The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case

Before O.J. Simpson, Sam Sheppard was probably the most famous man acquitted for murder in the United States. Sheppard was a suburban Cleveland doctor accused of murdering his wife in 1954. The essentials of his case are well known. Sheppard said he was asleep on the couch when he heard his wife scream from the bedroom; he ran up the stairs and was knocked out by her attacker. Before long, Sheppard himself became the leading suspect--and most of the public came to consider him guilty. In The Wrong Man , reporter James Neff offers a detailed and well-told narrative that argues for Sheppard's innocence. Based on 10 years of research and interviews with many of the people whose lives touched the case, from family members to jurors to Sheppard's famous attorney F. Lee Bailey, Neff's account seems convincing. He even proposes a perpetrator, who, Neff says, offered something "close of a confession" during an interview shortly before his death in 1998. There may never be a "final verdict" in the saga of Sam Sheppard, but many readers will think this book effectively closes the case. --John Miller From Publishers Weekly The brutal murder of Marilyn Sheppard in a Cleveland suburb in 1954 led to the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of her husband and precipitated a popular television series (The Fugitive), two hit films and the federal appeals case that made F. Lee Bailey famous. This is a story of "blood, violent death, mystery and sex," and Neff (Mobbed Up) brilliantly dissects the vital organs of the case, uncovering the terror and bureaucratic frustration Dr. Sam Sheppard encountered when faced with "a community, a court system, and a powerful press corps working in apparent lockstep to convict him." More importantly, he presents new case material, including blood evidence and unheard testimonies as well as Sheppard's prison diaries and interviews with those close to the investigation all evidence that now points to the true identity of Marilyn's killer. Neff's illumination of Marilyn's unhappy marriage is careful and empathetic, while his portrayal of Sam's womanizing shows how easy it was for the prosecution to paint him as a killer. Neff's nose for news is no less powerful: he tracks the increasing public support of Sheppard's innocence, follows a pioneering criminologist whose career was nearly destroyed by Cleveland's political machine and sheds light on the historical shifts in the treatment of suspects since the Sheppard murder case. This brilliant, well-written story is easily the best of the true-crime genre so far for 2001. 8 pages of b & w photos not seen by PW. Agent, Esther Newberg, ICM. (On sale Oct. 30) Forecast: This definitive treatment of one of the most famous murder cases of the 20th century should be a big seller. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Touted as the book that will prove who really killed Shepard's wife. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Do library shelves have room for another book on the Sheppard case? Yes, if it's this involving reexamination--from Marilyn Sheppard's brutal murder before dawn July 4, 1954, in suburban Cleveland, to her husband's trial, years in prison, release, retrial, and sad final years, as well as the son's effort to force Ohio to declare Sheppard innocent. Neff grew up in Cleveland, where Sheppard's guilt was assumed; he was a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter for 10 years and is now the Seattle Times ' investigations editor. The Sheppard case may not have inspired The Fugitive (Neff includes the series' writer's account of how he came up with the idea), but this ugly murder and the decades of litigation it generated are far more dramatic than most pop entertainment. Neff brings to life family members, neighbors, defense and prosecuting attorneys, witnesses, and the critical "other suspect," and analyzes courtroom arguments and evidence effectively. Will appeal to legal-thriller fans and readers concerned about abuse of prosecutorial power. Mary Carroll Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “An exhaustive piece of detective work...[Neff’s] determination gives his book a gripping zealousness.”—The New York Times Book Review“The Wrong Man is one of the most brilliant works in the true-crime genre to come along for a decade. Even those who thought they knew the Sam Sheppard case are in for a surprise. James Neff’s in-depth research resonates throughout this fascinating book, and he has come up with the real thing—a searing study of Dr. Sam Sheppard, a man no one really knew. Neff is my favorite true-crime writer!”—Ann Rule, author of Every Breath You Take and Small Sacrifices“James Neff’s The Wrong Man...does an outstanding job examining the famous case, setting out the facts, and then illuminating the subsequent trials as seen through the prism of the evolving science of DNA and crime psychology....Far more than a true-crime book... The Wrong Man is a perceptive look at the intricacies of the justice system.”—USA Today“A gripping and meticulously researched book...[A] first-degree murder mystery.”—People“Journalist James Neff...has amassed an impressive body of evidence that points to the almost inevitable conclusion that the wheels of justice ran over ‘the wrong man.’...Fascinating and provocative reading.”—The Washington Post Book World From the Trade Paperback edition. From the Inside Flap e murder that became known as x93The Fugitivex94 case began before dawn on July 4, 1954, in a Cleveland suburb, when Marilyn Sheppard was viciously beaten to death in her bed. After an inadequate investigation, her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, was charged with the crime, and a chain of events was set in motion that has caused more speculation, more publicity, and more cultural myth than any other American murder.James Neff is an award-winning investigative journalist who, over the past ten years, has assembled the most compete set of Sheppard records in existence, including DNA analyses and interviews with every living person central to the case. He has also gained unprecedented access to crime-scene evidence that shows conclusively that Sham Sheppard did not murder his wifex96and points to the man who did. Peeling away the layers of fiction surrounding the case, Neff uncovers the factual events and the key players in a story that until now has been shrouded in mystery. “An exhaustive piece of detective work...[Neff’s] determination gives his book a gripping zealousness.”—The New York Times Book Review“The Wrong Man is one of the most brilliant works in the true-crime genre to come along for a decade. Even those who thought they knew the Sam Sheppard case are in for a surprise. James Neff’s in-depth research resonates throughout this fascinating book, and he has come up with the real thing—a searing study of Dr. Sam Sheppard, a man no one really knew. Neff is my favorite true-crime writer!”—Ann Rule, author of Every Breath You Take and Small Sacrifices“James Neff’s The Wrong Man...does an outstanding job examining the famous case, setting out the facts, and then illuminating the subsequent trials as seen through the prism of the evolving science of DNA and crime psychology....Far more than a true-crime book... The Wrong Man is a perceptive look at the intricacies of the justice system.”—USA Today“A gripping and meticulously researched book...[A] first-degree murder mystery.”—People“Journalist James Neff...has amassed an impressive body of evidence that points to the almost inevitable conclusion that the wheels of justice ran over ‘the wrong man.’...Fascinating and provocative reading.”—The Washington Post Book World From the Trade Paperback edition. James Neff is the author of three books and serves as chairman of Investigative Reporters & Editors, a 4,500-member nonprofit organization that provides advanced training to journalists worldwide. He lives in Seattle. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 Their father's dream from the time the boys were little was to have a hospital and to have his three sons working with him. What happened, naturally, destroyed that whole thing. Darn near destroyed a village.-ESTHER HOUK, BAY VILLAGE NEIGHBOR Eve of Destruction early saturday morning, July 3, 1954, Dr. Sam Sheppard pulled his Lincoln into the parking lot of Bay View Hospital, housed in a huge, Georgian-style mansion built on the bluffs of Lake Erie. His family had bought the place several years earlier and had converted it into a 110-bed hospital. Dr. Stephen Sheppard, the middle Sheppard brother, pulled his car in just behind him. They talked for a few minutes about how they were going to celebrate the holiday weekend.It promised to be a beautiful day, with low humidity, a slight breeze off the lake. Steve planned to go sailing on his Raven-class racing sloop. Sam reminded him that he and Marilyn were having a cookout the next day for about twenty couples, the hospital interns and their dates. After a quick cup of coffee in the hospital cafeteria, the brothers split up and headed into separate operating rooms. It was shortly before 7 a.m. Even on a holiday weekend, the Sheppards tried to squeeze in half a day of surgery. Bay View, an osteopathic teaching hospital, had all the business it could handle.A little while later, less than a mile away, Marilyn Sheppard arose at the lakefront home where she and Dr. Sam lived. Her day was going to be just as busy as her husband's. She was still angry with Sam because he had volunteered to hold the intern party without first checking with her. This was not her idea of how to spend a family holiday. Sam would be out on their boat, water-skiing with the guests, leaving Marilyn, an expert skier, "getting the groceries and entertaining a lot of dull dry people who can't ski."1She had to clean and shop and spruce up the yard and the boathouse while keeping an eye on their seven-year-old son, Sam, whom they called Chip. Also, she was four months pregnant, more tired and uncomfortable than usual. If Sam had just asked her first, she would have agreed to host the party without complaint because she truly wanted to be what her older sisters-in-law referred to as "a good doctor's wife"-an attractive, cheerful helpmate who could run the household like a quartermaster, manage the children, and make life easy for her ambitious, hardworking husband. She knew that Sam was obliged to the interns at Bay View, which relied in part on their low-paid labor for its success. In return, these doctors in training received invaluable education from senior doctors, such as Sam's father, Dr. Richard A. Sheppard, a highly regarded diagnostician who took referrals from all over Ohio.Even worse than getting stuck with the intern party, Marilyn had an unwanted houseguest to deal with-Sam's old friend from medical school, Dr. Lester Hoversten. Acting on his own, Sam had agreed to let Hoversten live with them a few days while he interviewed for a job at Bay View. Marilyn thought he was a pig. A couple of years earlier he had made a crude pass at her and she'd shut him down fast, not worrying about hurting his feelings. Just being around him put her on edge. He left his room a mess and was an inconsiderate guest overall. She refused to make his bed or even go near that bedroom.Hoversten thought of himself as a playboy, and made sexual passes at any woman who strayed within his gaze. Even though he was fourteen years older than Sam, they had gone through medical school together and had served as surgical residents at Los Angeles County General Hospital. The experience explained their friendship, the foxhole bonding of young doctors as they endured grueling hours at little pay under the intellectual hazing of senior surgeons, who themselves were famously condescending toward women. Hoversten was recently divorced and had been asked to leave his position at a Dayton hospital. He had written Sam asking for help. "I'm so depressed I wish my life were over. I'm too busy for much leisure time and I do so little surgery I'm bored with the drudgery of it all."2Sam had invited him to Cleveland, but Hoversten wrote that he was reluctant to stay with them. "Your beloved wife's attitude of the past still fills me with an aversion to staying at your house much as I enjoy your son and wife."3 But Sam insisted that he come and have a good time.At Sam's suggestion, Hoversten had agreed to get up early that Saturday and assist him in surgery, a good way to check out Bay View's operation. But when Saturday morning came, Hoversten slept in. He didn't get up until 10 a.m., leaving him home alone with Marilyn. In the afternoon, he left for an overnight stay with a friend.That night, the Sheppards and friends from the neighborhood, Don and Nancy Ahern, had plans for a casual dinner together. Although the intern party was the next day, Marilyn had volunteered to cook, and even baked a blueberry pie, Sam's favorite. Don and Nancy insisted on providing cocktails at their home first.In the past year, the two couples had become close friends. Nancy and Marilyn bowled together on the Bay Village ladies' afternoon bowling league while their children were in school, and the two couples were active in the Junior Club, a Bay Village ballroom-dance club for younger couples.That evening, Don Ahern mixed martinis for the men and whiskey sours for the women. The children played outside. It was about a quarter to seven, the start of the holiday-weekend ritual-drinks at one house, dinner at another, the kids staying up late, since it was summer. Sam dressed in a white T-shirt and brown corduroys. Marilyn wore short white shorts and a blouse, and beaded moccasins. She was attractive, with wide hazel eyes and thick, shoulder-length brown hair. Athletic, tanned, and slim, she could pass for a teenager.Sam was comfortable enough with Don to tell him about the hardship of his day. A specialist in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery, Sam also oversaw the emergency-room operations. Today had been an emergency-room surgeon's nightmare. A boy had been struck by a truck and rushed to Bay View. His heart had stopped. Sam, on emergency-call rotation, opened the child's chest and massaged the heart, a method to restart it in the days before defibrillators. The tiny heart kicked to life, then stopped. Sam massaged it until his fingers gave out, and another doctor took over. It was no use. The boy was dead. The father was terribly upset, lashing out at Sam for not saving his boy's life. Sam had nothing to say except that he had tried his best, he felt terrible, and was sorry.They each had two drinks, and at about 8:20 Marilyn left the Aherns' to start dinner. Sam drove to Bay View to check the X rays of a boy who had been brought into the emergency room with a broken thigh, and returned quickly. Meanwhile, Don and Nancy brought their two children, ages seven and ten, over to the Sheppards' home on Lake Road. While Marilyn and Nancy put the final touches on dinner, Sam took the kids into the basement, showed them his punching bag, and let them pound away, stopping them at times to give pointers on how to throw a proper punch.The children ate in the kitchen, while the parents enjoyed dinner out on the screened porch that faced Lake Erie; they watched the sun drop over the water, its last rays splintering into fiery reds and purples. Dinner was cottage ham, rye bread, green beans, and blueberry pie with ice cream. Marilyn, as usual, ate well.They finished at about ten-thirty. Nancy cleared the dirty dishes and shut the living room door to the screened porch. She remembered later that she had locked the door. Don took their two children home, tucked them in, and came back. This was Bay Village in the early 1950s, suburban and safe, and many parents felt comfortable leaving sleeping children home alone for a few hours.Don listened to the Indians baseball game on the radio in the living room-the team was in first place in the American League and would go on to win the pennant. Chip came out in his pajamas, holding a balsa-wood airplane. It was broken. Sam brought glue in from the garage and fixed the toy, telling Chip that he was doing this after bedtime as a special favor, because Chip had been a man about the broken plane, not whining but calmly asking for help. Marilyn took Chip back upstairs and tied on his chin brace, a sling that pulled in his jaw. Sam felt his son's chin protruded too far, which might cause problems later with his bite.The two couples settled in the living room and found the movie Strange Holiday on one of two channels. Watching television was still a new thing to do in 1954. Marilyn sat on Sam's lap, and Nancy, envious, called over to Don, "I need attention, too."After a while, Sam moved to a narrow living room couch, more like a short daybed, near one of the stairways to the second floor. He stretched out and drifted in and out of sleep in the darkened living room. He was wearing a corduroy sports coat because it had gotten chilly.With the dishes done and Chip asleep, Marilyn finally had time to relax with some adults. But Sam was asleep. "C'mon, Sam, it's going to improve," she said. He lifted his head, watched the movie for a few minutes, then fell back asleep.4About midnight, Marilyn fell asleep in her chair and the Aherns tried to slip out quietly. Marilyn woke up anyway and walked her friends to the kitchen door, which led to the driveway and Lake Road. They passed Sam on the daybed, sleeping soundly."Jump in bed before you get over being sleepy," Nancy told Marilyn.It was 12:30 a.m. Later, Nancy told the police that she could not remember locking that door. And, no, she could not remember if Marilyn had locked it, either.2INDEPENDENCE DAYat 5:40 a.m. on July 4, 1954, the mayor of Bay Village was awakened by a telephone call. It was his neighbor Sam Sheppar... Read more