Secrets from the Grave

by Maria Eftimiades

***Please This ebook edition does not contain the photos found in the print edition.***

He was a beloved family physician and a ruthless doctor of death who almost got away with murder.

It was a friendly hunting trip--two men kicking back, shooting at clay pigeons on campgrounds near rural Montrose, Pa. Then, a single shot rang out. Moments later, Marty Dillon, a promising young lawyer, was dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. His friend, Dr. Stephen Scher, later tearfully explained that Dillon had been running with a shotgun after a porcupine, and tripped and fell, accidentally killing himself. But what really happened?

Marty Dillon's violent death was immediately declared an accident by the local coroner in 1976. But as Dillon's body was lowered into the cold ground, did a damning secret, one that would haunt his friends and family for decades, go with him?

* Were rumors of an affair between Dr. Scher and Marty's wife, Pat, true?
* Why did the couple marry so soon after Dillon's death?
* If the shot was self-inflicted, why did the bullet come from Dr. Scher's gun?
* What was it about Dillon's bloody wound that cast suspicion on Scher?

After 20 years of pleading with authorities and finally hiring their own investigators, Dillon's parents persuaded the Pennsylvania State Police to reopen the case. They exhumed Dillon's body--and his decayed remains told the real story of that tragic day two decades earlier. On October 22, 1997, Dr. Stephen Scher was convicted of the murder of Marty Dillon--final justice for a cold-blooded killer who for 20 years thought he had gotten away with murder. Maria Eftimiades recounts the shocking true story in Secrets from the Grave .

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 1998

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book I highly recommend it to anyone

[Jamie Rincker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true account of the murder of Marty Dillon, a well known lawyer who was murdered by his so called "best friend" when they went out to shoot clay pigeons on his parent's property, but the truth was this man was not a friend at all.

How could someone trust a man who had been sleeping with his own wife? Unfortunately for him, none of Marty's other friends could go that weekend, so he was stuck with the one person who wanted to take over his life, and Stephen Scher did, in the form of Marty's wife, Pat, and kids.

I cannot believe what a botched up investigation this was. It just goes to show that money and privelege can basically get you out of almost anything, including murder.

I also felt sorry for Marty's kids and wondered if they ever reconnected with their grandparents. Their stepfather had them so brainwashed that they did not believe the verdict, even with all the supporting evidence. Shame on them for how rude they were to the people who tried to reach out to them.

I Googled the case further and found out that Pat divorced Stephen after this book was written. Did he finally confess, or did she finally figure out he was lying? We'll never know as Stephen died in prison in 2010.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed this book several times over the years; I just finished reading the ebook version and it's as good as I remembered. Note: the pictures that appeared in the paperback edition are not included in the electronic version. I recall hearing about events that took place after the book was published (spoilers ahead): a new trial was ordered in 2004, but the murderer was convicted a second time in 2008 and died in prison in 2010. - Aug 09, 2016

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the murder of Martin Dillon. Dillon was killed in 1976 at the age of 30. The death was thought to be an accidental shooting, as his best friend was with him at the time while they were skeet shooting. The friend, Stephen Scher, changed his story multiple times. He married the victim's wife in 1978, before moving states and starting a medical practice. He also raised the couple's children as his own. Dillon's family demanded the case be reopened, and a second autopsy was performed, revealing evidence that did not align with an accidental death.

This case was featured on Forensic Files, and this book is on the Forensic Files reading list for anyone interested in that. It presented the facts of the case in a clear and unbiased way. The telling of the story was entertaining and informative.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justice delayed

Is justice denied, this story caused me to think of that legal maxim. For this family justice finally was served. Very good account, what a tragedy for the Dillon grandparents, wonder if the grandchildren ever understood or admitted their error in judgment. What a horrible, manipulative man Scher was and is....a cautionary tale for small town law enforcement as well, not to make assumptions, etc.

[Susan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Men Do Tell Tales

Well told. Fills in the real life events behind a court case that has been of interest. This brings clarity to that decision. I would highly recommend its reading.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book.

[Catherine Craig]

Too
Long ago to remember reading. Just cleaning up the page.

[Diane G. Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This writer is new to me and this case I had not heard of before. All that being said, the story is compelling and the writer is excellent, it kept my attention all through the book.

[Sandy James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched

A solid true crime book. Well researched and easy to read. A very sad tale, though. I will never understand why it took so damn long for justice.

[MARLENA PETROSKI · Rating 5 out of 5]

page turner

Hard to put this book down. Very well researched and written. I enjoyed every page of this incredible and tragic story.

[Tom Nolan]

paperback