One summer evening in 1954, Marilyn Sheppard’s life was taken. The attacker? Either her husband – well respected doctor named Sam – or a “bushy-haired figure” who, according to Sam, grappled with him and then knocked him unconscious in the lake behind their house. To this day, no one knows.
At the time, the public was clearly set on Sam. The man was demonized by the people, grilled in the editorials, and even the judge present in his trial whispered to one of the detectives: “It’s obvious that the doctor did it.”
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Sam Sheppard’s trial for the murder of his wife is arguably the most impartial case to date. But thanks to the carnival that went on in that courtroom, the U. S. Supreme Court brought up the topic of fair trial rights, something that was tragically overlooked for decades.
Whether or not Sam did it remains a mystery. The case is so messed up that it’s virtually impossible to reach a clear conclusion. If you want, you can try and crack it yourself.