Man who served 36 years for wife’s murder forgives confessed killer in rare reconciliation

Leo Schofield served 36 years successful situation for his wife's execution – and helium forgave the antheral who confessed to the killing.

It was January 2025 erstwhile Schofield and his girl Ashley were progressive successful a superior motorcycle accident. Schofield had been released connected parole successful April 2024 and had ever maintained his innocence.

Gilbert King, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who had been investigating Schofield’s lawsuit for his podcast, "Bone Valley," visited Schofield aft the crash. He received a telephone from Jeremy Scott, a convicted murderer who testified successful 2017 that helium had killed Michelle Schofield. He’s serving situation clip for an unrelated crime.

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Leo Schofield and Crissie successful the car aft his merchandise successful April 2024. (Leo Schofield)

Schofield agreed to talk with Scott. After immoderate awkward tiny talk, King was stunned by what helium heard.

"I was shocked by the information that present I was with Leo, and Jeremy called maine astatine the aforesaid time," King recalled to Fox News Digital. "It was not planned, but I recovered it sincere. Jeremy Scott is … trying to travel clean. 

"When we spoke to him successful 2021, helium said it was torture for him, due to the fact that arsenic the years person gone by, helium goes to furniture seeing the faces of the radical he’s killed," said King. "He says, ‘That’s my punishment.’ And helium said it’s gotten worse implicit the years surviving with this."

Jeremy Scott is seen present testifying that helium was the 1 who murdered Schofield’s wife, Michelle Schofield, circa 2017. (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network/IMAGN)

Neither King nor Scott was prepared for what Schofield had to say. The speech betwixt the men tin beryllium heard successful occurrence 6 of Season 2.

"Jeremy, I privation to archer you something," Schofield began. "And this is coming from a agelong clip of supplication and a batch of thought. And I’m grateful for the accidental to convey you for telling the truth. I privation you to cognize that I forgive you with each my heart. You person a batch of radical who attraction astir you present due to the fact that you did the close happening [in confessing]. It means a batch to me. And it means a batch to my family. I convey you for that. And I convey you with each my heart, bud."

The podcast "Bone Valley" by Lava for Good was instrumental successful securing Leo Schofield’s merchandise from situation successful 2024.  (Lava for Good)

"… You gained a batch of respect from the radical retired here, due to the fact that you were brave capable to archer the truth," helium shared. "It was a large deal, Jeremy. That was a truly large deal, due to the fact that it changed my life. And I decidedly admit you for it."

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Gilbert King, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer (right), took a keen involvement successful Leo Schofield's (left) story. King explores the lawsuit successful his podcast "Bone Valley." (Lava for Good)

There was silence. Then Scott replied, "I conscionable hated that this happened, bro."

"I’m atrocious that it happened," Schofield replied. "… But present it’s your crook to commencement doing right. You perceive me? You conscionable support doing your part."

"Keep praying for me," said Scott.

Jeremy Scott was amazed by Leo Schofield's words. "Keep praying for me," Scott told him. (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network/IMAGN)

King told Fox News Digital that implicit the years, Schofield turned to God to header with the nonaccomplishment of his beloved spouse and the conflict helium faced successful getting a caller proceedings to beryllium his innocence.

"I deliberation it began to conscionable teardrop distant astatine his soul," King explained. 

"He was conscionable consumed by this anger, bitterness and confusion. Leo said, ‘… This was going to destruct me, and I had to trust connected my religion successful God to transportation maine done this. The lone mode I could halt this choler and bitterness was to fto it spell and find immoderate mode to forgive Jeremy.'"

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According to The New York Times, Jeremy Scott is already serving a beingness condemnation for robbing a antheral and beating him to death. (Lava for Good)

During his clip down bars, Schofield became "a spiritual person." He recovered solace arsenic a pastor successful prison.

"He conscionable said, ‘I anticipation that it’s my supplication to God that Jeremy yet finds emotion due to the fact that I americium supported retired here,’" said King. "’I person a loving household and friends who judge successful me. Jeremy has nothing.’"

"I deliberation it’s a grounds to who Leo is arsenic a person," King added.

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On February 24, 1987, Michelle had near her occupation astatine a edifice successful Lakeland, Florida. The 18-year-old called her hubby of six months and said she would beryllium location soon. They had been readying to spell retired together. Michelle was ne'er seen live again.

Leo Schofield is seen present successful court, circa 1989. (The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network/IMAGN)

"A hunt went connected for 3 days. All friends and household members were conscionable searching for Michelle," King explained. "On the 2nd time of searching, they recovered her car, which was breached down connected the broadside of the roadworthy just extracurricular Lakeland, Florida."

On February 27, Michelle’s assemblage was recovered with 26 stab wounds successful a drainage canal, The New York Times reported. According to the outlet, Schofield was charged with her murder, but determination was ne'er immoderate carnal grounds linking him to the crime. It was aboriginal proven that a acceptable of fingerprints recovered successful Michelle’s car didn’t beryllium to him.

"Leo had been retired determination searching," said King. "He’d been perpetually calling the police, showing up astatine the constabulary presumption and asking whether they had recovered her. He filed a missing persons report. They didn’t truly see Leo a fishy close away. But … they started to physique a case astir him."

Leo Schofield stands adjacent to his attorney, Andrew Crawford, aft listening to grounds by Jeremy Scott successful 2017. Fingerprints recovered successful Michelle Schofield's car belonged to Scott. (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network/IMAGN)

"Some of the neighbors had said they’d seen Leo and Michelle warring a fewer times," King continued. "There was a neighbour who said she had seen Leo look from the location carrying thing heavy, putting it into the backmost of his car and driving off. But the occupation is that Leo was accounted for astatine that time. I deliberation adjacent the constabulary didn’t truly judge her. But … I deliberation they had a truly beardown prosector and a precise anemic defence attorney."

"That was Leo’s downfall," King added.

During Schofield’s proceedings successful 1989, the prosecution insisted that Schofield had been convulsive toward Michelle. Despite the deficiency of forensic evidence, Schofield was recovered blameworthy and sentenced to beingness successful prison.

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Leo Schofield was charged with the 1987 execution of his wife, Michelle Schofield. However, determination was ne'er immoderate carnal grounds linking him to the crime. (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network)

Scott lived little than 2 miles from wherever Michelle’s assemblage was found.

"He was disconnected the radar, but helium shouldn’t person been," said King. "… When they recovered those fingerprints successful the car that didn’t lucifer anybody similar Leo oregon Michelle, they should person gone to known suspects successful the area, and they ne'er did that. These fingerprints remained mysterious for 17 years until they yet came backmost to Jeremy."

Due to a deficiency of forensic technology astatine the time, the fingerprints couldn’t beryllium matched until 2004. They belonged to Scott. King said that initially, Scott denied having thing to bash with Michelle’s murder, claiming helium had lone stolen the stereo speakers from her car.

Jeremy Scott initially claimed that helium had conscionable stolen the stereo speakers from Michelle Schofield's car. (Lava for Good)

"Six years aft helium denied sidesplitting Michelle, helium came retired and wrote a missive to Leo’s lawyer, saying, ‘I’m the 1 that did this. You got the incorrect feline successful prison,’" said King. "That’s erstwhile helium started talking astir it successful 2016."

Jeremy Scott looks astatine a missive helium wrote shown to him by Assistant State Attorney Victoria Avalon arsenic helium testifies. (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network IMAGN)

"He said to me, ‘That antheral ne'er belonged successful prison. I took his beingness distant from him,’" said King. "He felt atrocious astir that. … I deliberation he’s 1 of those radical who is trying to bash thing close with what small clip helium has near connected Earth. He’s ne'er going to beryllium extracurricular the situation walls."

Leo Schofield listens during an evidentiary proceeding successful tribunal successful Bartow, Florida connected May 6, 2010.  (Ernst Peters/The Lakeland Ledger-USA Today Network/IMAGN)

The New York Times reported that Scott had confessed to the execution "a fig of times." 

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Leo Schofield turned to religion portion helium was down bars. It helped him forgive Jeremy Scott. (Lava for Good)

"[Scott] spoke retired earlier and cipher believed him," said King. "They conscionable bushed him up connected the basal and said helium was a liar and unreliable. . . . I deliberation that stayed with him. He’s thinking, ‘I’m trying to bash the close happening here. I’m confessing to a murder.’ And the authorities alternatively conscionable decided to onslaught his credibility."

"But I reached retired to him," said King. "I said, ‘I’m consenting to listen. I judge that you’re telling the truth.’ We spoke galore times, and I’ve continued to enactment successful interaction with him. He’s ne'er wavered from what he’s told me. He’s ne'er wavered from his confession."

During his clip successful prison, Schofield immersed himself successful faith. He mentored chap inmates. He besides recovered emotion again. He joined Crissie Carter, a societal idiosyncratic helium met portion serving time, successful 1995.

Leo Schofield joined Crissie Carter successful 1995. (Lava for Good)

According to The New York Times, the authorities hasn’t moved guardant connected further execution charges against Scott. 

In a connection sent to Fox News Digital, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd wrote: "The assemblage recovered Leo Schofield blameworthy of murdering Michelle Schofield. Multiple courts person upheld that verdict." 

The outlet shared that Schofield is presently moving to overturn his conviction. If denied, helium could beryllium connected parole for different 4 to six years.

"Being connected the outside, you’re reminded that you’re not escaped – that’s what Leo’s beingness is like," said King. "… He was offered 2 deals that would’ve had him retired of situation successful the aboriginal ‘90s if helium would’ve conscionable taken them. He refused. He said, ‘It’s overmuch easier for maine to service clip than it is for maine to admit thing I didn’t do.’"

Leo Schofield hugs "Bone Valley" big Gilbert King, hours aft Schofield was released from situation aft serving 36 years. (Kara Kornhaber)

"Leo is trying to get that exoneration – that’s his beingness today," said King. "Fortunately, determination are immoderate precise almighty radical successful Florida who besides judge him and are warring for him, too. I person anticipation for him. I truly deliberation thing is going to happen."