time of the incident, respectively. The men were charged with first-degree murder and robbery.
Bearden was convicted of second degree murder in addition to four additional counts on February 27, 2009. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge, two 15-year terms and two five-year terms, all to be served concurrently, on the remaining four charges.
Brown claimed he killed Skipper in retaliation for unwanted sexual advances
. He was found guilty by a Polk County jury and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
, Skipper met friend Karl von Hahmann for dinner. They left the restaurant at 10:30 pm. Skipper returned home where Von Hahmann spoke to him on the telephone at 11:10 pm, after which roommate Kelly Evans saw him go into his bedroom.
Some time around midnight, according to the Polk County, Florida
Sheriff's Office, Skipper met Bearden. Bearden is a convicted car thief who also pleaded no contest to a battery charge in 2004. Sometime afterwards, Skipper, Brown and Bearden drove away in Skipper's car; 15 minutes later Brown and Bearden returned alone.
It is not fully known how Skipper met Bearden and Brown, but Skipper's roommate Joyce Fraley claims to have seen Brown at their house on several occasions. Friend Stephanie Strickland also says that Brown knew a previous tenant of Skipper's home, and lived two blocks away. Allegedly, Brown had visited the home a few times just weeks before he and Bearden murdered Skipper.
Skipper was beaten, stabbed
20 times and his throat slit. His body was dumped by the side of a road in Wahneta, a small town outside Winter Haven. His car was abandoned at Lake Pansy, and the fingerprints of both accused were found inside.
The first trial in the case, that of Joseph Eli Bearden, began February 16, 2009.
On February 28, 2009, after nearly two days of deliberation, jurors found Joseph Bearden guilty of second-degree murder in Ryan Skipper's death. Prosecutors had charged him with first-degree murder and sought the death penalty. Bearden was also found guilty on four other counts: theft of a motor vehicle, accessory after the fact, tampering with evidence, and dealing in stolen property. Bearden was sentenced to life behind bars for the second-degree murder charge, as well as two five-year and two fifteen-year sentences for the other charges, to run concurrently with the life sentence.
The trial of Bearden's co-defendant, William Brown Jr., began on October 26, 2009. William “Bill-Bill” Brown, Jr. was found guilty by a Polk County jury (10th Judicial Circuit) of first degree murder, robbery, arson, and tampering with evidence on November 3, 2009. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the first degree murder conviction, another life term for the armed robbery with a deadly weapon conviction, a 15-year term for arson, and a five-year term for tampering with evidence by Circuit Judge Michael Hunter on December 1, 2009.
, a gay college student who was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming
in 1998. They have also decried the lack of mainstream attention to Skipper's murder, which the groups attribute to claims by Sheriff Grady Judd that, according to Bearden and Brown, Skipper was cruising for sex
when he met his attackers, that he had consumed illegal drugs
with Bearden, and that Skipper and his attackers were allegedly planning a check forgery
scheme using Skipper's laptop computer. Skipper's family and friends all have agreed that this scenario is highly unlikely, as it was uncharacteristic of Skipper to approach men randomly, and he did not own a laptop computer.(He owned a home PC.) According to Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, "They've characterized Ryan as a pervert, a drug addict and a felon. In the eyes of the media, it didn't carry the human interest that it should have."
The Sheriff's Department has since admitted that the account of the events leading up to the murder that was originally given to the media by Sheriff Grady Judd was based solely on the unsubstantiated statements given by Bearden and Brown upon their arrests. Chief W.J. Martin acknowledged in an article in The Ledger
that the two were probably attempting to "minimize their involvement and make themselves look better."
as part of their Film Outreach Program.
announced that their November 2009 production of Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
will be dedicated to the memory of Skipper. A portion of all proceeds are to be donated to the foundation
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed on March 14, 2007 in what authorities declared a hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
. Skipper's body was discovered on March 15 along a roadside in Wahneta, Florida
Wahneta, Florida
Wahneta is a census-designated place in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,731 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Two men were arrested in connection with the crime: William David Brown Jr., and Joseph Bearden, 20 and 21 years old at the time of the incident, respectively. The men were charged with first-degree murder and robbery.
Bearden was convicted of second degree murder in addition to four additional counts on February 27, 2009. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge, two 15-year terms and two five-year terms, all to be served concurrently, on the remaining four charges.
Brown claimed he killed Skipper in retaliation for unwanted sexual advances
Gay panic defense
The gay panic defense is a legal defense against charges of assault or murder. A defendant using the gay panic defense claims that he or she acted in a state of violent temporary insanity because of a little-known psychiatric condition called homosexual panic. Trans panic is a similar defense...
. He was found guilty by a Polk County jury and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Timeline of the crime
At 9 p.m. on March 14, after finishing work in Winter HavenWinter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, Skipper met friend Karl von Hahmann for dinner. They left the restaurant at 10:30 pm. Skipper returned home where Von Hahmann spoke to him on the telephone at 11:10 pm, after which roommate Kelly Evans saw him go into his bedroom.
Some time around midnight, according to the Polk County, Florida
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
Sheriff's Office, Skipper met Bearden. Bearden is a convicted car thief who also pleaded no contest to a battery charge in 2004. Sometime afterwards, Skipper, Brown and Bearden drove away in Skipper's car; 15 minutes later Brown and Bearden returned alone.
It is not fully known how Skipper met Bearden and Brown, but Skipper's roommate Joyce Fraley claims to have seen Brown at their house on several occasions. Friend Stephanie Strickland also says that Brown knew a previous tenant of Skipper's home, and lived two blocks away. Allegedly, Brown had visited the home a few times just weeks before he and Bearden murdered Skipper.
Skipper was beaten, stabbed
Stabbing
A stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
20 times and his throat slit. His body was dumped by the side of a road in Wahneta, a small town outside Winter Haven. His car was abandoned at Lake Pansy, and the fingerprints of both accused were found inside.
The first trial in the case, that of Joseph Eli Bearden, began February 16, 2009.
On February 28, 2009, after nearly two days of deliberation, jurors found Joseph Bearden guilty of second-degree murder in Ryan Skipper's death. Prosecutors had charged him with first-degree murder and sought the death penalty. Bearden was also found guilty on four other counts: theft of a motor vehicle, accessory after the fact, tampering with evidence, and dealing in stolen property. Bearden was sentenced to life behind bars for the second-degree murder charge, as well as two five-year and two fifteen-year sentences for the other charges, to run concurrently with the life sentence.
The trial of Bearden's co-defendant, William Brown Jr., began on October 26, 2009. William “Bill-Bill” Brown, Jr. was found guilty by a Polk County jury (10th Judicial Circuit) of first degree murder, robbery, arson, and tampering with evidence on November 3, 2009. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the first degree murder conviction, another life term for the armed robbery with a deadly weapon conviction, a 15-year term for arson, and a five-year term for tampering with evidence by Circuit Judge Michael Hunter on December 1, 2009.
Reactions
The murder has caused outrage among gay rights groups, who see similarities between Skipper's murder and that of Matthew ShepardMatthew Shepard
Matthew Wayne Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming, in October 1998...
, a gay college student who was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
in 1998. They have also decried the lack of mainstream attention to Skipper's murder, which the groups attribute to claims by Sheriff Grady Judd that, according to Bearden and Brown, Skipper was cruising for sex
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
when he met his attackers, that he had consumed illegal drugs
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
with Bearden, and that Skipper and his attackers were allegedly planning a check forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
scheme using Skipper's laptop computer. Skipper's family and friends all have agreed that this scenario is highly unlikely, as it was uncharacteristic of Skipper to approach men randomly, and he did not own a laptop computer.(He owned a home PC.) According to Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, "They've characterized Ryan as a pervert, a drug addict and a felon. In the eyes of the media, it didn't carry the human interest that it should have."
The Sheriff's Department has since admitted that the account of the events leading up to the murder that was originally given to the media by Sheriff Grady Judd was based solely on the unsubstantiated statements given by Bearden and Brown upon their arrests. Chief W.J. Martin acknowledged in an article in The Ledger
The Ledger
The Ledger is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida and the Polk County area. It is owned by The New York Times Company. Jerome Ferson became publisher of the newspaper on July 30, 2007....
that the two were probably attempting to "minimize their involvement and make themselves look better."
Documentary
Filmmakers Vicki Nantz and Mary Meeks produced and filmed a documentary about Skipper's murder. The 72-minute film, entitled Accessory to Murder: Our Culture's Complicity in the Death of Ryan Skipper, premiered in January 2008. It was selected by the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film FestivalTampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is a movie screening event that takes place each October in Tampa, Florida. The primary venue is the Tampa Theatre, but several other cinemas in or near the downtown area and in St. Petersburg simultaneously host the event as well...
as part of their Film Outreach Program.
Benefits
The Frenzie Life Theatre Company in Brandon, FloridaBrandon, Florida
Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...
announced that their November 2009 production of Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead is a play written by Bert V. Royal.An "unauthorized parody," the play imagines characters from the popular comic strip Peanuts as teenagers...
will be dedicated to the memory of Skipper. A portion of all proceeds are to be donated to the foundation