Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Prosecution Begins
Summation, Blasts
Sheppard's Story
BY The Assoeiossd Press

attorucyS IN q Closing appear Io
a jury to convict DIR. Samuel II
Sheppard in his wife's staying
today ridiculed the osteopath's
account of the murder night as
this fantastic story"
While an assistant prosecutor
ripped into the defense case. DR..
Sheppard turned lils chair to
look at the jury which is sched-
uled to get the case about noon
Friday.
Both the State and defense
rested their cases this morning
as the trial reached the middle
Of its ninth week.
Assistant Prosecutor Thomas
j. Parrino, opening his summa-
ton to the jury of seven men
and five women. asked dra-
matically:
Where was the defendant and
what was he doing during those
two long hours?"
This was a reference to the
period between AIS on the
morning of the July 4 murder
of Marilyn Sheppard and
roughly 6 o'clock when her
husband, DR.. Samuel Sheppard,
telephoned his friend Mayor j.
Spencer Houk and told him
about the crime.
DR.. Sheppard's wrist watch,
stopped at AIS, was found in
the weeds near his home.
Shows Watch to Jury.
Mr.. Parrino held the watch
close to the jury and said that
its motionless hands gave some
clue as to the time when the
murder was committed. He
linked this with a doctors esti-
mate that Mrs. Sheppard had
been dead for possibly two
hours when he saw her body
shortly after 6 o'clock.
Mr.. Parrino ridiculed DIR.
Sheppard's account of a struggle
with his wife's slayer in Mari
lyn's bedroom.
WAS there a struggle in that
room?" he asked. "Other than
the condition of Marilyn's bed,
was there a struggle? There
were no signs of it on the floor.
of course. The chair in the
corner, did not seem to be dis
turbed."
Mr.. Parrino said that if such
q struggle took place with this
unknown phantom" it certainly
must have been a life-or death
battle.
II want to know where Sam
was while approximately IS
blows were being struck against
that woman" Mr.. Parrino con-
tinued. Where was he? What
was he doing? How long does
1t take to strike IS blows---cer-
tainly at least 30 seconds, may
be more, maybe less. Where was
this man while his wife was be-
ing killed."
Calls Story Fantastic.
Mr.. Parrino then referred to
DR.. Sheppard's account of the
Staying as this fantastic story
he tried to tell reasonable men
and women"
DR.. Sheppard moved his chair
around so that he was looking
directly at the jury. He showed
no emotion.
Earlier the reading of letter
written by his wife brought tears
streaming down his face.
Mr.. Parrino urged the jury:
"Let us be logical. Let us be
reasonable"
The States case against DR..
Sheppard Is based almost en-
tirely on circumstantial evidence.
The lawyer emphasized that 1t is
necessary to consider what Is
reasonable and what is likely"
States Four Points.
He then stated four points and
asked, after each one: Does
that sound logical?" The points
were:
/. The fact that DR.. Shop
pard, who says he was dazed
and in a state of shock. was able
to remember the Mayors tele-
phone number and to dial it
accurately.
2. The fact that although one
of his brothers elves only min
utes away" DR.. Sheppard tele-
phoned the Mayor and no men,
Der of his family.
8. The fact that DR.. Shep-
pard refused drink of whisky
offered by Mrs. Esther Houk
before the police arrived. II
wonder why" the attorney
shouted. Does he feel that
when the police came, as they
soon will, they may think he was
under the influence of whisky
when this crime was committed"
4. An exchange-which DR..
Richard Sheppard denied took
place between the brothers that
morning. Mr.. Parrino quoted
DR.. Richard as asking his
younger brother: Sam. did you
do this?" or did you have any
thing to do with this?" The at
torney said DR.. Sans reply was
Hell No."
Mr.. Parrino paused and then
said with slow emphasis:
What would prompt a brother
to make a statement such as
that?"
Emphasis ON Time Element.
But he put his greatest en-
pl1asis on the time element. He
asked the jury whether 1t
seemed logical that DR.. Shep-
pard was unconscious during the
two hours the State claims
elapsed between the estimated
time of the murder and DR.. Shop
pard's telephone call to the Bay
Village Mayor.
Mr.. Parrino referred more
than once to DR.. Stephen Shop
y,arrl To v,ointad RI Testimony,