Behind every Bone Valley season is a conviction: the right story, told with purpose, humanity, and craft, can have an enormous impact. Award-winning investigative documentaries from the fault lines of America's justice system.
In Season 1 of Bone Valley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King tells a story of a man, Leo Schofield, fighting to prove his innocence in the case of his wife Michelle’s murder.
In Season 2, Jeremy Gilbert King brings us a story about her actual killer, Jeremy Scott, fighting to prove his guilt. The State of Florida does not believe either man.
Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County is a new story about a new case. Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, takes us to a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, where a terrible discovery on the front lawn of a middle school invites a string of amateur and professional investigators to try to solve a murder.
Bone Valley Season 4 | Earwitness chronicles the case of Toforest Jonhson. In 1995, Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy was murdered behind a hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. Toforest Johnson was four miles away at the time and no physical evidence linked him to the crime. But he has been on Death Row for 25 years.
From the team behind Bone Valley, Lava for Good’s 8-episode docuseries Earwitness follows journalist Beth Shelburne’s dogged investigation into a story filled with disturbing twists and shocking admissions, leading her to ask – and answer - this vexing question: “How did an innocent man end up on Alabama’s death row - and why is he still there, when even the prosecutor who put him there says he should get a new trial?”
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Nick, Amanda, and three Georgetown undergraduates set out to re-investigate Kevin Herrick’s conviction, combing through trial transcripts, police reports, and overlooked details. What they uncover reshapes everything: a hidden police report that ties the crime to a different man with a violent record—a document Kevin’s defense never saw. For Amanda, it’s a discovery that could finally crack open a case buried for more than thirty years, and it raises a new possibility after decades of silence; m...
Leo Schofield walked out of prison wearing a shirt that read “Kevin is next.” For Leo, that wasn’t a slogan—it was a promise to the man who had shared his cell for decades, a friend he believed to be innocent. This episode traces Leo’s bond with Kevin Herrick and the years they spent fighting side by side, even as the courts shut them out. Now, with Leo free, Kevin’s case draws new attention from Georgetown’s Making an Exoneree program, where law student Nick White and Dr. Amanda Lewis begin pee...
Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer prize winning producer, journalist and host of Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng sits down for a Q&A with Gilbert King to chat about the newest season of Bone Valley . In this special episode, Gilbert shares with Maggie the latest news on Leo Schofield, Jeremy Scott, Jeremy’s son Justin, as well as answers to many questions from the millions of Bone Valley listeners. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See ...
In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Schofield was found dead in a phosphate pit in Florida. Two years later, her husband, Leo Schofield, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison. Fifteen years after his conviction, previously unidentified fingerprints found in Michelle’s car were matched to Jeremy Scott—a violent teenager who lived nearby. Host Gilbert King uncovers startling new evidence that Jeremy is responsible for the murder of Michelle Schofield as well as a string of addition...
Jeremy: Chapter 6 | Walk Down that Road By taking Michelle’s life, Jeremy not only shattered her family’s world—he also took Leo’s freedom. Now, in an unlikely and unexpected moment—these two men, connected by Michelle Schofield’s murder, speak at last, their conversation heavy with the weight of the past. Leo offers something unexpected: forgiveness and gratitude. And Jeremy responds with something he’s never truly given before: an apology. As Gilbert brings Justin the answers he’s been looking...
Jeremy: Chapter 5 | Like a Little Kid Meri is a housecleaner in North Florida. She didn’t know Jeremy. She just listened to Bone Valley . And she wrote him a letter. Their friendship becomes a lifeline—something neither of them expected, and both of them needed. Through Meri, we see Jeremy as someone craving connection, terrified of being unloved, and trying to become a man his son might one day want to know. When Jeremy finds out Justin wants to talk, it’s as if something inside him shifts. For...
Jeremy: Chapter 4 | Horse and Buggy Some truths never see the light. Gilbert has long believed that Jeremy Scott is responsible for more deaths than the state acknowledges—especially the unsolved murder of a cab driver in Intercession City. He’s tried everything he can think of to bring attention to the case, but the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will not cooperate. Then, out of nowhere, a retired detective—the one who led the investigation that resulted in the arrest and eventual acquittal—re...
Jeremy: Chapter 3 | Never Turned Her Back on Me As Gilbert’s relationship with Jeremy deepens, it’s tested by Jeremy’s darkest instincts. After a long silence, Jeremy reveals he’s been thrown into solitary confinement because he stabbed another inmate—possibly in self-defense. Possibly not. Gilbert is forced to reckon with the contradictions: the man trying to right past wrongs, and the man still capable of harm. In letters and phone calls, in moments of rage and vulnerability, Jeremy opens a wi...
Jeremy: Chapter 2 | Destroyer Justin’s life has been shaped by absence—of answers, of explanations, and his father. Now that he’s reaching back, he’s haunted by what he might find: rumors of brutality, inherited darkness, a legacy of violence. As Gilbert helps Justin trace the moments that defined Jeremy’s path—especially the day he killed Donald Moorehead—Justin begins to confront an impossible question: if Jeremy had been stopped sooner, Leo would not have spent three decades in prison, but wo...
Jeremy: Chapter 1 | You Told Me No After Bone Valley Season 1, something unexpected happened: people began to respond to Jeremy Scott—not for who he was, but for what he did—finally telling the truth. Among those drawn in is someone who has every reason not to be: Jeremy’s son, Justin. Now 35, Justin has never met his father, never wanted to. But something’s shifted. He wants answers. Through a conversation years in the making, Justin’s mother Jami opens up about the relationship she once had wi...
When Jeremy Scott confessed to the murder of Michelle Schofield, the State of Florida refused to believe him. In Bone Valley, Season 2 , author Gilbert King digs deeper, uncovering chilling details of Jeremy’s past crimes and the darkness he’s carried with him. As their unlikely connection grows, Gilbert helps Jeremy confront the painful truths of his violent history while navigating the fractured relationship between Jeremy and the son he never knew. With new revelations and a search for redemp...
Leo Schofield takes his first steps outside prison in 36 years. Gilbert and Kelsey spend the day with him. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Leo Schofield’s parole hearing in Tallahassee, FL, April 17th, 2024 with reporting from Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gilbert and Kelsey check in with Leo Schofield, who has spent the last 7 months at the Corrections Transition Program at Everglades Correctional Institution, where he’s been preparing for life on the outside after more than 35 years of incarceration. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On July 16, 1949, 17-year-old Norma Padgett and her estranged husband, Willie Padgett, reported to police that they had been attacked by four black men in Lake County, FL, with Norma claiming that the men had raped her. On the same day, police arrested 16-year-old Charles Greenlee, and 22-year-olds Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin. 26-year-old Ernest Thomas was hunted into the woods and gunned down by a mob of men, as he was also blamed for the attack. Despite weak evidence and testimonies taint...
Leo Schofield’s parole hearing is held in Tallahassee, FL on May 3rd, 2023, before the Florida Commission on Offender Review. In the lead up to the hearing, Gilbert and Kelsey check in with Scott Cupp and Crissie Schofield. Following the commission’s decision, Leo’s friends, family, and supporters grapple with the outcome. And Leo processes the news. For photos, images, and full transcripts of each episode visit: https://lavaforgood.com/bone-valley/ Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ ...
In preparation for the upcoming parole hearing in Tallahassee on May 3rd, Gilbert and Kelsey travel to Florida to preview what’s at stake for Leo. They visit a halfway house in Tampa, and speak to Crissie, Ashley, Jessie Saum, and Seth Miller. They also accompany Scott Cupp to meetings with Florida Senator Jonathan Martin and parole commissioners. Leo Schofield’s parole hearing will be at 9:00 am on May 3, 2023, and is open to the public: Florida Commission on Offender Review Betty Easley Confer...
Leo shares a message for listeners of Bone Valley about the impact of the podcast on his life, and his hopes for freedom. For photos, images, and full transcripts of each episode visit: https://lavaforgood.com/bone-valley/ Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Gilbert and Kelsey drive to Hardee Correctional Institution with Judge Scott Cupp, who hasn’t seen Leo in nearly a decade. Judge Cupp has arranged a visit with his former client, because he has something important that he wants to share—a personal decision he’s made—and he’s hoping to receive Leo’s blessing. For photos, images, and full transcripts of each episode visit: https://lavaforgood.com/bone-valley/ Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1...
Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer prize winning host of Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng sits down for a Q&A with Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker from the new podcast Bone Valley . Listen in as Gilbert and Kelsey share with Maggie the answers to many questions from their listeners and reveal some of the details that went into creating one of the finest podcasts of the year. For photos, images, and full transcripts of each episode visit: https://lavaforgood.com/bone-valley/ Bone Valley is a prod...
Chapter 9 of 9 Gilbert and Kelsey travel to the Florida prison where they will interview Jeremy Scott. Jeremy tells them about his interactions with prosecutor John Aguero, his involvement in a 1987 unsolved homicide, his encounter with Michelle Schofield, and how he copes with the violence of his past. Gilbert visits Leo Schofield one last time, and reflects on this tragic injustice. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit: bit.ly/BVS1E9 Bone Valley is a production of ...
Chapter 8 of 9 Leo Schofield faces more legal setbacks. Gilbert and Kelsey attend Leo’s latest hearings: one before an appellate court, and one before the parole board. In the aftermath, Gilbert writes a letter to Jeremy Scott. Soon, Jeremy begins sending detailed letters, and sharing more and more information about his crimes. Gilbert and Kelsey make arrangements to interview Jeremy in person. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit: bit.ly/BVS1E8 Bone Valley is a prod...
Chapter 7 of 9 Leo Schofield grapples with a devastating legal decision, and the intensity of his feelings towards Jeremy Scott. But he soon learns that Jeremy has more to say. Leo is granted another hearing, and Jeremy testifies once again. This time, he tells a different story. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit: bit.ly/BVS1E7 Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Chapter 6 of 9 Jeremy Scott’s ex-girlfriend reveals some incriminating information about his life in the late-1980s, leading Gilbert and Kelsey to investigate Jeremy’s potential links to another crime in a neighboring county. Leo Schofield is granted an evidentiary hearing to determine whether he should receive a new trial. Jeremy is called to testify at the hearing, and he and Leo come face-to-face for the first time beneath the Polk County courthouse. For photos, images, and the full transcrip...
Chapter 5 of 9 Gilbert and Kelsey do a deep dive investigation into Jeremy Scott. By speaking to people who were close to Jeremy at the time, a picture emerges of an impulsive and troubled teenager who was prone to violence. When investigators confront Jeremy about the newly identified fingerprints, he explains that he was in Michelle’s car to steal stereo equipment. The State believes Jeremy, and they close their investigation. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit: ...
Chapter 4 of 9 Gilbert and Kelsey analyze the State’s case against Leo Schofield and locate a juror who admits she didn’t believe that Leo was guilty. As the years pass, Leo’s appellate attempts fail, and he falls in love with social worker Crissie Carter who works in the prison. Crissie begins investigating Leo’s case on her own, and recruits a friend in law enforcement to run unidentified fingerprints from Michelle’s Mazda. There’s a match, but the fingerprints do not belong to Leo Schofield. ...
Chapter 3 of 9 Facing the death penalty, Leo Schofield retains renowned Polk County defense attorney Jack Edmund, who must square off against an aggressive young prosecutor, John Aguero at trial. The prosecutor builds his case around testimony from numerous witnesses who describe a volatile relationship between Leo and Michelle, and a witness who claims to have observed something suspicious on the night Michelle disappeared. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit: http...
Chapter 2 of 9 Leo’s friends and family search desperately for Michelle around Lakeland, Florida. Three days later, her body is found in a phosphate mining pit with 26 stab wounds. Leo is arrested, charged with first degree murder, and faces the electric chair. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit https://bit.ly/BVS1E2 To hear the full length version of "Ducking Grady" by Stephon Girard, go to: https://youtu.be/lA6bruIZ0Ak Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good...
Author Gilbert King receives an urgent tip from a Florida judge about Leo Schofield, a man allegedly wrongfully convicted of his wife Michelle's 1987 murder. King and researcher Kelsey Decker prepare for their first prison visit, delving into Leo's background and the couple's tumultuous relationship. The episode culminates in the chilling account of Michelle's disappearance and the initial, fruitless search efforts.
In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Schofield was found dead in a phosphate pit in Florida. Two years later, her husband Leo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Fifteen years later, previously unidentified fingerprints matched Jeremy Scott--a violent teenager who lived nearby. Jeremy has since confessed to Michelle’s murder. Yet Leo Schofield remains behind bars. In Bone Valley, a groundbreaking 9-episode podcast, host Gilbert King uncovers startling new evidence that Jeremy is responsible ...
