Sam Sheppard had no idea how much his picture-perfect all-American life would be disrupted by the very same system under the constitution that swore to protect his most basic human rights.
On July 3rd, 1954, Marilyn Reese and Sam Sheppard spent the night entertaining guests at their lakefront residence in Bay View, Ohio, throwing an independence day party.
According to Sheppard, he fell asleep on the day bed in the living room toward the end of the evening as he and his wife watched a movie named “The Strange Holiday.”
In the early morning hours of July 4th, Sam was awakened by the shout of his wife upstairs. According to Sheppard, as he entered the bedroom, he would be hit over the head and knocked unconscious.
At 5:40 in the morning, Sam made a phone call to his neighbor. When they arrived, Sam was seen shirtless with blood on the knees of his pants. The police would soon be called.
Sam Sheppard was convicted of murder in 1954. The case was controversial from the start, and his story inspired the popular 1960s TV series "The Fugitive".
A professional wrestling career followed, and Sheppard’s anatomical knowledge led to him creating a finishing move that would be popularized during the Attitude Era!