The facts are irrelevant, what was necessary for the narrative was what mattered.
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Matt-Hidden-Matthew-Shepard/dp/1586422146
Except the killers knew him already and one was his lover... there's a whole book on it.
For me it would be Stephen Jimenez, the journalist who wrote the book about Matthew Shepard that Jesse and Katie have spoken at length about before: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Matt-Hidden-Matthew-Shepard/dp/1586422146
Apologies for linking a book, but it's the source:
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Matt-Hidden-Matthew-Shepard/dp/1586422146
Technically speaking the interviews Jimenez did with locals are the root source.
Jimenez never stated Matthew was a major player. However, he interviewed many sources in Laramie and Denver that confirmed that Matthew was a dealer. And for the record, meth and opioids clear your system within 24 hours on a blood test.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Matt-Matthew-Shepard/dp/1586422146
The reviewers are not exactly rednecks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/stephen-jimenez-matthew-shepard_n_3914707.html