Sheppards

The Sam Sheppard Case

  • Sam and Marilyn are married

  • Murder of Marilyn Reese Sheppard

  • Coroner's Inquest Begins

  • Warrant issued for arrest of Sam Sheppard

    Warrant issued for arrest of Sam Sheppard
  • Sam Sheppard murder trial begins

    Sam Sheppard murder trial begins
  • Jury finds Sam Sheppard guilty of murdering Marilyn Sheppard

  • Dr. Paul Kirk begins investigation

  • 8th District Court of Appeals denies motion to certify conflict to Ohio Supreme Court

  • Judge Blythin denies motion for new trial based on newly discovered evidence

  • Sam Sheppard appeals judge's denial of motion for new trial based on newly discovered evidence to the 8th District Court of Appeals

  • Eighth District Court of Appeals affirms Sheppard's conviction on direct appeal

  • 8th District Court of Appeals affirms Court of Common Pleas denial of motion for new trial

  • Ohio Supreme Court affirms Sheppard's conviction on direct appeal

  • United States Supreme Court denies certiorari for direct appeal

  • Ohio Supreme Court dismisses Sheppard's petition for writ of habeas corpus

  • F. Lee Bailey files habeas corpus petition in federal court

  • Sam's conviction is overturned on constitutional grounds by District Court and Sam is released

  • Sixth Circuit reverses District Court's decision to throw out conviction

  • U.S. Supreme Court grants certiorari

  • U.S. Supreme Court overturns murder conviction

  • Sam Sheppard's retrial begins

  • Jury finds Sam Sheppard not guilty of murder in retrial

  • Sam Sheppard dies

  • Sam Reese Sheppard files civil suit against State of Ohio

  • Ohio Supreme Court denies the State of Ohio's petition for writ of prohibition, which attempted to block the civil case from going forward based on statute of limitations and lack of standing

  • Marilyn's body is exhumed

  • Civil trial begins

  • Jury determines that Sam Reese Sheppard failed to prove that Sam Sheppard had been wrongfully imprisoned

  • Eighth District Court of Appeals finds that the civil action should have been dismissed based on lack of standing and expiration of the statute of limitations.