Dr. Sam Sheppard Case

Daytime Doctor Nighttime Killer

In the Early morning hours on July fourth nineteen fifty-four, Marilyn Reese Sheppard was murdered at her home in Bay village, Ohio. Mrs. Sheppard suffered 35 blows to the body, the main trauma was seen to be taken out on the head. Dr. Sam Sheppard was placed on trial and convicted and charged five months later on December 21st, 1954 in the murder of his wife Marilyn Sheppard. Dr.Sheppard was sentenced to life in prison.

When questioned, Dr. Sheppard claims as though all he remembered before he was knocked unconscious was seeing a “bushy headed” man. This man supposedly beat Mrs. Sheppard to death as well as ransacked the home, and left Dr. Sheppard unconscious. The couple's seven-year old son was a few bedrooms down when the murder took place. He as well as Dr. Sheppards brothers did not believe he was among the guilty party. His family believed that the “bushy haired man” had framed him in the death of his wife.

Five years after Sheppard's conviction another man by the name of Richard Eberling was taken into

Sam Sheppard was released from prison, due to the prosecutor's believing that Sheppard was the alleged killer they set forth to instate a new Trial that would take place two years later. In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside the jury verdict, citing a climate of “inherently prejudicial publicity” and the trial judge’s failure to “control disruptive influences in the courtroom.” (Brent Larkin Cleveland Reporter) F. Lee Bailey a young new coming attorney represented Dr.Sheppard. After winning a second trial to try to prove his client's innocence he knew he had to bring new evidence to the table. (Analysis Mark McClish) goes on to state how F. Lee Bailey recognized the brutal beating that Mrs.Sheppard suffered at the time of her murder. He states that a man Dr. Sheppards size would have never needed to strike Marilyn as many times as the alleged killer had. None of the lacerations were individually