Are you always worried or looking over your back?

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Many questions here, I will try my best to answer them all.
On the blood: So here’s what we know – a large quantity of Michelle Schofield’s blood was found in the dirt near the canal. Likely, the majority of the blood she lost. Looking at crime scene photos, it seems likely that this would’ve been right beside where the Mazda was parked. Gilbert and I really hate speculating about this publicly, but of course we’ve had these conversations privately. It’s definitely a valid question to wonder about the lack of blood in the Mazda. We’re not experts in forensics, so of course take this with a grain of salt, but our guess is that Jeremy threatened Michelle. This probably began in the car, but quickly moved outside of the vehicle. I believe (again, not an expert) it is possible the first stab could’ve happened within the Mazda, Michelle opened the door and got/fell out, and then the rest of the crime happened on the ground outside the vehicle, where most of her blood was found. This is primarily speculation, but it is of course based on our years-long, very thorough review of ALL the evidence, and of all of Jeremy Scott’s statements. I really hate speculating about the final moments of Michelle’s life, but I understand why it’s a lingering question.
On the car being locked: The car was not locked entirely, the hatchback was still unlocked when it was found. I don’t really have many other thoughts on this.
On Michelle’s purse: Michelle was known to carry money loose in her pocket, or use a money clip. The clerk at the gas station she stopped at the night she was killed distinctly remembers Michelle pulling out a money clip. Initially, Leo mentioned the purse to police because he thought it’d been stolen, before realizing it was still at home in their trailer.
On Leo’s father: It is our understanding that Leo Sr was thoroughly investigated, but the most damning evidence against him was just his weird statement about a vision. To clarify, these statements were made only after he found Michelle’s body. No one has ever claimed that Leo Sr told them about this vision before Michelle’s body had been found. We think it was his way of explaining the deeply traumatic experience of finding his daughter-in-law and the senseless crime she’d suffered. Mark McCoy on Twitter said, “an innocent man has been in jail for 30 years because his dad is the type of guy who says, ‘God helped me find my car keys.’” Gilbert and I couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
As for other cases, stay tuned!

- K.D.

Was Michelle friends with Wendy Zieman where Jeremy hung out at the Zieman home?

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While he may be out of options, is the Florida Innocence Project still working with him/following new leads? For that matter, are there new possible leads that have come to light after this podcast aired?

Don't the district attorney have a moral and ethical obligation to up hold the law?

I have read elsewhere that Leo Senior’s car was seen pulled up to the spot where Michelle was killed but I don’t remember hearing about this in the podcast and can’t find much other info. Do you have any further information on this?

Thank you both for your hard work on this amazing podcast!

The Florida Department of Corrections has cracked down on sending stamps, so unfortunately that is no longer possible. But he is able to receive letters and books, when mailed directly from Amazon or the publisher. You can find more info on how to do that here and here.

-K.D.

What made you focus on this particular crime?

Conviction Integrity Review Units are able to reinvestigate cases with compelling claims of innocence, and they aren’t bound by appellate deadlines, or issues that may have already been settled in court. They can basically start from scratch and consider all the evidence, new and old. Pretty much what we did in our investigation. Because the State Attorney’s office is so heavily invested in protecting the conviction of Leo Schofield, we think it’s necessary to get an independent, unbiased review of his case. Unfortunately, the 10th Circuit’s State Attorney’s Office does not have a Conviction Integrity Review Unit.

-G.K.

What did Joe Zarbo say about the day Michelle was found?

No. Leo’s only options for release at this point are clemency and parole. Unless there’s a discovery of new evidence; but given what’s already been uncovered, that’s highly unlikely.

-K

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Yes, the investigation at the canal where Michelle’s body was found was deeply flawed. Joe Zarbo was at the scene that day, but he doesn’t remember much about the investigation. His role was primarily to protect the crime scene as the investigative work was done by other members of the Sheriff’s Office. Failing to collect evidence – such as the Marlboro box near the bloodstains, and the plastic tarps by the canal – was a mistake. This could have produced evidence that placed Jeremy Scott at the crime scene. At this point, Leo wasn’t a suspect, so you can’t even accuse the Sheriff’s Office of tunnel vision. It was just sloppy police work.

- K.D. & G.K.

Absolutely. We have tried to be extremely respectful and sensitive, especially when reaching out to Michelle’s friends and family. Not everyone we reached out to was eager to revisit this painful period in their lives, and we’ve always respected that. Even still, we’re aware that this story being back in the media might be upsetting. It’s a tough thing to balance.

- K.D. & G.K.

Answering questions as they come! Make sure you're scrolling down to the bottom. Some take a bit of time to explain, as this case is so complicated. Thanks for your patience!

You can sign this petition! Leo’s attorneys have been keeping us up to date on their efforts, and if anything else comes from that, we’ll certainly be posting about it on twitter (@ lavaforgood, @ gilbert_king, @ kelseykdecker)

- K.D.

Did Leo’s post conviction attorneys try going the 2254 habeas route in federal court?

The State Attorney’s office has consistently argued that Jeremy Scott’s confession cannot be believed, since he previously claimed his fingerprints were found in the car only because he’d stolen the stereo equipment. They pushed this claim heavily at the 2017 evidentiary hearing and ultimately the judge agreed that Jeremy’s confession was not credible. From the start, the SAO has always maintained that they had enough evidence to convict Leo, and that Jeremy Scott just stumbled onto the car.

- K.D. & G.K.

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Im Mike, David and Liz's son. I was a kid when all this happened but i very much remember all that we went through. I remember thinking Leo was Dad's coolest friend. I remember going with my dad to the jail to visit him and i remember him staying with us for what seemed like a while but couldve been just a couple of days. He had just had a car accident and broken his neck so he looked like Frankenstein with his halo on. I also remember he could tie his shoes really fast and that was awesome to a 9 year old.

One of the things my dad talked about all the time was that the killer couldn't be Leo because he was right handed and the autopsy report suggested the killer was left handed. Do we know if Jeremy Scott is left handed? Would that info be pertinent to the case based on the autopsy report?

Jeremy has told us that he did not recognize Michelle, but that Michelle said she recognized him, seeing him at a party, or somewhere around Lakeland. Which, to us, makes sense, because according to her friends, she would not likely let a total stranger into her car.
As to the second question, the Sheriff’s office and the State Attorney’s office usually work together on these kinds of cases. They are usually on the same page.

- G.K.

I don't see any responses from Gilbert. What am I doing wrong?

I would like to know a few more details on the blood evidence - was it tested for and if so was there any found in the car/ on the car door? Also the eye witness who claimed to see Leo carrying something to the car from the trailer - I believe their surname was Scott - any relation to Jeremy? Thanks