All Police Investigation Photos

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  Inside 02. Studio Couch with Sam's Jacket

  South side of living room as seen by police investigators upon their arrival on the morning of July 4, 1954. Sam's corduroy jacket is neatly folded on the daybed / studio couch. Stairs to second floor are visible in background. Nancy Ahern testified at 1954 trial that Sam was wearing this corduroy jacket as he slept on the daybed at about 12:15 a.m. the morning of July 4. The Ahern family dined with the Sheppards on the evening of July 3; Marilyn saw the Aherns out at about 12:30 a.m. on the 4th while Sam slept on the daybed.

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  Inside 03. Overturned Medical Bag in Hallway near Den

  Sam's medical's bag upturned in the hallway leading to the den and kitchen. In his 1954 trial testimony, Sam reported that when officers had him examine the medical bag, he discovered "a box of emergency morphine ampules missing... They are little ampules that have a needle on the end so that they may be broken and injected very rapidly for emergency medication."

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  Inside 04. Close-up of Overturned Medical Bag

  Close-up of Sam's overturned medical's bag. In his 1954 trial testimony, Cleveland Police Detective Michael Grabowski reported that he was unable to obtain any identifiable fingerprints from the bag or bottles of medicine.

  Early on, it was theorized that intruder broke into Dr. Sam Sheppard's home looking for drugs.

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  Inside 05. Red Leather Chair in Den

  Red leather chair in den/study. According to Bay Village Police Officer Fred Drenkhan in the Initial Homicide Offense Report, when he arrived at the house on July 4, 1954, "Dr. Sam Sheppard sat in this room [den/study] in a large red leather chair in a half sitting half laying position." In his 1954 trial testimony, J. Spencer Houk reported that Sam was sitting in this chair when he arrived and, after Houk asked him what happened, Sam said "I don't know. I just remember waking up on the couch, and I heard Marilyn screaming, and I started up the stairs, and somebody or something clobbered me, and the next thing I remember was coming to down on the beach." Houk went on to say "And that he remembered coming upstairs, and that he thought he tried to do something for Marilyn. And he says, "That's all I remember.""

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  Inside 06. Overturned Desk Drawers in Den

  Downstairs den/study showing drawers and contents of Sam's desk scattered on the floor. When investigators arrived, the empty drawer in the background was stacked on top of the drawer in the left foreground. Before the photo was taken, one of Sam’s brothers knocked over the drawer, scattering the contents on the floor. The now-empty drawer was then placed by the wall. The broken trophy in the foreground at the extreme right edge of the photo was said to have been sitting on the shelf (barely visible).

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  Inside 07. Broken Trophy, Desk Drawer on Floor of Den

  Den floor behind Sam's desk showing pulled-out desk drawer containing tools. Broken trophy visible in lower right corner.

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  Inside 08. Front View of Sam's Desk

  Front view of Sam's desk in the den/study. Cleveland Detective Robert Schottke testified in the 1954 trial: "In the den was five drawers on the floor. The contents of one drawer had been spilled on the floor. Three of the drawers were to the west of the desk, the other two drawers were one piled on top of one another in the southeast corner. The sixth drawer remained in the desk. On top of the desk was medical books, pipes, papers, things of that nature."

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  Inside 09. Sam's Desk and Chair in Den

  Sam's desk and chair; drawers on den/study floor from right side of desk; metal file box containing miscellaneous personal papers. In his criminal investigative analysis requested by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office for the 2000 trial, retired FBI agent Gregg McCrary said "The crime scene photographs and initial police reports indicate that the killer made a feeble attempt to make the crime scene appear to be a "for profit" burglary, possibly with a drug-related motive... Burglars rarely take the time to stack some drawers, selectively dump the contents of other drawers, or search a wallet at a crime scene as was done at this scene. The reason is that it is too high risk an environment, especially when the crime scene is a murder scene. The same is true for the alleged search of Dr. Sheppard's medical bag. It is unlikely that after committing a homicide and being interrupted by the husband of the victim that a homicidally crazed drug-addict would either take the time or have the ability to selectively identify morphine ampules and Demerol among the contents of a medical bag."