Episodes

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 responsibl...

On November 28, 2002, 94-year-old Helen Sailor spent Thanksgiving with her family before returning to her apartment at a high rise building for the elderly and disabled in Elkhart, Indiana. The next day, a health care provider found her strangled to death in her apartment. One of the detectives assigned to the case had a theory about another high rise resident, Lana Canen, and a string of previous burglaries at the building. Investigators coerced a friend of Lana Canen's to give a false statemen...

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 responsibl...

On January 13, 1994, two men hijacked the car of three travelers at a gas station in Chicago, IL, killing Reginald Wilson and Felicia Lewis. Carl Williams was implicated in the crime by the two hijackers and eventually produced a confession after hours of abuse and coercion from detectives. Williams was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Patrick speaks with Carl Williams, and Attorney Karl Leonard, from the Exoneration Project at the Univers...

In 1987, 21-year-old guitarist Leo Schofield was pursuing his rockstar dreams when his teenage wife Michelle was found dead in a phosphate mining pit in Lakeland, Florida. Two years later, Leo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder he has always denied. Fifteen years after Leo’s conviction, previously unidentified fingerprints from Michelle’s car matched Jeremy Scott—a troubled teen with an extensive history of violence who lived near the young couple at the time. Jeremy h...

In 1987, 21-year-old guitarist Leo Schofield was pursuing his rockstar dreams when his teenage wife Michelle was found dead in a phosphate mining pit in Lakeland, Florida. Two years later, Leo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder he has always denied. Fifteen years after Leo’s conviction, previously unidentified fingerprints from Michelle’s car matched Jeremy Scott—a troubled teen with an extensive history of violence who lived near the young couple at the time. Jeremy h...

On October 25 1986, a 25 year old woman was attacked as she walked to a bus stop in Decatur, GA. The assailant approached her, hit her in the face, and sexually assaulted her. He stole her wristwatch, money, and broke two of her front teeth. Police were led to Clarence Harrison because he lived near the site of the assault and neighbors told police that they heard someone at his house had a watch they were trying to sell. But Clarence had an alibi. He was at a neighbor’s house playing poker all...

On July 4, 2002, two men shot and killed 36-year-old Tony Cox outside a restaurant in Chicago, IL. Suspecting the murder was gang-related, police arrested Eric Blackmon. After claiming Blackmon was selected from a lineup by eyewitnesses, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Guest Host Patrick Pursley was wrongfully convicted for a 1993 murder in Rockford, IL, for which he spent nearly 24 years in prison. Remarkably, he ended up writing the law that set him free. Patr...

Author Gilbert King receives a message from a Florida judge who claims that there is an innocent man in prison, wrongly convicted of murdering his wife back in 1987. King and researcher Kelsey Decker meet Leo Schofield in prison and learn about the disappearance of 18 year-old Michelle Schofield. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1 of 9 Author Gilbert King receives a message from a Florida judge who claims that there is an innocent man in prison, wrongly convicted of murdering his wife back in 1987. King and researcher Kelsey Decker meet Leo Schofield in prison and learn about the disappearance of 18 year-old Michelle Schofield. For photos, images, and the full transcript of this episode visit https://bit.ly/BVS1E1 To read and sign the petition from the Innocence Project of Florida visit bit.ly/BringLeoHome Bo...

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 To read and sign the petition from the Inn...

On April 25, 1990, a 10 year old girl was allegedly abducted from her backyard in Columbus, OH. She said that a man grabbed her, pulled her over a fence, tied a sock around her eyes and put her in his car. He then drove to a nearby abandoned house, took her inside and sexually assaulted her on a couch. Afterward, the man took the girl in his car to a convenience store and went inside. While he was inside, the girl jumped from the car and ran home. She told her mother about the attack the next da...

On January 10, 1998, a 60-year-old woman was robbed and sexually assaulted in her home in Violet, LA. Upon his arrest, Ulysses Pierre implicated his cousin, Jarvis Ballard, in the crime. After severe abuse from detectives, Ballard produced a confession and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for aggravated rape. Patrick was wrongfully convicted for a 1993 murder in Rockford, IL, for which he spent nearly 24 years in prison. Remarkably, he ended up writing the law t...

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: ht...

On February 6, 1996, three men dressed in black fled in a white car after robbing and murdering George Bryant and Oscar Bridges at Bryant’s home in Kansas City, MO. Bryant’s 4 year old daughter was present and survived unharmed. Bryant’s daughter told police she was watching TV when men came to the house in a white car. Her father let them in and while they were in the kitchen, she heard a gunshot. She said her dad fell and tried to run but was shot again. Police received numerous anonymous call...

On June 7, 1988, joggers discovered the body of 35 year old Robert Mejia on a running trail in the woods behind his apartment complex in Pontiac, MI. Mejia had been stabbed to death. Primarily due to the junk science of bite mark evidence, Gilbert Poole was convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. With 20 years of expertise in criminal justice, Chris Fabricant leads the Innocence Project’s Strategic Litigation Department as the Joseph ...

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....

On April 10, 2002, Victor Vulcain was shot and killed in broad daylight in front of 201 Linden Blvd. Brooklyn, NY. There were several witnesses, each of whom provided a version of events to police that stood in conflict with the other witnesses; not even their descriptions of the shooter matched. No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no DNA evidence connected Gary to the murder. Yet and still, Gary was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life. To learn more and get...

On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson, an acclaimed novelist and one-time mayoral candidate, found his wife Kathleen dead at the bottom of their staircase in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Primarily due to the junk science of blood splatter analysis, Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. David and Sonya are a criminal defense duo who fight for victims of injustice, misconduct and faults of the system. Their podcast, Abuse of Power,...

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...

On October 9th, 1990 at 12:10am, police responded to shots being fired at a housing project in Brooklyn, New York. They ended up arresting 23 year old Terence Rice, a man who lived next door to the scene and who was making a call at a payphone in the midst of the chaos. They claimed that Terence was shooting at them, as well as at other things and people, from an apartment window two stories up. Contrary to the policemen’s testimonies, there is no evidence that this shootout actually took place ...

In April 1989, a drive-by shooting in San Francisco, CA, left at least 11 people injured, and 2 people dead. Despite the lack of physical or forensic evidence, Caramad Conley was convicted of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, two counts of first degree murder, and eleven counts of attempted murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on the strength of one man’s testimony, Clifford Polk. Earlonne is a podcaster and author, best known for co-hosting and co-founding the...

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 transcr...

On February 27, 1992, Bernard Jiminez, along with his wife, Kimberly Belinsky, and three children were robbed at gunpoint in a neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. Bernard and the gunman struggled and Bernard was fatally shot. Belinsky selected 23-year-old Willie “Timmy” Donald out of a photo lineup believing he was the gunman. Another woman who was robbed in her home that same day selected Donald as well. Both women described their robbers similarly, they mentioned that the man had a severely scarred...