Wrongly convicted Leo Schofield tells wife’s real killer Jeremy Scott I forgive you with all my heart

After 36 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit, Leo Schofield did something that stunned everyone listening.

He forgave the man who actually killed his wife.

A Case Built on Nothing

In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Schofield left her restaurant job in Lakeland, Florida, promising her husband of six months she’d be home soon for their planned evening out.

She never made it home.

Three days later, Michelle’s body was found in a drainage canal with 26 stab wounds. Despite having no physical evidence linking Leo to the crime, prosecutors built their case around neighborhood gossip and circumstantial evidence.

The fingerprints found in Michelle’s car didn’t match Leo. They didn’t match anyone in the system at the time.

But Leo was convicted anyway and sentenced to life in prison.

The Real Killer Emerges

For 17 years, those mysterious fingerprints remained unidentified. Then in 2004, forensic technology finally matched them to Jeremy Scott – a convicted murderer living just two miles from where Michelle’s body was discovered.

Scott initially denied involvement, claiming he’d only stolen stereo speakers from the car. But something was eating away at him.

In 2016, Scott wrote a letter to Leo’s lawyer with a shocking confession:

“I’m the one that did this. You got the wrong guy in prison.”

By 2017, Scott was testifying in court, admitting he had murdered Michelle Schofield.

Finding Faith Behind Bars

While the real killer wrestled with his conscience, Leo was transforming behind prison walls. The anger and bitterness that initially consumed him gave way to something unexpected.

He found God.

Leo became a pastor in prison, mentoring fellow inmates and even finding love again when he married social worker Crissie Carter in 1995.

But his spiritual growth would be tested in the most extraordinary way.

The Unexpected Phone Call

In January 2025, just months after Leo’s release on parole, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. As he recovered, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King – who had championed Leo’s case through his “Bone Valley” podcast – received an unexpected call.

It was Jeremy Scott, calling from prison.

King arranged for Scott to speak directly with Leo. What happened next left everyone speechless.

The Moment That Changed Everything

As the three-way conversation began, Leo Schofield – the man who had lost 36 years of his life because of Jeremy Scott’s actions – spoke words that no one expected:

“Jeremy, I want to tell you something. And this is coming from a long time of prayer and a lot of thought. I’m grateful for the opportunity to thank you for telling the truth. I want you to know that I forgive you with all my heart.”

There was silence on the line.

Then Leo continued:

“You gained a lot of respect from the people out here, because you were brave enough to tell the truth. It was a big deal, Jeremy. That was a really big deal, because it changed my life. And I definitely appreciate you for it.”

Scott, clearly moved, could only respond: “I just hated that this happened, bro.”

“Keep praying for me,” he asked Leo.

Leo’s response revealed the depth of his transformation: “Now it’s your turn to start doing right. You hear me? You just keep doing your part.”

The Fight Continues

Despite Scott’s multiple confessions and the lack of evidence against him, Leo Schofield is still fighting to overturn his conviction. He refused plea deals in the 1990s that would have freed him early, insisting he wouldn’t admit to something he didn’t do.

Today, while on parole, Leo continues his quest for complete exoneration – a reminder that even extraordinary acts of forgiveness can’t immediately undo decades of injustice.