A coroner's inquest is an infrequently used procedure by which the coroner can investigate a suspicious death.¹ The coroner acts as presiding officer (judge) and interrogator, and reaches a determination on the cause and manner of death. The coroner's inquest pertaining to the death of Marilyn Sheppard took place over three days in the Normandy School gym in Bay Village, Ohio starting July 22, 1954. Later, two additional witnesses were questioned at the Coroner's office.

The U.S. Supreme Court case² finding that the judge failed to protect Sam Sheppard against prejudicial pretrial publicity described the inquest as follows:

"It was staged the next day in a school gymnasium; the Coroner presided with the County Prosecutor as his advisor and two detectives as bailiffs. In the front of the room was a long table occupied by reporters, television and radio personnel, and broadcasting equipment. The hearing was broadcast with live microphones placed at the Coroner's seat and the witness stand. A swarm of reporters and photographers attended. Sheppard was brought into the room by police who searched him in full view of several hundred spectators. Sheppard's counsel were present during the three-day inquest but were not permitted to participate. When Sheppard's chief counsel attempted to place some documents in the record, he was forcibly ejected from the room by the Coroner,³ who received cheers, hugs, and kisses from ladies in the audience. Sheppard was questioned for five and one-half hours about his actions on the night of the murder, his married life, and a love affair with Susan Hayes. At the end of the hearing the Coroner announced that he ‘could’ order Sheppard held for the grand jury, but did not do so."

Seventeen witness were questioned under oath by Coroner Sam Gerber, including Sam Sheppard's brothers, their wives, Sam's father, and Marilyn's father. Sam Sheppard testified about struggling with an intruder in the house the night of Marilyn's murder. The coroner questioned Sam about an affair with Susan Hayes. Sam denied the affair, a lie that would later be used to impeach his credibility at trial.

Coroner Gerber's verdict named Sam Sheppard as the murderer.

¹Ohio Revised Code 313.17.
²Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S. Ct. 1507, 16 L. Ed. 2d 600 (1966)
³The ejectment of Sam's attorney occurred during the recall testimony of Dorothy Sheppard on July 26, 1954 (p. 496 of the transcript)