Although Dr. Sam Sheppard's conviction for the infamous and brutal 1954 murder of his wife Marilyn was overturned in the 1960s, the real killer has never been identified. In Mockery of Justice, his son Sam Reese Sheppard and attorney Cynthia L. Cooper reinvestigate the crime and find that vital evidence was fabricated, suppressed, or ignored by police. Drawing on recently recovered documents, Sheppard family papers, and interviews with new witnesses and suspects, they offer convincing evidence pointing to the real murderer, evidence that has persuaded the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor to reopen the investigation into the case.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
In 1996, Sam Reese Sheppard spoke on All Things Considered: "My mother and dad were very flamboyant people.... They were out of step ... in the Bible Belt of Ohio at that time, but, very quickly, and it happens today, a high-profile case spins out of control, and hatred and hysteria rise in the community. When a pregnant woman dies in an ugly way in our community, people are stricken with fear ... the blame on my dad got pinpointed by the newspapers." Dr. Sheppard was convicted of the 1954 murder of his wife. In 1966 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that he'd been denied a fair trial. He was re-tried, found innocent, then died a few years later. Mockery of Justice goes into all the details: Dr. Sheppard's own account of that night, the role of a powerful coroner, the media frenzy, the mysteries surrounding the case records, and the recent investigation of a likely suspect for the murder. The analysis of forensic riddles posed by the complex crime scene makes for especially intriguing reading. The book includes map, timeline, footnotes, and index.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Just as the O.J. Simpson case is the trial of the 1990s, the Sam Sheppard case was the trial of the 1950s and 1960s. Because of pretrial publicity and the police department's sloppy investigation, Dr. Sheppard was convicted of murdering his wife, Marilyn. The police and the media never considered any other suspects in this case. Sheppard proclaimed his innocence and appealed his conviction. F. Lee Bailey, unknown at the time, took over the case when Sheppard's lawyer died and successfully argued for a new trial because of the pretrial publicity and the "rush to judgment" on the case. The Supreme Court decision set the standard for future trials and procedures. Cooper, a lawyer, and Sam Reese Sheppard, the doctor's only child and a death penalty opponent, present their case that Sam Sheppard was innocent and suggest others who were never investigated as possible suspects. Officially, the case on Marilyn Sheppard remains unsolved. The Cuyahoga County prosecutor is currently reviewing the facts in the case to determine whether it should be reopened. Expect demand because of the subject and increased demand should the case be reinvestigated. Strongly recommended for all libraries.?Michael Sawyer, Clinton P.L., Ia.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
Cynthia L. Cooper is an award-winning author and playwright, living in New York City. She frequently writes about human rights, equality and justice, drawing upon her background as a lawyer and journalist. She hails from Cleveland, Ohio. More at www.cyncooperwriter.net.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While this book doesn't prove who really did kill Marilyn Sheppard, it does provide us with enough evidence to believe, beyond a reasonable doubt that, that Dr. Sam Sheppard was truly innocent. Unlike, Fatal Justice, which attempts to "prove" the innocence of Jeffrey MacDonald, Mockery of Justice does provide us with "hard" evidence indicating that someone else was involved--not Sam Sheppard. Whatever your beliefs regarding the case, the book is well-researched, informative and thought-provoking.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is hard to imagine why the City of Cleveland and the media there still refuse to acknowledge the horrible error made in 1954 when Dr. Sam was convicted. As this fine book shows, there was much evidence to show that Dr. Sam killed no one--and no convincing evidence that he ever killed anyone, much less his wife. It is truly a tragedy. Not only was a woman murdered and her murderer never caught, Dr. Sam's life was ruined; his mother committed suicide; his father's demise was hastened--and on and on, down to the present day with the pain suffered by the son. If there was ever a good argument against the death penalty, this book is it--and I have long supported the death penalty in certain cases.
This book should become a classic among fans of true crime stories.
This book should become a classic among fans of true crime stories.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Sheppard murder case is probably the most famous in America, certainly the most famous prior to O.J. Dr. Sam Sheppard, a relatively prominent doctor from suburban Cleveland, was accused of murdering his wife. The case was tried in the newspapers, and he was convicted before the trial even began, served a dozen years in prison, and then was acquitted by a second trial. There are still legal proceedings going on in this trial (his family wants a full exoneration for him) and interest in the case continues.
Dr. Sam (as he is known to distinguish him from his son, Sam Reese Sheppard) was apparently wrongly convicted, and according to police investigators in the book, never would have been indicted under similar circumstances now. A more thorough investigation of the other people in the lives of the Sheppards would have been conducted also. The authors make a good case that the investigation in 1954 was very sloppy and incomplete, apparently because they'd already decided who the culprit was.
Unfortunately, this is all told in wooden prose, almost unreadable at times. Further, in the first half of the book there are numerous flashbacks (or flashforwards, depending on your point of view) with the action shifting between 1954 and the 90's. The second half of the book jumps between several suspects that were looked at in the investigation conducted by Sheppard's son (who's one of the co-writers) along with a host of other people, including the other author of this book. It's all not very well sorted (I found myself leafing back and forth trying to remember who various people were, and losing interest, to be frank) and somewhat confusing, though the conclusion seems obvious enough.
There is much to like about this book. Unfortunately, most of what is likable about it is buried under a mass of barely-readable prose, and told in such a way as to make it considerably less than compelling. Frankly I wish I could give this book a higher rating. Reality, however, has to set in. It's not that good a book, except on the level of exonerating Sam Sheppard.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mockery of Justice
This was the third book I had read on the murder of Marilyn Sheppard...I had always felt that Sam Sheppard was innocent until I read my fourth book on this murder - Dr. Read more
Published 11 months ago by JoEllen J Vinton
Personal Investigations
Cynthia L. Cooper is an attorney and journalist who had been researching the Sheppard case since 1990. She wrote the bulk of this book with input from Sam Reese Sheppard. Read more
Published on July 23, 2007 by Acute Observer
Unfair Press Coverage & Biased Officials
The reason I gave only 4 out of 5 stars is because in my opinion there should have been a bit more editing to help the continuity. Read more
Published on August 10, 2002 by Mark A. Smiddy
Fascinating Story Well Told
This book brings to life the fascinating Sheppard case, shedding new light onto the tragic events surrounding the murder of Marilyn Sheppard and the travesty of the criminal... Read more
Published on August 1, 2002
Good Story, Poor Writing
I thought the writing in "The Wrong Man" was dull. Then I read this book...some of the worst writing I've seen in recent years. Read more
Published on June 26, 2002
Pretty Good Account...
of a fascinating case from the 1950's. The authors go over a lot of ground that has already been covered. Read more
Published on February 9, 2002 by A Positive Guy
A disturbing look at justice miscarried
I really enjoyed the book. After reading the book you can't help but believe that Sam Sheppard was innocent, and those acting to convict him in there tunnel vision refused to look... Read more
Published on July 12, 2001 by Barbara A. Nagle
The Best Book On The Sam Sheppard Case
Mockery Of Justice gives the full story of what really happened 7/4/54 when Dr. Sam Sheppard's pregnant wife Marilyn was bludgeoned to death in their home. Read more
Published on April 7, 2000 by Kim K.
Mockery of Justice
I'm a D.O. from Ohio, just like Dr. Sam was. This book is a must read for anybody interested in the relationship between MD's and DO's during the 50's and 60's. If Dr. Read more
Published on February 11, 2000 by The Doctor
Mockery of Logic
This book is a poor attempt by Sam Junior to show his father did not kill his mother so he can sue the State of Ohio.
Published on October 5, 1999
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