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.)
-
54/12/22 Highlights of the Sheppard Murder Case
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Chronology of the events from Marilyn's murder to the beginning of the trial.
-
54/12/22 Jurors' 39-Hour, 23-Minute Deliberations Among Nations Longest
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Article compares the length of deliberation in this trial, 39 hours and 23 minutes, to many other similar trials that had long deliberations. Plain Dealer artist, Lloyd J. Slawson, sketches the moment just before sentence was pronounced.
-
54/12/22 Photos: "Head Bowed"; "Last Cab Ride" (showing three jurors) ; "Edmond Verlinger"; Beatrice Orenstein"; "Evidence In Sheppard Murder Trial"
Cleveland Press CITY
Five photographs from the Sheppard Trial taken shortly after the verdict was read.
-
54/12/22 Photos of Attorneys and Judge
Cleveland Press
Photos of Sam's attorney William J. Corrigan, Assistant Prosecutors Thomas Parrino and Saul Danaceau and Judge Edward Blythin.
-
54/12/22 Photos of Sam and Marilyn's family members
Cleveland Press
Photos of Stephen and Betty Sheppard and Richard and Dorothy Sheppard after the verdict. Photos of Betty Sheppard and G. R. Brown and Mary Brown, Marilyn's aunt and uncle before the verdict
-
54/12/22 Sam is Elated, Then Shattered
Cleveland Plain Dealer
This article describes the reaction of Sam and his family after the verdict of second degree murder was announced.
-
54/12/22 Sheppard Guilty, Gets Life; Innocent Doctor Insists
Cleveland Plain Dealer
This article reports on the verdict saying that "the seven men and five women decided it was Dr. Sam who beat out the life of Marilyn Sheppard "maliciously and purposely," but not "deliberately and of premeditated malice," which is first-degree murder, on July 4 as she lay in her bed." Describes Corrigan's outburst after the reading of the verdict and the initial talks of a motion for a new trial.
-
54/12/22 Sheppard Would Face Death Again in Any New Trial
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Article reports that if Judge Edward Blythin granted Sam a new trial, he would be at risk of receiving the death penalty.
-
54/12/22 Snapshots from Sheppard Case
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Depicted are some of the key figures in the Marilyn Sheppard murder case.
-
54/12/22 Susan is Mum on Conviction
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Article reports that Susan Hayes, Sam's lover, refused to comment on his conviction. Sam's friend, Dr. Lester Hoversten, was hoping for acquittal for Sam and expressed sadness at the idea of a surgeon as talented as Sam "going to waste behind prison bars when humanity needs him."
-
54/12/22 Tears Signal End of Ordeal for Three Women on Jury
Cleveland Plain Dealer
This article reports the strain placed on the jurors by the trial and what some jurors did upon returning home.
-
54/12/22 Verdict Sets Off Frenzied 'Flash'
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Describes the frenzied activity in the press corps after the verdict was announced.
-
54/12/24 Murder Home Repossessed by Sheppard Family
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Photo shows Sheppard family attorney Arthur E. Petersilge signing papers in the office of Assistant County Prosecutor Saul S. Danaceau which return the Bay Village residence to the Sheppard family for the first time since 7/4/54.
-
54/12/24 Sheppard Demands New Trial
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Describes Sam's motion for a new trial which includes forty "reasons" why the new trial should be granted. The motion charges the court, prosecutors, the state's witnesses and the newspapers with misconduct and irregularities. Despite the fact that he was NOT granted a new trial at this time, the Supreme Court in 1966 agreed with many of these charges when they threw out his conviction.
-
54/12/26 Sheppard Case Parallels Ohio Nesbitt Slaying of '26
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Article draws parallels between the Sam Sheppard case and the Jacob Nesbitt case that happened in Troy, Ohio in the mid-1920's. Although a generation apart, both murder mysteries were sensational media stories that shared many details that are quite "spine tingling". Most notably, both Sam Sheppard and Jacob Nesbitt were 30 years of age at the time of each crime, and they were former football players. Jacob Nesbitt's wife, Frances Drake Nesbitt, was murdered. Both couples were also very popular. Other striking similarities are discussed in this article.
-
54/12/29 Agreed on Dr. Sheppard's Guilt at 11a.m. 5th Day, 4 Jurors Say
Cleveland Plain Dealer
This article reports on information provided by four jurors about deliberations. They report that for the first four days, the jury was split on if Sam was guilty or innocent. At 11am on day five, all agreed he was guilty.
-
54/12/30 'New Evidence' Plea Wins Stay
Cleveland News
This article reports that Defense attorneys for Sam saved him from an immediate trip to the Ohio Penitentiary with a plea that they had "newly discovered evidence" to present. Also, second motion for a new trial was presented claiming there were 43 "errors" in the trial record. The court transcript for the motion for a new trial can be found here.
-
55/01/04 Rejects Plea on New Trial for Dr. Sam
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Describes Judge Blythin's denial of a new trial. The article summarizes Blythin's responses to each of Sam's 41 charges of "errors" in the 1954 trial. Read Blythin's full response here.
-
55/01/07 Mother of Dr. Sheppard Kills Herself With Gun
Cleveland News
Ethel Sheppard, mother of Sam Sheppard, committed suicide, leaving a note which read "Dear Steve: I just can't manage alone without father...Mother." Her husband, Dr. Richard A. Sheppard, was critically ill at Bay View Hospital at the time. He died 11 days later.
-
55/01/08 Sam Put Under 'Suicide Watch'
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Article gives details about the suicide of Dr. Sam Sheppard's mother, Mrs. Ethel Niles Sheppard. Sheriff Sweeney said a court order would be necessary before Dr. Sam's request to attend his mother's memorial service would be considered.
-
55/01/19 Court to Let Sam Go to Dad's Rites
Cleveland News
Judge Harry A. Hanna grants permission to Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard to attend the funeral of his father, Dr. Richard A. Sheppard, who died of a malignant lung ailment after an illness of several months.
-
55/01/19 Dr. Sam Loses Plea To Go Free On Bail
Cleveland News
A 3-judge panel denies Sam Sheppard's motion seeking release on bail until the hearing of his appeal on its merits is overruled.
-
55/01/19 Father Of Dr. Sam Dies At 64
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Dr. Sam Sheppard's father dies 11 days after the suicide of Dr. Sam's mother. It was expected that Dr. Sam would seek court permission to attend the funeral of his father.
-
55/03/25 Dr. Sam Naps, Reads in 8th Month
Cleveland News
Cleveland News Reporter James Flanagan sent Sam a note asking how he has coped with spending eight months in the County Jail. Sam replied "Only the effect of a clear conscience and continued drive for truth has enabled me to maintain both physical and mental health. My reading consists mainly of surgical books, journals and historical novels."
