Jesse Dirkhising | |
|---|---|
 Dirkhising | |
| Born | Jesse William Dirkhising May 24, 1986 Oxford, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 26, 1999 (aged 13)[1] Rogers, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Drugging and positional asphyxia[2] |
| Resting place | Friendship Cemetery, Springdale, Arkansas, United States[3] |
| Parents |
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Jesse William Dirkhising (May 24, 1986 – September 26, 1999), also known as Jesse Yates, was an American teenager from Prairie Grove, Arkansas. He was staying with two men (with his parents’ permission) who bound, drugged, tortured, and repeatedly raped him. He died from drugging and positional asphyxia during the ordeal.[4][5]
Despite his being at their home with approval from his parents, the defense argued he was complicit in the sexual acts, and therefore the death was accidental. Considering how he was a minor and the men were adults, this was considered unlikely. Further details revealed in the court case depicted a gruesome death.
Dirkhising's death received only regional media coverage until a Washington Times article ran a story nearly a month after his death, noting the lack of national coverage in contrast to that given to the 1998 death of Matthew Shepard.[6][page needed][7] The Shepard murder was approaching its first anniversary and was getting renewed national attention, coupled with updates on pending hate crime legislation.[8] Prompted by coverage in The Washington Times, the Dirkhising case gained notoriety as conservative commentators compared media coverage of the two cases and explored the issues of what was considered a hate crime.[7] The added attention resulted in mainstream media also reporting the Dirkhising case in relation to the coverage of the Shepard case, with many attempting to explain why the two were handled differently by the media, and perhaps received differently by readers.[6][page needed][8][9]
The media coverage of the Dirkhising case was repeatedly and consistently contrasted with that of the high-profile Shepard case, although the cases were dissimilar in several important details. While both victims died as the result of assaults by two men, Dirkhising was a minor and the victim of a sex crime, while the adult Shepard was ostensibly murdered as part of a hate crime.[6][page needed][10] While both heterosexuality and homosexuality have been cited as issues in both cases, the circumstances were different and in contrast: Shepard was an openly gay man who was attacked by two heterosexual men, while Dirkhising was raped by two men who were described as lovers in a police affidavit.[11][12]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Case of Boy's Rapewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Affidavit of the Jesse Dirkhiswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Find A Grave
- ^ Lieb
- ^ "Lawyer to request...", The Washington Times, Nov. 20, 1999
- ^ a b c Kuypers
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Contrasts in media coveragewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Why One Murder Makewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bozell, "No Media Spotlight ..."
- ^ Buchanan
- ^ "Killer:Shephard ..."
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
A Special Kind of Killingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).