Dr. Samuel Reese Sheppard is best known as the basis for the television show and movie "The Fugitive".
Sheppard, a
Cleveland osteopath, was convicted of
second-degree murder in
1954 after his
pregnant wife Marilyn was found
bludgeoned to
death at the couple's suburban
Bay Village home. His
claim was that an
intruder broke into their home. The murder was the result of the couple
confronting the would be burgler. With no
evidence to
prove his claim, and no evidence against the
bereaved doctor,
police took Dr. Sheppard into
custody for suspcion of
murder, a charge that he was
convicted of a short time later.
In 1963 NBC began airing the television series "The Fugitive" which eventually lead to a re-trial of the case. During the second, and later a third, trial Dr. Sheppard was freed and aquitted of all charges and allowed to return home.
Sheppard died in 1970.
more info:
URL: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~josephr/HOTH/sheppard.html (pictures, more detail)
MOVIE: The Fugitive (1993)
TV: The Fugitive (1963-1967; 2000- )