Bone Valley
Bone Valley is an award-winning investigative documentary podcast from Lava for Good, exploring fault lines in America's justice system. Each season tells a compelling story with purpose and humanity. Season 5, The Devil’s Quarry, hosted by journalist Paul Solotaroff, investigates a case involving a murdered girl, corrupt cops, and wrongful convictions in Carmel, NY. Season 4, Earwitness, covers the 1995 murder of Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama.
Episodes
Introducing: Bone Valley
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 groundbrea
Chapter 1 | God Help Us
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/
Chapter 2 | Combee Critters
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
Chapter 3 | Trial by Ambush
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
Chapter 4 | Dog with a Bone
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
Chapter 5 | Bam Bam
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 Jerem
Chapter 6 | Know That I Know
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 com
Chapter 7 | I Lost It
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 L
Chapter 8 | Dear Mr. King
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 pers
Chapter 9 | Coming Clean
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,
Bone Valley Q&A with Gilbert King and Kelsey Decker - Hosted by Maggie Freleng
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
Bonus Episode | The Lion, the Boat, and the Lighthouse
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 episo
Bonus Episode | Leo Speaks
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.
Bonus Episode | Prepping for the Parole Hearing in the Case of Leo Schofield
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
Bonus Episode | Nothing but a Meatball
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
#403 Jason Flom with Gilbert King on the Groveland Four
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 dow
Bonus Episode | Restoring the Way
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 fo
Bonus Episode | Leo's Parole Hearing Comes to a Close but it's not Over
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.
Bonus Episode | Halfway Home
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.
Chapter 1 | You Told Me No
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. H
Chapter 2 | Destroyer
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&mdash
Chapter 3 | Never Turned Her Back on Me
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 r
Chapter 4 | Horse and Buggy
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.
Chapter 5 | Like a Little Kid
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 migh
Chapter 6 | Walk Down that Road
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 gratitud
Bone Valley Q&A with Gilbert King - Hosted by Maggie Freleng
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 l
Kevin is Next - Part I
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&rs
Kevin is Next - Part 2
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 co
Gilbert King presents: Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
Today we’re bringing you something new. An introduction to Lava for Good’s newest investigative series – it's called “Graves County” and it will be released right here in the Bone Valley feed. You’ll see it shown here as “Bone Valley Season 3 ” and while there are many familiar themes - this is an entirely new show told by a different host - Ma
Gilbert King presents: Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
Today we’re bringing you something new. An introduction to Lava for Good’s newest investigative series – it's called “Graves County” and it will be released right here in the Bone Valley feed. You’ll see it shown here as “Bone Valley Season 3 ” and while there are many familiar themes - this is an entirely new show told by a different host - Ma
Gilbert King presents: Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
Today we’re bringing you something new. An introduction to Lava for Good’s newest investigative series – it's called “Graves County” and it will be released right here in the Bone Valley feed. You’ll see it shown here as “Bone Valley Season 3 ” and while there are many familiar themes - this is an entirely new show told by a different host - Ma
Chapter 1 | Something Stinks
Graves County: Chapter 1 | Something Stinks On August 1, 2000, the body of 18-year-old Jessica Currin was found outside of the middle school in Mayfield, KY. Jessica was a new mom and the daughter of a lieutenant with the fire department. Her case would go unsolved for years, until a local homemaker, a British journalist, and a few local girls came forward with a story that law enforcement would u
Chapter 1 | Something Stinks
Graves County: Chapter 1 | Something Stinks On August 1, 2000, the body of 18-year-old Jessica Currin was found outside of the middle school in Mayfield, KY. Jessica was a new mom and the daughter of a lieutenant with the fire department. Her case would go unsolved for years, until a local homemaker, a British journalist, and a few local girls came forward with a story that law enforcement would u
Chapter 2 | Jessica
Graves County: Chapter 2 | Jessica Joe Currin did right by Mayfield. He played defense for the beloved high school football team, went to church every Sunday, ran his own business, and became a lieutenant for the fire department. So when his daughter Jessica was brutally killed, Joe thought Mayfield would do right by him. Instead, her case went unsolved for years. Key figures in this chapter: Joe
Chapter 2 | Jessica
Graves County: Chapter 2 | Jessica Joe Currin did right by Mayfield. He played defense for the beloved high school football team, went to church every Sunday, ran his own business, and became a lieutenant for the fire department. So when his daughter Jessica was brutally killed, Joe thought Mayfield would do right by him. Instead, her case went unsolved for years. Key figures in this chapter: Joe
Chapter 3 | Persons of Interest
Graves County: Chapter 3 | Persons of Interest Six years after Jessica’s death, agents with the Kentucky Attorney General’s office took over her murder investigation. After pinpointing their main suspects with the help of citizen investigator Susan Galbreath, the agents conducted a series of unorthodox interrogations that elicited key confessions and led to the trial and conviction of
Chapter 3 | Persons of Interest
Graves County: Chapter 3 | Persons of Interest Six years after Jessica’s death, agents with the Kentucky Attorney General’s office took over her murder investigation. After pinpointing their main suspects with the help of citizen investigator Susan Galbreath, the agents conducted a series of unorthodox interrogations that elicited key confessions and led to the trial and conviction of
Jeremy Lynn Scott April 29, 1969 – September 20, 2025
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Chapter 4 | My Girl Susan
Graves County: Chapter 4 | My Girl Susan Soon after Jessica Currin’s death, Victoria Caldwell came forward with a story different from the one she told at trial and implicated two completely different people. But the investigation into those suspects ended after Mayfield Police bungled the investigation and Susan Galbreath – with the help of Tom Mangold – homed in on Quincy
Chapter 4 | My Girl Susan
Graves County: Chapter 4 | My Girl Susan Soon after Jessica Currin’s death, Victoria Caldwell came forward with a story different from the one she told at trial and implicated two completely different people. But the investigation into those suspects ended after Mayfield Police bungled the investigation and Susan Galbreath – with the help of Tom Mangold – homed in on Quincy
Chapter 5 | The Receipts
Graves County: Chapter 5 | The Receipts Prosecution witness Rosie Crice was the first person to publicly say that law enforcement made her lie on Quincy Cross and his co-defendants – but she wouldn’t be the last. Key figures in this chapter: Vinisha Stubblefield: the last known person to see Jessica Currin alive and one of the prosecution’s main witnesses. Rosie Crice
Chapter 5 | The Receipts
Graves County: Chapter 5 | The Receipts Prosecution witness Rosie Crice was the first person to publicly say that law enforcement made her lie on Quincy Cross and his co-defendants – but she wouldn’t be the last. Key figures in this chapter: Vinisha Stubblefield: the last known person to see Jessica Currin alive and one of the prosecution’s main witnesses. Rosie Crice
Chapter 6 | Something Rotten
Graves County: Chapter 6 | Something Rotten Just how far are cops and prosecutors allowed to go in their pursuit of justice – and who do we hold accountable when their whole case falls apart? These are questions that Quincy Cross, Tamara Caldwell, and Jeff Burton live with every day. Meanwhile, answers to why Jessica Currin’s murder investigation went so wrong in the first place may li
Chapter 6 | Something Rotten
Graves County: Chapter 6 | Something Rotten Just how far are cops and prosecutors allowed to go in their pursuit of justice – and who do we hold accountable when their whole case falls apart? These are questions that Quincy Cross, Tamara Caldwell, and Jeff Burton live with every day. Meanwhile, answers to why Jessica Currin’s murder investigation went so wrong in the first place may li
From the Mic to the Page: No. 1 of 5
Leo Schofield turns tables.Exclusive Excerpts from Gilbert King’s new book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida. Subscribers to Lava For Good Plus on Apple podcasts can hear new ad-free excerpts from the book every Wednesday. The book is available for purchase now at the link below: Buy Here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat
Gilbert King Presents: Bone Valley Season 4 | Earwitness
Today, we're bringing you something unexpected: Lava for Good’s investigative series Earwitness will be released right here in the Bone Valley feed. You'll see it here as Bone Valley Season 5: Earwitness. The entire season will be available to Lava For Good+ subscribers on Apple Podcasts on January 28th, and everywhere you listen to podcasts on February 4th. As an introduction, Gilbert King,
Chapter 1 | Behind the Crown
Earwitness: Chapter 1 | Behind the Crown Beth Shelburne dives into the shocking conviction of Toforest Johnson for the murder of Deputy William Hardy, following a case that never stopped bleeding questions. With former Attorney General Bill Baxley as her guide, she moves through a justice system wired for punishment over truth, uncovering a story built on fear, assumption, and a man who may not be
Chapter 2 | Don't Know Diddly
Earwitness: Chapter 2 | Don't Know Diddly In the raw hours after Deputy Hardy’s murder, Beth Shelburne digs through a story that pulled 15-year-old Yolanda Chambers into its orbit and put Toforest Johnson in the frame. A confrontation with lead detective Tony Richardson exposes a case built on pressure, doubt, and truths that won’t stay still—where justice isn’t blind, just
Chapter 3 | Police Girl
Earwitness: Chapter 3 | Police Girl When Yolanda Chambers admits to perjury, Beth Shelburne sets out to understand Chambers’ motivations. Tracing a life shaped by trauma and hidden alliances, her story slips between villain and victim—leaving behind questions that linger far longer than answers. To learn more and get involved, visit: www.toforestjohnson.com Toforest on Instagram Earwit
Chapter 4 | Witness or Defendant
Earwitness: Chapter 4 | Witness or Defendant Digging into the Hardy murder investigation, Beth Shelburne follows a trail narrowed by tunnel vision and vanishing alternatives. As detectives chase certainty over truth, witnesses falter, leads evaporate, and a case emerges driven more by obsession than evidence. To learn more and get involved, visit: www.toforestjohnson.com Toforest on Instagram Earw
Chapter 5 | Anybody Will Do
Earwitness: Chapter 5 | Anybody Will Do Beth Shelburne digs into how Toforest Johnson was convicted without a shred of physical evidence, as prosecutors leap between ever-shifting theories of Deputy Hardy’s murder. Confronting the prosecutor who once sought a death sentence, she uncovers a case where the law bends into something dangerously personal. To learn more and get involved, visit: ww
Chapter 6 | Misfiled
Earwitness: Chapter 6 | Misfiled Beth Shelburne uncovers the murky story behind Violet Ellison, the ‘earwitness’ whose $5,000 payoff shaped Toforest Johnson’s fate. Decades of denial give way to uneasy facts, revealing a conviction propped up by money, influence, and half-truths. To learn more and get involved, visit: www.toforestjohnson.com Toforest on Instagram Earwitness is a
Chapter 7 | Messy
Earwitness: Chapter 7 | Messy Years after the conviction, the original prosecutor, Jeff Wallace, begins questioning Violet Ellison’s story, while Beth Shelburne uncovers a troubling pattern. Ellison’s moves through the legal system blur the lines between cunning and deceit, revealing a figure far from the innocence prosecutors once claimed. To learn more and get involved, visit: www.to
Chapter 8 | Bondage to the Law
Earwitness: Chapter 8 | Bondage to the Law In an unusual turn, District Attorney Danny Carr and original prosecutor Jeff Wallace push against Toforest Johnson’s conviction, even as he remains on death row. Beth Shelburne traces a system reluctant to admit its failures, while Toforest’s children reveal the human toll of a life caught between injustice and hope. To learn more and get inv
Introducing - Blood Will Tell
Sharing a special episode this week from a new podcast called Blood Will Tell. When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins are arrested for suspected murder. One brother spends nearly two years in jail before the truth comes out: authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his fre
Gilbert King Presents: Bone Valley Season 5 | The Devil's Quarry
Award-winning investigative reporter and long-time Rolling Stone contributor Paul Solotaroff thought he was chasing a single story in Carmel, NY. Instead, he uncovered a sprawling web of cases that would consume years of his life and become the foundation for Bone Valley Season 5 | The Devil's Quarry. What began as a magazine feature evolved into something far bigger: a relentless investigation th
Introducing - Bone Valley Season 5 | The Devil's Quarry
In the woods outside Carmel, New York, a hunter finds the bones of a twelve-year-old girl. She had been missing. The people meant to protect her had looked the other way. Police set their sights on two teenage drug dealers, who are convicted of her murder and sent to prison.But this is just the beginning of the story. Now, buried records, ignored warnings, and a justice system that may have gotten
Chapter 1 | Criminal Mischief
The bones of 12-year-old Josette Wright are found in the woods. Cops hone in on two suspects. Award-winning investigative journalist and longtime Rolling Stone Magazine contributor Paul Solotaroff hosts the next entry in the acclaimed Bone Valley anthology: Bone Valley Season 5 | The Devil's Quarry. New episodes are available every Wednesday. Listeners can binge the entire season
Chapter 2 | Ride or Die
Anthony DiPippo is pulled into a murder investigation. But the worst part is the reason why. Award-winning investigative journalist and longtime Rolling Stone Magazine contributor Paul Solotaroff hosts the next entry in the acclaimed Bone Valley anthology: Bone Valley Season 5 | The Devil's Quarry. New episodes are available every Wednesday. Listeners can binge the entire season by sub
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