This collection features newspaper articles about the murder of Marilyn Sheppard and the subsequent trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard. The articles appearing here are taken from scrapbooks kept by Coroner Samuel Gerber.
The media coverage of Sam Sheppard’s trial was questioned for bias and whether or not the media impacted Sam’s right to receive a fair trial. Ultimately, Sam was awarded a retrial via the Sheppard v. Maxwell decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that Sam had not received a fair trial in 1954 for a number of reasons including the State of Ohio’s failure of “duty to protect Sheppard from the inherently prejudicial publicity which saturated the community.”
The newspaper articles in this collection come from the Cleveland Press, the Cleveland News, and The Plain Dealer. The Cleveland Press went out of business in 1982 but was a major player in local news around the time Marilyn was murdered. The Cleveland News was purchased by the Cleveland Press in 1960. Cleveland State University has a copyright agreement with The Plain Dealer to post articles related to the Sheppard case.
(Cleveland State University was donated the archives of the Cleveland Press in 1984. Details about the donation and how to access articles and photos from the Cleveland Press can be found here.)
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54/11/08 County Pays Out $2900 So Far in Murder Trial
Cleveland Press
3 snippets of information are reported here regarding the Sheppard trial: 1.) Clerk of Courts, Leonard Fuerst, reports on the costs incurred by the County. 2.) William J. Corrigan cross-examines Lester Adelson again 3.) John Mahon and Thomas Parrino delay the start of today's proceedings by arriving late.
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54/11/08 Defense Stresses How, Not Who, in Marilyn's Death
Cleveland Press
The State claims Marilyn was killed by a series of 35 savage blows, 25 of them on the head. Defense attorney, William J. Corrigan, alleges that six wounds on Marilyn's forehead were exactly 1 inch apart, creating a possibility that perhaps a many-pronged tool was used instead. By Corrigan's theory, as the author of this article states, "the attacker would have had plenty of time to finish the job-- to inflict 35 wounds-- before Sam arrived on the scene."
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54/11/08 Dr. Sam Directs Own Defense
Cleveland Press
To the courtroom audience's astonishment, Sam Sheppard gives several suggestions to his defense attorneys of questions to ask of Coroner, Lester Adelson, during his cross-examination. Article also reports on many other updates in the case.
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54/11/16 Newsmen Joined by New 'Editors'
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Describes the spouses who have traveled with their husbands to the trial. Freelance writer Bernice Freeman is attending the trial with her husband, New York Times writer Ian Freeman. Miriam Holmes is attending the trial with her husband Chicago Tribune writer Paul Holmes (who later wrote a book about the case.) Elynor Harris is attending the trial with her husband Russ Harris, writer for the Detroit News.
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54/11/20 Bay Death Suspect Here From Detroit
Cleveland News
Detectives Vincent Morrow and Peter Becker return to Cleveland, bringing with them a man from Detroit whom Dr. Stephen A. Sheppard first fingered as a possible suspect, because the man, a former patient of Bay View Hospital, fit the description of the "bushy haired" man.
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54/11/20 Both Defense, State Find Aid to Causes in Schottke
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Prosecutors and defense attorneys tried to put a good spin on the testimony of Detective Robert Schottke, a 10-year member of the Cleveland Homicide Squad. You can read a transcript of his testimony here: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/sheppard_transcripts_1954/7/
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54/11/20 City Detectives Check Sheppard Clews in Detroit
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland homicide detectives interviewed three persons at the Detroit homicide bureau today in connection with the Sheppard murder case, it was learned last night.
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54/11/20 Spotlight Turns to Hoversten: Gets Chance to Refute 'Love' Report
Cleveland News
Article recaps the defense cross-examination of Detective Robert Schottke and previews Monday, November 22nd trial events. Expected to testify on Monday is Dr. Lester Hoversten, friend of Sam Sheppard, who was staying at the Sheppard home around the time of Marilyn's death. Dr. Stephen Sheppard, brother of the defendant, claims that Hoversten was infatuated with Marilyn.
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54/11/20 Summary of Text as Parrino and Garmone Question Detective Schottke: Interrogation of Sam in Hospital Described
Cleveland Plain Dealer
General summary of November 19, 1954 trial events.
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54/11/20 Talk of Trial Taboo
Cleveland News
Other cellmates of Dr. Sam mind their own business after Sheppard returns each day from his trial. Here is an account of day to day life for Sam Sheppard in his cell block.
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54/11/20 Testifies Sam Changed Stories
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Describes today's trial events including Defense Attorney Fred W. Garmone's cross-examination of Homicide Detective Robert F. Schottke. Schottke had earlier testified about Dr. Sheppard's changing stories and explanations of his affair with Susan Hayes and the events of the night of the murder.
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54/11/21 Grant Bay 'Suspect' Lie Test
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Members of the Sheppard family steer police toward a possible suspect by the name of Phillip A Schilling. Dr. Stephen A. Sheppard complains that detectives displayed a "closed-mind attitude." In other developments, Dr. Hoversten confers for two hours with assistant prosecutor, John J. Mahon, regarding his Hoversten's future testimony.
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54/11/22 Hoversten Pleases Defense
Cleveland Press
Associate Defense Counsel, Fred W. Garmone, cross-examines Dr. Lester Hoversten for only 10 minutes before excusing him from the witness stand. Hoversten also claims that he was asleep in Kent, Ohio during the night of the murder. Hoversten related an incident at the house in Kent, where he said a Dalmation dog came upstairs to his room, crawled under his bed, and made peculiar noises that night, so he ended up locking the dog downstairs.
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54/11/22 Hoversten Reveals Warning to Sam: 'Get Story Straight'
Cleveland News
Lester T. Hoversten takes the stand today and is questioned by assistant prosecutor, John J. Mahon, on many topics, including Hoversten's trip to Kent, Ohio, the night before the murder, and his whereabouts thereafter. Also reported here is the courtroom testimony of deputy sheriff, Carl Rossbach.
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54/11/22 Hoversten Testifies About Dr. Sam's Divorce Talk
Cleveland Press
Published here is the testimony between Dr. Hoversten and Chief Assistant Prosecutor John J. Mahon in which the topic of "divorce" was discussed by Hoversten as it relates to Sheppard.
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54/11/22 Hoversten to Detail Dr. Sam Divorce Talk
Cleveland Press
Dr. Lester T. Hoversten was called to testify today as a witness for the prosecution. Article also claims that homicide detective, Robert Schottke, and his partner, Patrick Gareau, were the first officers to challenge Dr. Sam's version of Marilyn's murder.
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54/11/22 It's Dr. Sam's Window and It's His Recess From Reality
Cleveland Press
Reporter describes, in detail, the view from the window that Sam Sheppard looks out of during recesses at the Criminal Courts Building on E. 21st. St.
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54/11/22 Police Rap Dr. Steve on 'Suspect' Handling
Cleveland Press
Chief James mcArthur criticizes Dr. Stephen Sheppard and a Rocky River police captain for waiting over a day to notify him of a possible new suspect in the case.
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54/11/22 Probe New Bay Tip; Detroit Man Clear
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Bay Village police question an ex-convict from Cincinnati by the name of Henry Fuehrer. Fuehrer said that he and a companion named "Pal" were drinking the night of July 3rd, and later went to a random home in Bay Village for the purpose of finding more money to continue drinking.
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54/11/22 Sam Talked Divorce: Hoversten
Cleveland Press
A tense Lester Hoversten testifies as a witness for the prosecution, revealing that Dr. Sam Sheppard had talked of divorcing Marilyn.
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54/11/22 Says Sam Admitted Love Affair
Cleveland Press CITY
Homicide detective Robert Schottke testified today that Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard admitted to him on July 31st that he had lived with Susan Hayes for a week in Los Angeles. Several other developments in the case are reported here as well.
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54/11/22 TV Spurs Corrigan's Trial Transfer Bid
Cleveland Press
Sam Sheppard's defense attorney, William J. Corrigan, renewed his demand that the trial be postponed and transferred to another county. He was upset when he saw the television cameras on the steps of the criminal courts building before the trial opened today.
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54/11/23 Admits 'Killer' Hoax
Cleveland Press
Henry Fuehrer confesses today that his previous claim saying he had knowledge about "the real killer" of Marilyn Sheppard was a hoax.
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54/11/23 Corrigan Says Dr. Sam Will Testify in Defense
Cleveland Press
Despite speculation that Dr. Sam might not testify in his own behalf, defense attorney, William J. Corrigan, says, "Sam Sheppard will be a witness". He adds, "I've always planned to use him."
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54/12/01 Susan Hayes Admits Love Affair In Trial Testimony
The Columbus Citizen
Miss Susan Hayes takes the witness stand. As she does, William J. Corrigan asks the judge to instruct Miss Hayes of her Constitutional rights. The transcript of the direct examination of Miss Hayes by Assistant Prosecutor, Thomas Parrino, and the cross-examination by Fred Garmone are published here.