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It's a story made hauntingly familiar by Michael Sandy: a man goes out looking for sex and discovers murder, instead. But, this story has an even more bizarre twist.
According to friends, Ryan Keith Skipper, 25, went cruising Wahneta, Florida, for some quick and easy sex when he came across 21-year old Joseph Bearden (left). Testing his luck, Skipper offered Bearden a ride, which Bearden accepted. Skipper then took him to his house, where they smoked a bit of ganj and, according to police reports, chatted about using Skipper's computer expertise to copy checks.
Skipper and Bearden then apparently took Skipper's laptop and headed off to meet Bearden's friend, 20-year old William David Brown Jr. (right) From what police gather, Bearden and Brown, nestled in Skipper's car, then stabbed Skipper 20 times before tossing his body on the side of the road.
Though police originally thought Skipper's death a routine robbery, once they picked up Bearden and Brown - who one witness saw cleaning the blood soaked car - they heard a different story. Brown allegedly told a friend that Skipper had made moves on them, thus garnering their anti-gay vengeance.
If police can successfully prove this claim, the men's charges will be boosted from first-degree murder and armed robbery to full-blown hate-crime - allegations that will appropriately boost their sentencing. Regardless of the hate-crime charges, the men both face the death penalty if found guilty. We'd rather they just rot in jail, to be honest...
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Not all of your article is true!
Ryan did not, and would not, pick someone up off the side of the street. Ryan NEVER picked up a hitch hiker, nor would he. Also, Ryan NEVER had to go "cruising" for sex. Like it or not, Ryan is/was a nice looking guy. I've known him for seven years, and have watched him turn down guy after guy after guy in the local hot spots. Ryan had spoken with friends the SAME NIGHT he was murdered, and made no mention of going anywhere. Several of his friends have also stated that Bearden has been lurking around Ryan's house for weeks, "trying to befriend him".
While I appreciate a GLBT forum, you are adding to the assassination of his character, and person. I'm ashamed!
Ryan was too smart for the scenario that you have presented. I have known him for three years and while he was homosexual, he was not out "crusing" for sex. Ryan had PLENTY of oppertunity, and wouldn't have befriended a random redneck walking down the street in WAHNETA! The only thing that is more shameful than the senselessness of this tragedy, is the deformation of character that Ryan is facing due to the media slants on his lifestyle.
I can't believe a queer site would post the same lies that our local homophobic media would post.
RYAN WAS NOT CRUISING. RYAN WAS SET UP.
I am ashamed. You owe Ryan and the entire GLBT community an apology.
You said:
According to friends, Ryan Keith Skipper, 25, went cruising Wahneta, Florida, for some quick and easy sex . . .
(emphasis mine)
Which is a misrepresentation not only of what cruising in Wahneta might actually be like (from what I understand, it's dangerous, and not easy), but is not even based on the newspaper reports you cited.
The ledger said:
[A] witness Friday evening told officials that one of the suspects later said Skipper, 25, who was gay, had made advances toward him . . .
WTSP said:
[A] witness stated that William Brown told him Skipper "was messing with me" . . .
So not only is this third hand information by now, but the idea that Skipper went cruising or was hitting on one of the killers was not something told to newspapers or detectives by his friends, but by one of the suspects in his murder.
In addition, I would expect a queer blog to be a little bit more wary/critical when police detectives say that a victim of a gay bashing was out looking for sex when the bashing happened.
Please at least correct your attribution of the quote.