Sam Sheppard Case Study

Introduction

The Sam Sheppard case is one of the most iconic cases to ever happen in the history of the justice system. The case revolves around a young couple where the wife, Marilyn Sheppard, gets murdered with her husband accused of killing her. He denied the charge and even escaped from law enforcement officers under the claim that he was after the person who murdered his wife because he was innocent. The case has retained its fascinating element in the eyes of Americans because of its intriguing nature. After getting charged, Sam was duly found guilty by a jury and sent to prison. Another jury was formed 12 years later and exonerated him from all charges as it found him not guilty of the charges for which he was serving time. The see-sawing nature of the justice wheel has always baffled the American citizens.

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The other peculiar thing with the Sam Sheppard case is that it was never solved. Despite all the efforts of the investigating agencies and the prosecuting team, the case was never fully solved since there was even talks of a third jury to determine whether Sam Sheppard's family, who has since passed on, should be compensated for the injustice (James). Even in the entertainment content based on this case leaves the audiences in suspense as they wonder whether the real killer of Marilyn Sheppard ever gets caught. Every time forensic technology advances there are always suggestions of reopening the case and putting it to rest once and for all. It is this 70-year suspense that fascinates the public which has more questions than answers regarding the case. People always wonder that if Sam Sheppard was eventually acquitted after being found innocent, then who killed his wife.

Equally fascinating to the American general public 70 years since the mysterious murder of Marilyn Sheppard was that the entire saga had all the hallmarks of a top-rated reality television content. First of all there was the murder of a young woman with the husband being accused as the top suspect. Then it must be mentioned that they were a beautiful couple who attracted the admiration and sympathy of the public in equal measure. Since the husband kept claiming that he was innocent, the lack of the main killer and the fact that it could have been a love triangle triggers more interest from the public. The murder also brought into sharp focus the institution of marriage and the underlying lies that kept emerging from the investigations. The real-life saga took place in the Marilyn Monroe era who happens to share a first name with the deceased victim in the Sam Sheppard case.

The Sam Sheppard case also stood out due to the effect of its outcome and the cast involved in the drama that read like the Hollywood cast of who is who. Besides the suspenseful ending of never being solved, the case was solely responsible for the landmark ruling that came from the United States Supreme Court ruling on the legal rights of individuals surrounding a fair trial. Then there was the defense attorney F. Lee Bailey whose legal career received a publicity boost due to being in the limelight during the case. Notable figures who were drawn into the case proceedings as they unfolded included the renowned quiz show star and columnist Dorothy Kilgallen. Jospeh Goebbels and Otto Graham, the Nazi propagandist and Cleveland Browns quarterback respectively, were also involved in the case.

Work Cited

James, Stuart H. Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques, Fourth Edition. Taylor & Francis, 13 Jan 2014. Print.