Who was Dr. Sam Sheppard?

On July 4, 1954, Dr. Samuel Sheppard (a young Osteopathic neurosurgeon) found his wife Mrs. Marilyn Reese Sheppard bludgeoned to death in their family home in Bay Village, Ohio. Dr. Sam was accused of the crime before any investigation was carried out.  He was convicted in a 1954 trial — later described as a “mockery of justice” by a higher court. Finally given a fair trial in 1966, Dr. Sam was declared “Not Guilty” and released from prison.

Although Dr. Sam attempted to resume his medical practice, his life was forever altered, and he died four years later of liver disease at the age of 46.

Who are we?

We are the second generation — sons and daughters impacted by homicide and injustice. We have lived productive lives and continue to do so, but rather than turning our backs on this unsolved crime and unresolved injustice, we believe it is time to tell our story in the hope it will lead toward criminal justice reform.

What would happen, we wondered, if Sherlock Holmes could lend his objective view and deductive reasoning in analysis of the actual physical evidence and known facts of this case?

The author of the book, An Omission of Epic Proportions, Sherlock Holmes Investigates the Murder of Mrs. Marilyn Sheppard, is a niece of Dr. and Mrs. Sam Sheppard. She weaves her story based on authentic scientific research and expert analysis documented in an unpublished manuscript written by Dr. Paul Leland Kirk and Alys McColl in 1955. She imagines what an unbiased examination of the physical evidence – conducted by two master criminalists – might reveal about her aunt’s murder.

This book reveals for the first time, all known facts and repressed physical evidence surrounding this unsolved murder and analyzes those facts in relation to all major suspects. Readers can follow Sherlock Holmes’ deductive reasoning and use their own logic to review the unvarnished facts of the case and decide for themselves who murdered Mrs. Marilyn Sheppard.

Working for Criminal Justice Reform

The Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of the press, and it staunchly defends every citizen’s right to due process and a fair trial. The United States Supreme Court landmark decision regarding Dr. Sam’s trial (see Sheppard v. Maxwell 1966) gives defendants legal precedent for appeal when news media overstep the boundary between free expression and editorial condemnation.

Dr. Sam Sheppard’s ordeal helped safeguard your right to a fair trial, but if the criminal justice system makes a mistake – as it sometimes does by convicting innocent men and women – it lacks a clear process for reversing its gears and restoring that innocent person’s good name.

Our Mission:

To create an informed public perception and understanding of this case and to use its lessons to further improve our country’s criminal justice system.

Toward that end, five percent (5%) of the net profit from sales of the book, An Omission of Epic Proportions, is dedicated to supporting organizations and individuals working toward criminal justice reform.