Sam Sheppard

Sam Sheppard, born December 29, 1923, was a doctor who was convicted of his wife’s murder. Later, it was overturned, and Sam Sheppard was found not guilty.

Sam and Marilyn Sheppard had a son, nicknamed Chip, and a home in Bay Village, a suburb of Cleveland. Marilyn taught Bible classes at the local church. They seemed to have an idyllic life, but Marilyn was aware that Sam had affairs.

In 1954, Marilyn – who was pregnant – and Sam had a small party. Sam slept in the living room, and Marilyn was upstairs. Sam was awakened by his wife’s yelling, when he allegedly ran upstairs and saw his wife being attacked by a man.

Sam was arrested less than a month later, and in December, was declared guilty and handed a sentence of life in prison. The conviction was based on little evidence and showed that few other suspects had been investigated.

In 1966, an appeals court found that he was not guilty, and he was released from prison. He married a wealthy German woman, Ariane Tebbenjohanns, and resumed medical practices, but he had started abusing substances and accidentally killed a patient. He and Ariane divorced on very bad terms.

He died on April 6, 1970, from liver failure.