Press Release |
Contact: SAM REESE SHEPPARD WALKS FOR JUSTICE WASHINGTON, DC -- Sam Reese Sheppard will discuss his "Walk For Justice" from the U.S. Supreme Court to Bay Village, Ohio at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC at 9am on Friday, September 17, 1999. SAM REESE SHEPPARD is the son of the late Dr. Sam H. Sheppard and Marilyn Reese Sheppard. In 1954, Dr. Sheppard was accused and wrongfully convicted in the brutal murder of his pregnant wife, Marilyn. The Sheppard murder case, now more than 45 years old and never officially closed or properly investigated, is one of the most well known criminal cases of this century. It was the basis for a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision (Maxwell v. Sheppard), as well as numerous film and television programs, including "The Fugitive." On January 31, 2000, after years of legal wrangling, Sam Reese Sheppard's lawsuit seeking a declaration of innocence from the State of Ohio for the wrongful conviction of his father will begin in Cleveland, Ohio. "MY MOTHER'S KILLER has never been brought to Justice," said Mr. Sheppard in a statement released on September 15th. "For me, this walk is very personal. After 45 years, I still have to struggle for the right to resolve my mother's murder. I still have to struggle for the right to win justice for my mother, my brother, and also for my father. How many other murder victim's family members must be denied the right to know the truth about the loss of their loved ones?" SAM REESE SHEPPARD has found that long distance walking gives him the personal space necessary for deep meditation. For many, that would be enough. But knowing that his is not the only family decimated by a flawed criminal justice system sometimes driven by an overzealous media, Sheppard cannot simply focus on himself and his needs. His ultimate goal is to change the system that creates more suffering and perpetrates greater injustices upon the people of our country. This is not the first time Sheppard is walking such a long distance. In 1995, Sam walked from Plymouth, Massachusetts to New Orleans, LA: more than 1600 miles. In 1997, after the exhumation of his father for DNA testing, he walked from Cleveland to Cincinnati. All along the way, Sam met people and discussed with them the personal struggles he knows firsthand: That of being the child of a murder victim, as well as the child of a person in prison. SHEPPARD STARTED WITH a 10am rally at the U.S. Supreme Court followed by a march to the White House on September 18th, Sheppard will walk from Washington, DC to Bay Village, Ohio. His walk will feature stops and speaking engagements in many of the towns and cities along the route. STARTING WITH A 10 a.m. rally at the U.S. Supreme Court followed by a march to the White House on September 18th, Sheppard will walk from Washington, DC to Bay Village, Ohio. His walk will feature stops and speaking engagements in many of the towns and cities along the route. SAM REESE SHEPPARD'S WALK FOR JUSTICE will also raise awareness about alternatives to the death penalty, with a special focus on the wrongfully convicted. Assisting him in organizing and logistics are members of the Bruderhof Community's "Children's Crusade 2000" and Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a national group based in Florida. September 17: National Press Club, Washington, DC "The circumstances that occurred 45 years ago changed my life forever. For 45 years, my family has lived under a horrible cloud of injustice. My mother was murdered. My father was wrongfully convicted of that murder in an unfair trial, and in the process the Sheppard family was decimated. "My mission is quite simple: I am the only one left to speak for the three victims of this horrendous murder - my mother, my father, and my unborn brother. They have been denied justice for 45 years. Others in my family have been impacted as well. Our family name continues to be desecrated by a system that refuses to admit its own mistakes even as innocent family member's lives were taken away. "My mother's killer has never been brought to justice. After 45 years, I still have to struggle for the right to resolve my mother's murder. I still have to struggle for the right to win justice for my mother, my brother, and also for my father. How many other murder victim's family members must be denied the right to know the truth about the loss of their loved ones before we decide to change the system? "Contrary to my personal experience, I still believe the people in the United States should receive fairness and justice. That is the promise of the U.S. Constitution and the fundamental freedoms that are supposed to be afforded to every American man, woman and child. My parents were denied this fairness, but if through this Walk for Justice and the resolution of our Declaration of Innocence lawsuit we are able to prevent even one family from having to experience what happened to my family, than our quest will be successful. "We need to reexamine the motives that re-enforce the expression of revenge and retaliation in our society. We should reallocate funding to prevent murder and to help the victims family members and the offender family members socially and psychologically. "My friends and I hope to see you along the way - on the Walk for Justice." |
Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty |