The parents of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was tortured and left to die in 1998, have spoken to Oprah Winfrey about their ordeal 17 years on.

The high profile murder case was given significant media coverage at the time, as it was deemed to be motivated by homophobia. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested and charged with murder soon after the attack – during the trial it came to light that the men pretended to be gay in order to rob the 21 year-old. When Shepard  made a sexual advance, it enraged the men and they became violent.

Judy and Dennis Shepard recount the moment their lives changed forever, when they received a phone call about their son Matthew.

The Phone Call That Changed Matthew Shepard’s Parents’ Lives