Perhaps demonstrating the need for added ahate crime penalties, a judge in Greenville County, South Carolina, recently sentenced Stephen Moller to 2.5 years in prison for the murder of a 20-year old gay man, Sean Kennedy.   The death took place outside a bar in May 2007. Moller physically attacked Kennedy, while uttering gay slurs.  Kennedy succumbed to his injuries 20 hours later.  The crime was mentioned on the Senate floor by Gordon Smith, of Oregon, as indicative of the need to create additional penalties for hate crimes with the Matthew Shepard Act.

No justice in Greenville County -- The Bilerico Project

Sean's Last Wish -- A website created by Sean Kennedy's mother that advocates for added hate crime penalties

No justice in Greenville County -- PFLAG National Blog

Defendant in gay man's death gets 2.5 year sentence -- WYFF (Greenville County, SC)

Sean W. Kennedy -- Wikipedia

The Matthew Shepard Act [Senator Gordon Smith (OR-R)] -- GovTrack.us