The Case of Dr. Samuel Sheppard

At the request of police, Dr. Charles Elkins, a noted neurologist, examined Sheppard in the hospital. He was also, as the Sheppards couldn't help noticing, an M.D. — a medical doctor, as opposed to a doctor of osteopathy like the Sheppards. Today the two branches go to school and practice together, but in the 1950s M.D.s looked on D.O.s with contempt.

Dr. Elkins determined that Sheppard had suffered "serious damage to the spinal cord in the neck region" as well as bruises on the right side of his face and lacerations of the mouth. The extent of his injuries was to be an important point in the trial five months later.

On Tuesday Dr. Sam was taken to his wife's funeral in a wheel chair wearing an orthopedic collar. He wept during the eulogy. By now law enforcement authorities were complaining about the insistence of Sheppard's doctor — his brother Steve — that he was in no shape to answer questions.

"We expected cooperation from the family but we don't seem to be getting it," Dr. Gerber said. "Here's a witness surrounded by his whole family of doctors." Assistant County Prosecutor John Mahon declared: "In my 23 years of criminal prosecution, I have never seen such flagrant stalling."

Sheppard, alarmed by the growing public sentiment, issued a statement announcing a $10,000 reward for the capture of the killer and declaring, "I have never refused to talk to any authorities or give them any information I had.

Exterior of Sheppard home
(Cleveland Press)

On Thursday Dr. Sheppard was taken back to his house to go through it with police — and news photographers. He was shocked to see spectators gathered in his yard. "They're all over the lawn," he protested. "I want them off my property. Marilyn wouldn't like it." He kept repeating, "Marilyn wouldn't like it."

The Press story of the tour of the house showed how the coverage had changed since the sympathetic early stories. It said: "Flanked by two lawyers, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard today re-enacted his version of the murder of his pretty wife, Marilyn — and repeated it, detail by detail, word for word, over and over again."

Dr. Steve finally allowed his brother to talk to a reporter. In an exclusive interview with the News, Dr. Sam said, "I was in love with my wife and she was in love with me. We got along wonderfully." He broke into sobs when he told how happy they were to find out she was pregnant again and how they decided that if the baby was a boy they would name him Stephen after Sam's brother.

Finally, Corrigan allowed authorities to question Dr. Sam in the hospital, and without the lawyer's presence. The session lasted nine hours. It was clear now to Clevelanders that Dr. Sam was the prime suspect; many had come to that conclusion the first day. If the horrible event had happened to their family member, they told themselves, they would have talked to police as often and as long as police wanted and they would have quickly agreed to take a lie detector test.

Still, police picked up and questioned possible suspects. All were released. There were hundreds of calls from the public. Two separate people reported seeing a man in a white shirt near the Sheppard home in the early hours of July 4. On the other hand, a woman told of seeing lights on in the house, contrary to Sheppard's story.

Belatedly, police closed the Sheppard home to all but official visitors. That included Sheppard, who was allowed to return only briefly to pick up clothes under the eyes of police.

Cleveland police continued to press Bay Village to arrest Sheppard "for questioning." Under the law that would mean they could hold him for a reasonable period, usually three days, while they questioned him intensively in hopes he would break down.

On July 16, the Press ran an editorial titled "The Finger of Suspicion." It protested that the case was marked by "the hostility of Bay Village officials to any 'outsiders' in this case" and "the unusual protection set up around the husband of the victim, the sole witness." It declared: "Every further moment of fumbling is helping a murderer escape."

On July 21 the Press followed up with another editorial, this time on Page One: "Why No Inquest? Do It Now, Dr. Gerber?" The same afternoon, Gerber announced he would hold an inquest.