The Case of Oscar Slater

The Case of Oscar Slater is a true story of one man's unjust conviction for murder. The tale begins with the sensational trial of Oscar Slater for the brutal slaying of an old woman. The murderer was never found, but Slater-a small-time con artist and thief-was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence. Scarcely had the ink dried on the guilty verdict when it became clear that he was innocent. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famed author and creator of Sherlock Holmes, led the campaign to free Slater, drawing public attention to his case through newspaper articles and personal involvement. He unearthed fresh evidence which convinced even the most skeptical observers that Slater could not have killed Marion Gilchrist. Eventually, Conan Doyle succeeded in persuading authorities to hold a retrial at which Slater was acquitted and set free.