PFC Barry Winchell's Murderer Released

This just makes me sick. When news of this murder hit the papers I remember It made me cry. What a beautiful man, murdered by hate. I will never forget hearing Barry Winchell's mother speak once about hate crimes. Such a sad tragic story. Rolling Stone article on the murder, interesting stuff about Justin Fisher

From Raw Story:

A soldier convicted in connection to an anti-gay murder in 1999 has been released early by the U.S. Army, according to reports by an activist group.

Former Army Specialist Justin Fisher, who was convicted of conspiracy to murder Private First Class Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, KY, has been released from prison after serving just seven years of a 12 1/2 year sentence.

Winchell was attacked in July 1999 by Calvin Glover, a former soldier based at Fort Campbell, in what was later revealed as an anti-gay hate crime. A later investigation by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) found that Winchell had been the target of anti-gay harassment in the months leading up to his murder.

"Army leaders gave Justin Fisher a shockingly lenient sentence in the first place, but just as importantly, they have also failed, every day since, to protect other soldiers from Barry's fate," said Patricia and Wally Kutteles, PFC Winchell's parents, in a release issued today. "As a mother, I never want to see Barry's story repeated. As an American, I am outraged that our leaders have taken no action to make sure it never happens again."

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