Sam Sheppard Essays - Sam Sheppard, F. Lee Bailey,

Sam Sheppard The media had to much power and are the ones who put Sam Sheppard in jail in 1954. On the evening of July 3, 1954 Dr. Sam Sheppard and his pregnant wife were having the neighbors over for drinks. They invited them to thier home witch was on lake Erie. Sam fell asleep on the couch before the neighbors left. His wife, Marilyn, then let the neighbors out and went to bed herself around midnight. Sheppard woke up to loud screams sometime later. When Sheppard herd the screams he rushed upstairs to his bedroom. He saw a ?white form? standing beside his wife on their bed. Sam then tried to attack the form but was clubbed on the neck and quickly blacked out. He then herd a noise and went racing downstairs. He then saw the intruder and chased him out the backdoor and onto the beach, he noticed the man had busy hair. While he was chasing the intruder he leapt at him and tackled him from behind. They struggled for a few minutes and then Sheppard was knocked out again. When he came to he was partially submerged in water, he got up and staggered back to his house and called for help.(courtroom drama) Sam called his neighbor Spen Houk, the mayor. The police Dan Sam's brothers Richard and Steve were called. His brothers then took him to the hospital. The newspapers however said that the Sheppards sped him off to the family hospital and kept him away from the investigation. They did not report however that the police at the scene had no objections with Sam going to the hospital, or the fact that Sam was questioned three different times on the day of the murder or that he had a full-scale questioning four days later with no counsel present. Those facts did not matter, the newspapers were spreading the idea that Sam Sheppard was rich enough and had enough influence to get away with murder. (Cooper) For the next few weeks the papers were crazy with Sheppard stories, they were accusing him left and right. They were continually pressuring the police. They even called for an inquest. Also, some of the media speculation was due to the discovery of a canvas bag at his house that included a watch, a fraternity ring, and a key. This made people believe that he faked a robbery. Then it was revealed that he was involved with another women, the media went crazy.(courtroom drama) On July 30, an article called ?Quit stalling - bring him in!? was run by the leading media hound of Sheppard, Lois B. Seltzer. That night police arrested Sheppard at his parents home on the charges of murder. Outside of the house was a carnival. When Sheppard was lead out of the house people started to cheer. The grand jury indicted Sam on August 17, Dan is trial began a month later. Before the trial even started the judge, Judge Blythin, told reporters that Sam was ?guilty has hell?. Sam Sheppard was blamed with second degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison on December 21, 1954. (internet site) Sheppards attorneys were not even able to get into Sam's house until after the trial to collect evidence. Corrigan, Sheppards attorney, hired Dr. Paul Leland Kirk. Kirk was a nationally known criminologist from the University of California. Kirk turned up lots of great evidence that proves Sheppards innocence. He determined that the killer was left handed, and Sam is right handed. He also found a spot of blood that did not belong to either Sam or Marilyn. ?He also said that Sam's story was consistent with the known facts, and that the technical evidence presented by the prosecution had been worthless. But petitions for a new trial on the basis of Dr. Kirk's findings were turned down by the courts, as were other appeals over the years.?(Bailey) After Sam's conviction his mother shot herself and his father died of cancer in less than a month. He survived in jail by writing to his son, working has a surgeon for limited pay, letting doctors use him for medical research, participating in athletics and made and sold religious jewelry. The years in jail were bitter ones for Sam Sheppard, none of the appeals succeeded. The nations legal system had failed him. He was in jail for a crime he did not commit, and to boot half of his family was dead because of it, his wife, his mother and his