I Remember and Honor Them....

STATEMENT FROM SAM REESE SHEPPARD
Regarding the 50th Anniversary of the Murder of Marilyn Reese Sheppard

Through difficult times my parents loved and cherished one another. I remember and honor them.

Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of July 4, 1954, Marilyn Reese Sheppard (pregnant with her second child) and Dr. Samuel Holmes Sheppard's lives were shattered by a still uncertain assailant. My mother was murdered. My father was beaten, knocked unconscious twice and left for dead.

In an unfair trial, later called a "Mockery of Justice" by the U. S. Supreme Court, the State asked for the death penalty for Dr. Sam. I was seven years old. The jury compromised and wrongfully convicted my father of second degree murder. He spent ten years in prison until his conviction was overturned.

A second trial, this time a fair trial, found him "not guilty" but he could not find peace in a world poisoned against him. Three years ago in a third, civil trial, despite stronger evidence than ever before presented in this case, I was unable to force Cuyahoga County and the State of Ohio to right this historical wrong.

I believe that in the court of public opinion we have shown the certainty of the innocence of my father, Dr. Sam H. Sheppard. But without official state sanction it appears that this case will be a legendary American murder case that goes unsolved.

To this day the Government has failed to properly investigate this open murder case, refusing to acknowledge two suspects much more viable than my father ever was. As happens today, when the wrong person is convicted, the true murderer goes free - often to kill again.

If this can happen to my family, it can happen to anyone. My family was not poor and "on the wrong side of the tracks." Too many innocents are still in prison today. Too many victims' families are left in search of the truth. Too many families of the accused are shattered and left to pick up the pieces on their own.

I am heartened by the fact that the Sheppard murder case is studied in schools and universities all over the world. Thousands of internet users visit www.SAMREESESHEPPARD.org - joining me in my search for the truth. I hope that the memory of my loved ones and the historical lessons exhibited in this case will one day lead to reform of a judicial system that continues to operate in dishonor and disrepute.

Those who truly want Justice must continue to work for a legal system that upholds principles of fairness, and accuracy. Let us not allow another 50 years to go by without fully implementing changes to the legal system that will prevent wrongful convictions and bring about an end to the death penalty.

I remember and honor my parents, Marilyn Reese Sheppard, and Dr. Samuel Holmes Sheppard.

Sam Reese Sheppard
June, 2004

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The Beginning

Sam Reese Sheppard's journey began the morning of July 4, 1954, when he was awakened by a relative and hustled outside into the glare of photographers flash bulbs. He was told simply that his mother had "gone to be with the angels," and that for some unexplained reason, he could not see his father. Sam Reese Sheppard was 7 years old. Five months later, the State of Ohio asked a jury to condemn his father, Dr. Sam H. Sheppard, to death for the murder of his pregnant mother.

The Sheppard murder case, now almost 50 years old and never officially closed or even properly investigated by law enforcement officials, is one of the most well known criminal cases of the 20th century. It was the basis for a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision, (Sheppard v. Maxwell) which still stands today, and it is commonly thought to have inspired numerous film and television programs, including "The Fugitive."

After years of legal wrangling, Sam Reese Sheppard's lawsuit seeking a declaration of wrongful incarceration from the State of Ohio for his father was heard in Cleveland in February, March and April, 2000. Incredibly, a jury chose to ignore the science and instead decided that the Sheppard Team was unable to meet the burden of proof that Dr. Sheppard was innocent.

But it ain't over yet. To receive regular updates via e-mail about legal matters in the Sheppard case, and also about Sam Reese Sheppard's activities related to the needs of children touched by crime and punishment issues, prison reform, and alternatives to the death penalty, please join the low-volume, updates only, "Sam Reese Sheppard Supporters List" by Clicking Here.

Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP) works to end the death penalty in the United States through aggressive campaigns of public education and the promotion of tactical grassroots activism - www.cuadp.org

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