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Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial: The Prosecutors and the Marilyn Sheppard Murder
Marilyn Sheppard, four months pregnant and mother of a toddler son, was bludgeoned to death in her Bay Village, Ohio, home in the early morning of July 4, 1954. The cause of death was twenty-seven blows to the head with a heavy instrument. Who took her life so brutally has been the subject of much controversy and debate for nearly a half-century.
Was it her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was convicted in what was then called -the Trial of the Century, - in the case that helped inspire the TV series and the movie The Fugitive? Or was the killer, as Dr. Sam claimed, a -bushy-haired intruder-? Or could it have been Richard Eberling, the window washer who worked for the family, as the Sheppards' son, Sam Reese Sheppard, believes?
Dr. Sam spent ten years in prison before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the initial verdict in an important legal decision, determining that the doctor did not receive a fair trial due to excessive press coverage. Defended by F. Lee Bailey in his second trial in Cleveland, Sheppard was found not guilty of his wife's murder. And then in 2000, in what has been referred to as -the Retrial of the Century, - Sam Reese Sheppard attempted to prove in a civil trial, while suing the State of Ohio for millions of dollars, that his father had been wrongly incarcerated.
Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial presents a comprehensive and final analysis of this controversial case from the perspective of the prosecutors. Jack P. DeSario, together with co-author William D. Mason, chief attorney for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, provides all the facts, evidence, expert testimony, both old and new, and sworn statements of the principals in this case, which concluded in April 2000. The jury unanimously found that Dr. Sheppard was not innocent.
Was it her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was convicted in what was then called -the Trial of the Century, - in the case that helped inspire the TV series and the movie The Fugitive? Or was the killer, as Dr. Sam claimed, a -bushy-haired intruder-? Or could it have been Richard Eberling, the window washer who worked for the family, as the Sheppards' son, Sam Reese Sheppard, believes?
Dr. Sam spent ten years in prison before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the initial verdict in an important legal decision, determining that the doctor did not receive a fair trial due to excessive press coverage. Defended by F. Lee Bailey in his second trial in Cleveland, Sheppard was found not guilty of his wife's murder. And then in 2000, in what has been referred to as -the Retrial of the Century, - Sam Reese Sheppard attempted to prove in a civil trial, while suing the State of Ohio for millions of dollars, that his father had been wrongly incarcerated.
Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial presents a comprehensive and final analysis of this controversial case from the perspective of the prosecutors. Jack P. DeSario, together with co-author William D. Mason, chief attorney for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, provides all the facts, evidence, expert testimony, both old and new, and sworn statements of the principals in this case, which concluded in April 2000. The jury unanimously found that Dr. Sheppard was not innocent.
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 9, 2015
Oh boy!
If you have ever taken a criminal law class, you would definitely know about the controversy that surrounded the 1954 murder of Marilyn Sheppard. Everything about the case is a mystery. From the start, the people made an outcry for justice, claiming that the husband of the murdered victim, Dr. Sam Sheppard, had done it. But did he? I thought if I read a couple of books I would find something that would clear my mind, but that is not happening in fact, my mind is even more confused.
In 1954, Sam Sheppard was convicted for the murder of his wife. Conflicting medical evidence and to me undisclosed information has made this case unsolvable.
This book in particuliar, follows the prosecutor who was in charge of defending the state against a civil trial, the wrongful death suit, Sam Sheppards son had brought against the state. As I read the testimony and the information, I felt more confused than ever.
I had to come to the conclusion, there are only two witnesses who know the truth and that is Marilyn and Sam Sheppard, now both deceased. I have to commend his son for trying so hard to clear his father's name, for trying to find the true justice. Because when the smoke clears and all is said and done, it is he who suffers the worst. He lost both of his parents and one just when he was seven years old and my heart goes out to him.
If you have ever taken a criminal law class, you would definitely know about the controversy that surrounded the 1954 murder of Marilyn Sheppard. Everything about the case is a mystery. From the start, the people made an outcry for justice, claiming that the husband of the murdered victim, Dr. Sam Sheppard, had done it. But did he? I thought if I read a couple of books I would find something that would clear my mind, but that is not happening in fact, my mind is even more confused.
In 1954, Sam Sheppard was convicted for the murder of his wife. Conflicting medical evidence and to me undisclosed information has made this case unsolvable.
This book in particuliar, follows the prosecutor who was in charge of defending the state against a civil trial, the wrongful death suit, Sam Sheppards son had brought against the state. As I read the testimony and the information, I felt more confused than ever.
I had to come to the conclusion, there are only two witnesses who know the truth and that is Marilyn and Sam Sheppard, now both deceased. I have to commend his son for trying so hard to clear his father's name, for trying to find the true justice. Because when the smoke clears and all is said and done, it is he who suffers the worst. He lost both of his parents and one just when he was seven years old and my heart goes out to him.
April 21, 2016
Good explanation of the case
The authors do a good job explaining the huge amount of info they had to win the Sam Sheppard case brought by his son. It's dry in many places, probably because it's about a court case.
There's so much evidence that he did it, you almost feel sorry for his son, the co-author of the son's book, and their attorney. I had read two books about the case and saw a TV documentary. I thought he was innocent. Definitely not so. The book presents a solid case, step by step, no drama. Just the facts, as the saying goes.
The authors do a good job explaining the huge amount of info they had to win the Sam Sheppard case brought by his son. It's dry in many places, probably because it's about a court case.
There's so much evidence that he did it, you almost feel sorry for his son, the co-author of the son's book, and their attorney. I had read two books about the case and saw a TV documentary. I thought he was innocent. Definitely not so. The book presents a solid case, step by step, no drama. Just the facts, as the saying goes.
May 1, 2019
As a person born in 1954, living in the Cleveland area my entire life, and an attorney, I found this a must read! In addition to allowing the reader to "sit in" on this trial and trial prep, it also placed the mantle of victim where it rightfully belongs....on Marilyn Sheppard and ONLY on Marilyn Sheppard. For too many years Dr. Sam Sheppard and his various counsel tried and, in many cases succeeded, in painting Sam as a victim too. It's impossible to not agree with this jury by the end of the book.
January 26, 2016
An excellent read. This is the only book out of probably a dozen I've seen on Sam Sheppard that gives us the prosecution's side of the story. Hauled out of cold storage after 40+ years for a THIRD trial, we get an overview of what happened in all three. The photos in this book are no for the faint of heart.
December 17, 2009
Following the civil trial brought by Sheppard's son, martyr extraordinaire, and won by the prosecution, the prosecutors wrote this book to counterbalance all of the pro-Sheppard books out there. There are some pretty photos in there that I could have skipped.
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May 15, 2016Just a little light reading to take my mind off of the WL clusterfuck. Though I still think Bill mason is an ass, I've now vacillated back to thinking Dr. Sam did it. So now I'm going to have to go back and re-read The Wrong Man. Damnit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 25, 2023DNF. The book and info were very interesting. However, the chapters were extremely long and there was a bit too much detail when it came to the trial. I put the book down and had a hard time picking it back up so I gave up and loaned the book to a friend.
February 15, 2022
Well, who do you believe? This book strongly supports the view that Sam was guilty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews