In all fairness, the February 1987 homicide of Michelle Saum Schofield is one of the most puzzling cases ever to come to light and involves much more than the horrific crime itself. Since her husband, Leo Schofield, was previously covered on ABC’s “20/20: Last Seen In Lakeland,” he was later found guilty, but there may be additional evidence implicating someone else. ‘other. We now have the information you need on the former, whether you want to know more about his alleged role in the incident, the associated legal repercussions or his current status.
Leo Schofield
Leo Schofield: Who is he?
Leo (20) and Michelle (17) were both high school dropouts in 1986 when they first met. They instantly clicked on each other and found it impossible to separate. They married after their Southside Assembly of God Church reportedly paid for the entire ceremony to encourage them to “stop living in sin”, which happened soon after they moved in together. About six months into their (already rocky) marriage, however, it all came to a violent end when Michelle was brutally murdered by being stabbed 26 times, one of the deadliest methods possible.
Truth be told, Leo (who reported Michelle missing) quickly came under suspicion because of reports from neighbors, friends and family, which suggested an unhealthy relationship with constant arguments. Some witnesses said he was verbally abusive and frequently threatened his wife’s life, but other witnesses said he was not only physically abusive, but also threatened her life on occasion. So skepticism grew when a neighbor insisted she heard the pair arguing that fateful night and saw Leo leave after stuffing a heavy object into his trunk.
Leo’s defense was also hampered by the fact that the Schofield trailer was allegedly named as the crime site despite the fact that there was a lot of blood and evidence near where Michelle was discovered. The neighbor’s statement contained significant inconsistencies, but the 20 other character witnesses who could attest to the defendant’s violent inclinations gave the prosecution case a decidedly stronger argument. Leo was actually detained and charged with murder in June 1988; he was only 21 when he was convicted in 1989 after two hours of jury deliberation. The fact that there was no hard evidence against him should be noted.
Also Read: Where Is Leo Schofield’s Daughter Ashley Schofield Currently?
Currently, where is Leo Schofield?
Leo Schofield
Leo was imprisoned for more than 30 years in a public institution and was sentenced to life after being found guilty, but he always maintained his innocence. This is evident from his numerous appeal documents over the years, including after Jeremy Lynn Scott was linked to the case by fingerprint and allegedly confessed (he later denied having done so), but to no avail. Leo said, “Innocent isn’t involved in it, has no plan, didn’t know it was happening, didn’t know it was going to happen and didn’t want it to happen,” in an interview with ABC. 20 /20” in 2022. That’s who I am.
Importantly, the hopeful former member of the band claimed he was not physically abusive during the incident while confessing in court to slapping his wife Michelle twice. In addition to emotional abuse, which I engaged in, Leo said that physical abuse is a form of violence. I wasn’t above hitting a wall and acting quite theatrically, and I screamed a lot.
Leo Robert Schofield Jr., 57, is currently being held at Florida’s Hardee Correctional Institution, a medium-security facility in Bowling Green. Leo, his second wife Crissie Carter, their daughter Ashley and The Innocence Project of Florida are still working hard to get him cleared of all charges, even though he will be eligible for parole in 2023. In addition to bringing to Michelle what they see as appropriate compensation, they seek to exonerate her.
Read more: Is Leo Schofield’s wife Crissie Carter missing?
