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Other Evidence 05. Bloodstained Pillow
Pillow from Marilyn's bed. Marilyn's head was not on the pillow when officers arrived at the scene; the pillow was at the top left corner of the bed.
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Other Evidence 06. Bloodstained Pillow, Reverse Side
Reverse side of Marilyn's bed pillow showing blood stains on pillowcase. Coroner Samuel Gerber testified in the 1954 trial that the blood on the pillow was transferred from the murder weapon--which he suggested was a surgical instrument. In the 1966 trial, under cross examination by F. Lee Bailey, Gerber admitted that he could not specify a type of surgical instrument that would produce that transfer stain on Marilyn's pillow. In his 1955 Affidavit, Dr. Paul Kirk, expert witness for the Sheppard Defense team, stated "It is certain that the pillow was either used to prevent outcry earlier, or that the victim attempted to shield herself by holding the pillow on her face or head. In either case, the pillow had to be moved at a subsequent time, and was probably doubled down on itself and folded in such a manner as to produce a mirror image blood impression later interpreted as an 'instrument' impression."
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Other Evidence 07. Sam's Trousers
Trousers Sam was wearing when police arrived at his home the morning of July 4, 1954. In the 1954 trial, Coroner Samuel Gerber testified that he received shoes, socks, trousers, undershorts and a billfold collected from Sam while he was at Bay View Hospital (Sam couldn't remember what happened to his t-shirt). The items Gerber received were damp. Tests on the trousers revealed only a slight smear of O type blood on the left pant leg (Marilyn was type O). The absence of blood on Sam's trousers was a controversial issue in all of the Sheppard trials. The Sheppard team felt it proved that Sam didn't murder Marilyn. The State felt that the lack of blood on the trousers only proved the trousers weren't in the room during the murder and/or Sam never wrestled with Marilyn's murderer because the murderer would have been covered with Marilyn's blood.
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Other Evidence 08. Sam's Watch
Sam's watch was found in a green cloth bag near the stairs to the beach. The bag also contained a key chain and class ring. In the 2000 trial, James Wentzel, a forensic photographer for the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, testified that he used a special computer program to analyze all 37 links of the watchband of Sam's watch. He was able to identify 110 "reddish-brown stains" on the watchband. The Court did not allow Wentzel to refer to these as 'bloodstains' because he wasn't a physician (from Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial by Jack P. DeSario and Bill Mason, 2003, p. 232).
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Other Evidence 09. Green Bag
Green cloth bag in which Sam's watch and other items were found. There was no blood found on the bag, only on the watch inside the bag (from Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial by Jack P. DeSario and Bill Mason, 2003, p. 308).
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Other Evidence 10. Sam in Neck Brace at Bay View Hospital
Sam was taken to Bay View Hospital (the hospital owned by his family) on the day of Marilyn's murder. His injuries were very controversial. Sam said he was knocked unconscious twice by the person who murdered Marilyn. Dr. Gervase C. Flick, Bay View Hospital physician, examined the x-rays taken of Sam after the murder. Flick testified in the 1954 trial that he saw a chip fracture on Sam's C-2 vertebra on the X-rays he saw on July 4. He ordered another set of x-rays on July 7 but could no longer see the fracture. Read Flick's full 1954 trial testimony here.
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