I just got back from spending some time with Ketih Hull. He took me out to the fence where Matt was murdered. We heard from Rebecca that the fence had been taken down, but it was actually only moved and there were long stretches of fences that had been built to keep off trespassers next to the original ones. We walked the dirt road for about a half-mile. The location isn't too far from civilization in Laramie, but its far enough away that it feels quiet and secluded. Keith explained that Aaron would have known about the area from living in an apartment complex near by. We could see the efforts that the property owners had made to keep people away- heaps of dirt blocking easy access to the road up to the fence. There were also signs of life on the trail, antelope droppings and holes for ground squirrels. It didn't feel to me like a place where Matt had been murdered, almost unimaginable that he had died here in an area marked by hiking and biking trails and a few ranch houses that had sprung up since 1998. I didn't want to process the murder either- it's too difficult to think about the isolation he must have felt, the pain he felt that night. I reluctantly took pictures. I wanted them but I also felt guilty about treating it like some tourist attraction. I don't feel much like a tourist anymore. I've made too many personal connections to the people here to feel like a complete outsider. And already I'm frustrated like Laramie residents because there just isn't much to do for fun here. I took a rock from the road with me, my piece of Laramie to hold on to and remember.

Keith arranged for me to meet Bob Hing at Muddy Waters, a coffee shop back in downtown. Bob had never been there before, he also hadn't seen a production of the play or read The Laramie Project. He saw the HBO movie and was disappointed with the representation of Laramie people. He's a normal guy, not a redneck, not a cowboy, and he resents that the media came and tried to depict Laramie as backwards. Bob said he had a good experience with Tectonic, their conversation seemed to break down both of their stereotypes of each other and he told me that the story that opens the play (to my amusement). He didn't even realize that this soundbyte was in The Laramie Project or that he opened the play. He did seem interested in it after our conversation though, and Keith said he would get him a copy.

During our conversation I became much more aware of how the lives of these characters become connected. As we talked Matt Mickelson was buying a cup of coffee, members of the police force were inside, including a lead investigator on the Shepard Case.

I didn't take notes during our meeting because Bob was hesitant about our meeting and my motives. But much like Tectonic, I think he trusted me once we were able to talk. So here are some things I remember of what he said.

-He only had one interview with Tectonic- Pierotti and one other guy-before his chief issued a gag order and he had to decline the future interview.

- He talked about the problem with meth use that Laramie has and his previous experience with Aaron and Russel causing trouble in town.

- He believes that the crime was less motivated by hate and more motivated by the robbery of someone who looked defenseless. Though he recognized that Dave O'Malley was very involved in the case, and that he believes positively that it was a hate crime.