Muse

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This is Simone Boyce from The Bright Side, a Hello Sunshine podcast. Being a mom today isn't just about bike helmets and broccoli anymore. The digital stuff is what really worries me. Like, could my kid's info be stolen before he even gets his first report card? Or what if a game download hides a virus? That's scary. That's why I use Microsoft Defender, one app across my devices. It scans for viruses, flags phishing scams, and even watches for threats to our personal info. It feels like having a bodyguard for my family online, so I can actually sleep at night. To learn more, visit Microsoft365.com slash Defender.

in december of 2024 i returned to polk county to give a talk about all my reporting in central florida it was a cold winter evening in lakeland and downtown shimmered with christmas decorations i was just about to enter the lobby of the polk theater when people were already milling about when I saw a man in a flannel jacket and a leather vest walking toward me on the sidewalk. It was Leo, surprising me. He had a big smile on his face, and we hugged right there on the street. It must be pretty surreal being back in Lakeland, I said. Together, we walked into the theater lobby, and Leo was swarmed by Bone Valley fans who approached him for photos and conversation. I watched him drift through the crowd, chatting with everyone, even a Polk County deputy, who said he'd just finished listening to the podcast. After I finished my talk, I brought Leo onto the stage.

So are there any updates that you can share about Leo?

Well, there's one very interesting update where some of you are aware, but Mr. Schofield, Leo Schofield is here tonight. Yes. Leo, where are you, buddy? He sat down next to me and took questions from the audience.

Leo, can you tell us how you're doing on the day-to-day, you and Chrissy, and with your grandbabies? Just tell us about your life, because we are so thrilled to see you here tonight.

Yeah, thank you so much for that. I'm doing great. This is a very surreal moment for me, because I was just sitting there thinking.

He was as graceful as ever, sharing memories of his years in Lakeland and the decades-long fight to prove his innocence. At the end of the night, he received a standing ovation, and he lingered for more photos with fans. It was late now, and I walked him to his bike. He pulled his helmet down, swung his leg over his Harley Davidson, and fired it up. For a moment, he just sat there, smiling proud, like a man who had returned to Polk County and finally took back a piece of himself. Then he rode off, and I watched the red glow of his taillight disappear into the night. The next time I saw him, a month later, he wasn't on a bike. He was in a hospital bed. Leo had been riding his Harley one night, his daughter Ashley on the back, when a driver made a sudden left turn in front of them. There was no time to stop. Leo suffered an open-book pelvis fracture, a torn bladder, a broken back and shattered hands, wrists, and an ankle. Ashley's injuries were only slightly less severe.

Leo told me the pain was unbearable. With plates and screws now holding his body together, he worried about whether he'd ever walk again, let alone play guitar. He was laying in a bed in the living room of the home he now shared with his wife Chrissy. Due to the severity of Leo's accident, the Florida Parole Commission allowed him to leave the halfway house and move home. I'd come to visit Leo, partly because something interesting had come up in my ongoing investigation. something I'd never known before and something that could make a difference I was just telling Leo about it when I got a phone call I looked at the screen and saw who it was showed it to Leo whose eyes widened should I take this? I asked him he nodded and sat up straight

hey you there? yeah hey Jeremy

Do you hear my madness? Laughter hides my fears Sorrow's depths are endless In this valley of tears I wanna see your revelation I wanna know who you are I'm reaching out in desperation To the one who's holding the star To the one who's holding the star

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy Chapter 6 Walk Down That Road The news I was telling Leo that day was about Jeremy. He had called me a few weeks earlier from the new prison he'd been transferred to, and he was in a pretty decent mood. So I asked him a question I'd always been curious about. It was about something he'd said in court when the state of Florida was deciding whether Jeremy's confession was enough to grant Leo a new trial.

You know, honestly, do you remember in 2017 when they brought you back to the evidentiary hearing, that woman, Victoria Avalon, she was the one that questioned you for the state? Yeah, she was bashing me.

In this hearing, Prosecutor Victoria Avalon approached Jeremy and showed him a picture that she shielded from the gallery.

You know what her big thing was? When she showed you the picture and she said, look at this?

As soon as Jeremy saw it, he turned his head away. He didn't want to look. Said he'd seen it before.

See it again. Is this what you did to her?

I wanted to know what picture Avalon had showed him and what Jeremy really meant when he said, No, I didn't do that.

And you said, I didn't do that. So that's what you thought? The autopsy report said there was no sexual anything. There's no evidence of that.

On the stand, he thought that Avalon was accusing him of raping Michelle. That he'd left her like that, naked at the crime scene. Something he knew was not true. Well, I'm sorry.

I might do a lot of crazy stuff in my life, man, but I ain't on that part there.

Avalon argued to the judge that when Jeremy said, no, I didn't do that, he was recanting his confession. And the Polk County judge agreed. He ruled that Jeremy had recanted. And with that, Leo Schofield was denied a no.

new trial, even though some of Jeremy's last words in the hearing were, I killed her.

I still don't understand why I did it that night. I can't say if Back of the Hall did it or the drugies did it or whatever, because there still ain't no excuse in it.

No, I know.

When I went to Leo's house that day, after the motorcycle crash, it was to play in the recording of my call with Jeremy, so he would finally know for sure that Jeremy didn't recant his confession. The state had gotten it wrong, and in the four years I'd been talking to Jeremy, he has never once denied killing Michelle. It was when I was standing next to Leo's bed that my phone rang. The caller ID displayed a prison in North Florida. It's Jeremy, I told Leo. Should I pick up?

Hey, you there? Yeah.

Leo nodded.

Hey, I just got to tell you something. I don't know how you feel about this, but I just happen to be with Leo right now.

Jeremy was calling from his new prison. He was no longer in solitary confinement. Now, he was in protective management with around 80 other inmates like Jeremy who have to be separated from general population for their safety. I told him Leo had been in a serious motorcycle accident.

With all these broken bones. Is he going to be all right? I don't know, man. I think he's going to be all right. He's very coherent, but he's got a lot of broken bones. You want to say hello to him? Yeah.

I put the phone on speaker and held it out in front of Leo, who scooted up in his bed.

He's right here. Hey, Jeremy. How are you, bud? Hey, you doing all right? I was in a motorcycle accident with my daughter and got broken up.

Leo explained the accident, how he and his daughter had both suffered serious injuries.

Wasn't thinking right. You gotta learn how to ride. You gotta learn how to ride again.

There was a nervous energy between them, an awkwardness in the small talk. But Leo didn't linger there. He got right to the point.

Yeah, I'm going to have to do that all over again. And Jeremy, I want to tell you something. And this has come from a long time of prayer and, you know, just a lot of thought. And 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.

Silence stretched on the other end as Leo continued.

You've got a lot of people that care about you now because you did the right thing. and it means a lot to me. It means a lot to my family and I thank you for that and I thank you with all my heart, bud.

I thank you, bro.

In one of his letters, Jeremy had written, I hope someday I will come face to face with Leo so I can look at him and say I'm sorry for what I did. But now, on the phone, Jeremy seemed lost for words, his nervousness filling the silence. Leo guided him, almost instinctively, helping a fellow inmate steady himself.

I mean, it's getting to me now, I guess. I don't know. I'm getting old.

Yeah, I hear you. I definitely hear you.

Leo knew that number too well. It was how long he had waited for freedom. Jeremy talked about his recent transfer and the struggles adjusting to life there. Leo listened, his concern genuine.

Yeah, it's just a step-down phase. Complete it so you can get out. You'll get out of there. You know, you'll get out of there.

After years in prison, Leo knew how to navigate hardship. He reassured Jeremy that he could get through this.

So you've got friends out here that care about you. They're not going to lie to you. They're not going to tell you short. They're not going to tell you stories. None of that stuff. You gained a lot of respect with the people out here just because you were brave enough to tell the truth. And that was a big deal, Jeremy. That was a really big deal because it changed my life. and I definitely appreciate you for it.

Leo stared at the phone I was holding in front of him.

I just hate it that this happened. At that moment, with Jeremy standing at the telephone, surrounded by other inmates, I realized this might be his apology. These were the words he had chosen for a place where any display of vulnerability could be dangerous.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry it happened at all, but now it's your turn to start doing right, you hear me? you just keep doing your part and you're going to be all right. Okay?

I have changed my life over and I thought I'd never do that.

I believe in you, Jeremy. You're going to do well. You hear me? Thank you, bro. Thank you. Thank you, Jerry.

Keep praying for me, he tells Leo.

I will. I won't stop, Jeremy. I promise.

Leo handed me my phone and I told Jeremy goodbye for now. Said we'd talk again later. Just as I was about to end the call, I thought I heard his voice again. Mr. King? I put the phone to my ear. Jeremy was still there. Hey, Jeremy, can you hear me? Thank you. Yeah. Hey, I'm glad you got a chance to talk. Okay. Thank you. My pleasure, man. He said, I really thank you for that.

Thank you for using Global Tell Link

He was getting chumped up Thank you too That was dumb Weird I'm thinking As we're going I'm thinking This is my wife's murder I know It doesn't get more real than that I was praying And I told God I said I'm going to forgive him Because I know that's what you want me to do. But the test of that was today.

Later on, Jeremy called me again.

Hello? Can you hear me? Yeah. Hey. Hey.

I asked if it helped hearing Leo's words.

I ain't going to lie, I mean, it really freaked me out talking to him, but it made me feel a lot better, you know. I ain't going to lie, it nearly broke me down, you know. Dude, I get very good emotional, you know. Yeah. But to hear him be free was really, really touching, you know, because he never deserved to be in prison. And life been taken because of me, you know.

He says, his life's been taken because of me.

Yeah.

Jeremy knows he took Michelle Schofield's life, too, forever. He's spoken to me many times about Michelle and her family with what I understand as sincere remorse. It reminds me of some condemned men, moments from execution, who, in their final words, attempt to ease the suffering they caused. Listening to Jeremy now, I couldn't help but think of Michelle's family and whether his contrition might possibly offer a tiny measure of consolation.

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visit spinquest.com for more details this is simone voice from the bright side a hello sunshine podcast. When my son started playing games online, I thought the biggest worry would be screen time. But then I realized it's not just fun and games out there. There are scams, viruses, even people trying to steal his info before he's old enough for social media. I'll be honest, I felt overwhelmed. I didn't know where to start. And the last thing I wanted was to download five different apps I'd forget to use. Then a friend told me about Microsoft Defender. Now I've got one app that covers my devices. It scans for viruses, blocks phishing scams, and even watches for threats to our personal info. And the best part? It doesn't make me feel like I have to be a tech expert. With Defender, I finally feel like I've got backup online, so I can stop worrying about hackers and go back to worrying about the everyday stuff, like whether he ate enough veggies today.

more, visit Microsoft365.com slash Defender. So you want to start a business. You might think

you need a team of people and fancy tech skills, but you don't. You just need GoDaddy Arrow. I'm Walton Goggins, and as an actor, I'm an expert in looking like I know what I'm doing. GoDaddy Arrow uses AI to create everything you need to grow a business. It'll make you a unique logo. It'll create a custom website. It'll write social posts for you and even set you up with a social media calendar. GoDaddy Arrow will take your idea that sounds good and make a business that looks like you know what you're doing. Get started at GoDaddy.com slash arrow. That's GoDaddy.com slash A-I-R-O.

Sorry, I got a habit of tearing my nails off when I get nervous.

It's been tough finding time to meet with Justin lately. He'd been so busy with work and caring for his kids with Ariel. To make things easier, they moved north, back to Lakeland, so they'd have more family support. Now, Justin's mom, Jamie, is there for his kids in ways she wasn't always able to be

there for him in the past. What I want out of her is to be more involved with the grandkids. Like, I want her to make up her past with the grandkids. That would mean more to me than

anything, you know? Because we know where we're at. When I first met Justin, I could tell how excited he was about going down this path with me. He wanted to solve all the mysteries about how he came into the world, to know everything. But I wanted to deliver the details gently. So I promised Justin I'd come back to him with everything I'd learned, especially from his mom. And now, it was time for him to hear it. Okay, so I'm just going to give you some similar things that Jamie said and just talk to you about them. I could tell that Justin was nervous. It was almost like now he was realizing the reason for Jamie's silence over the years. It was hard for Jamie to say some of these things, so it was going to be hard for Justin to hear them. I started from the beginning. um so um she she starts talking about meeting jeremy at 17 and the piercing blue eyes the

first thing i thought was his eyes he had the most piercing eyes i told justin about how jamie first met jeremy and why she was drawn to him well we found that club secrets jeremy came in And none of us had ever seen him before. And we danced, and that was it.

And she talked about learning about his activities and some of the things he used to do was hang around these gay bars. Like, there was one called Fantasy 2000 and another one called the Green Parrot.

Parrot's over here.

Yeah, you've probably seen them. I've been there.

Well, Jeremy, he waited outside Green Parrot, and they knew he was there and jumped him. And he got some of his own medicine.

I told Justin how Jeremy had done a short stint in prison in 1988 for burglary and how, when he'd gotten out, he'd come back into Jamie's life a different person, darker, more violent.

And that's when his eyes were empty, and there was nothing. I mean, he never smiled. There was no love there. It was all fear.

I told him about how his mom was with Jeremy when he was arrested for the murder of Donald Moorhead. And so they put her in the car, but she talks about that moment of being in the police car and just like, finally, it's over. He's not somebody I need to worry about. I don't need to be threatened by anymore and scared of. So that was a really big moment in her life to just sort of be free from him that way. Because, you know.

You'd be able to breathe. And when they shut that door, I could breathe. Yeah.

It occurred to me that Justin might never have known the full story of how he came into this world if his father, Jeremy Scott, had never agreed to talk to me. And his mother, Jamie, might never have opened up if Justin hadn't reached out, wanting to know everything.

He hadn't seen a family brought up right. He's heard about his dad's family. He's seen our family, which is dysfunctional as all get out. And I think in the back of his mind, he wanted a family brought up right. He wants his family to be loved and to have the mother and father and to have that dynamic core, you know. That's what he wants for his kids.

And Justin's family is growing. And you also mentioned you have some good news to tell me, but I'm waiting for you to tell me in person.

Yeah. All right. Yeah. So my girl's pregnant.

Oh, man. Congratulations. Justin and his girlfriend Ariel will be welcoming a fifth child into the family.

I see him with Val, and I see him with those girls, and how good he is, and the fear that he has that he's going to ruin it.

Justin's family has always tried to reassure him. You are not your father. But Jamie's view on this has shifted.

And for me to tell him he's not his father, he knows I'm lying. He looks in the mirror and sees his father. You know, because he's seen pictures of his dad. He's Googled everything. I've realized he is his father. He's just the good side of Jeremy. He's the one that made me realize.

She wanted you to know that Jeremy also had a good side to him. And that, you know, that he could be charming, that he could be sweet and caring and empathic at times. And she made a point of saying that, like, she started looking at it differently when she saw you growing up.

Like all the good things she saw out of him.

Right. Right.

He's what Jeremy could have been with a different childhood. But if Jeremy had had the love and the nurturing and didn't get hit in the head and didn't have the upbringing he had, had the attention he needed, and that's the difference. Jeremy had to fend for himself and was pretty much thrown out on the streets when he was a little kid and had to learn how to survive. I don't think Jeremy's an evil person. I really don't. But he does evil things, and he always will. He's not going to change. And it's not because he's an evil person. It's because he has no control. He doesn't know how to. And a part of me feels sorry for him.

There was one part of Jamie's story that I wanted to make sure I got right when I told it to Justin. So I read him what his mom said about the day he was born. she says I went into really really hard labor and he was in stress it was just it was scary and he ended up being in the hospital for like six weeks and I couldn't hold him I couldn't touch

and I couldn't touch him and I would sit there and I would look at him and I just fell so in love with this baby, and I just knew. I just knew he was mine. I didn't care who his dad was. I didn't care how he came. That was my baby. That was my child. I think he's one of the best things I've ever done. He really is. That little boy has saved me.

And I love him so much, and I'm so proud of him, and so proud of what he's become. In spite of me, and in spite of his father, he is one of the most wonderful people.

I've never heard her talk like that. She's always had trouble expressing her emotions. I knew how she felt. You know, she just, she's closed off. I don't know. I don't know what to think. Because that made me want to cry so bad. You know? And I know she loves me. I know she loves me.

This is Simone Boyce from The Bright Side, a Hello Sunshine podcast. When my son started playing games online, I thought the biggest worry would be screen time. But then I realized it's not just fun and games out there. There are scams, viruses, even people trying to steal his info before he's old enough for social media. I'll be honest, I felt overwhelmed. I didn't know where to start, and the last thing I wanted was to download five different apps I'd forget to use. Then a friend told me about Microsoft Defender. Now I've got one app that covers my devices. It scans for viruses, blocks phishing scams, and even watches for threats to our personal info. And the best part? It doesn't make me feel like I have to be a tech expert. With Defender, I finally feel like I've got backup online so I can stop worrying about hackers and go back to worrying about the everyday stuff like whether he.

ate enough veggies today. To learn more, visit Microsoft365.com slash Defender.

So you want to start a business. You might think you need a team of people and fancy tech skills, but you don't. You just need GoDaddy Arrow. I'm Walton Goggins, and as an actor, I'm an expert in looking like I know what I'm doing, even when I don't. And I like the sound of starting my own business, Walton Goggins' Goggle Glasses. But I'm an actor. I don't know what I'm doing. I needed help. GoDaddy Arrow uses AI to create everything you need to grow a business. It'll make you a unique logo. It'll create a custom website. It'll write social posts for you and even set you up with a social media calendar. I didn't even realize I needed a social media calendar. GoDaddy Arrow will take your idea that sounds good and make a business that looks like you know what you're doing. GoDaddy Arrow can get your business up and running in minutes. You know what that sounds like? It sounds like a plan. Get started at GoDaddy.com slash arrow. That's

GoDaddy.com slash A-I-R-O. Brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit Progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

Testing 1, 2, 3. Testing 1, 2, 3. Okay. Just saw Justin pull into the parking lot, so he should be up here any second.

The very first time I talked to Justin, he told me he wanted to start communicating with his dad.

hey you made it four minutes late oh yeah four minutes later we're gonna hold you to that

good to see you he wanted to but he couldn't figure out how he needed my help with the logistics ariel wasn't comfortable with the idea of jeremy sending his letters to justin at their house and i think justin needed my help emotionally too that way but um you know before we still let

me just do this real quick i know i can imagine you are i you know what the funny thing is jeremy's kind of excited, too. Like, I told him that, you know, it's hard to write these letters.

And I said, but be patient. Justin had been trying to write his dad, but each time he tried,

he struggled to find the words. I think, you know, you don't know what to write or anything.

I know. So many years, I know. So Jeremy, after waiting weeks for a letter from his son, couldn't wait anymore. He wrote Justin a letter and sent it to me so I could deliver it in person.

He asked me to give you this. Is this like his handwriting? That's his. Everything is his handwriting.

Justin smiled as I handed him the letter. But as soon as he held it, I saw his eyes start to well up. And all I could think about was how carefully Jeremy had written this letter. How he talked to Mary about finding the right words. About how to say what he really felt.

Oh, he writes cursive. He writes better than I do. He's been practicing a lot. Because I can write cursive, but I can't write it like this. You want me to read it out loud? Do you mind? No, I don't mind. Okay, go for it. It's just a little nervous. I know. All right. Dear Justin, I was told that you were going to write me. I guess it's kind of hard for you. We really don't know each other. I would like to get to know you better. I know it's hard for you not knowing what to say. I don't know what you have heard about me, but if you want to ask me something, anything, You are a grown man, and I won't lie to you. There's a lot of stuff I did growing up, and I hate myself for those things. I hurt your mother, the only woman to ever love me, and I hurt my family. I'm 54 years old now. I have done a lot of thinking since I've been locked up. I gave my whole life away for nothing, but it cost me everything that I love. I don't know how your mother feels about me these days. He still thinks about my mom still. Yeah, he does. Justin, I'm sorry for not being there for you. I know what it is like growing up with no father around. I can't change the time. If I could, then we would still be a family now. That makes me happy, too, because he wants to. You know what I mean? He's not a monster. I have heard that you have a son that his name is Val, and his tears old mr king has told me that he uh visit with you without yeah at a playground he told me he told me how you were playing without and how um the two of you were having fun i'm glad that you spent time with your son it makes me so happy to hear about that the two

Mr. King said that you are a very thoughtful young man and a dedicated father, so you work as a manager, that's good. I sure didn't keep a job. It's been a long time since I heard from anyone in my family. when grandma passed a while back and i wish you could have spent some time with your great grandma she saw you back in eight oh so she did get the same i was told that you would like to meet some of my family that would be nice well son i wanted to write and hope that this will help you to write me just you ask anything that you want well i'm sorry it has taken so long to write give my grandson a hug and a bunch of kisses okay you need to take care of yourself love that then he put happy four foot twice that amaze me i mean obviously you know we're past at age of me being a kid now and everything. But one thing that it makes me have is that connection of feeling like a kid again.

Watching Justin read this letter and take in Jeremy's words is complicated for me. This isn't some story about a long-lost father reconnecting with his son through a genealogy website. This is different. This is heavy. And I'm always careful to keep expectations low. The father in this story is still locked inside the dead end of prison where he'll spend the rest of his life. But Justin seems to understand this. He's realistic, and he wants to give his father a chance.

okay so this was about four or five days ago because i started on it and i ain't gonna lie i went started to the first sentence and then i stopped because i didn't know what to write um writer's block yeah and then i wrote it again so dear dad even as i think of what to write down to start my letter off. I just keep thinking how this is the start of our relationship, which I think is awesome.

Justin and Jeremy keep writing letters to each other. Jeremy mails me his for Justin, and I either bring them to his house or take a picture and message them to him. To Justin, dear son, I got your letter and I was glad you wrote. I really would like to get to know you a lot better. Tell me about you. How far did you go to school? Do you like sports? What kind of music do you like?

Hey, Jeremy. Hey, Dad. I spent the majority of my life in Florida, and I wouldn't say I'm book smart, but I'm definitely street smart. I'm talkative and quiet at the same time. I pretty much learn to sit back and listen and only talk to learn. I like sports, anime, art, music. I like a lot of stuff. Well, my brain likes new stuff, and I love challenges, too. mind games puzzles are my favorite so tell me how tall are you i'm about six feet and a half

got all my hair i'm 54 years old same age as your mama i don't know what all your mother has told you about me i want to make sure that you understand i love your mom more than anything and i always will if you talk with her tell her i said hello okay so how is your grandma doing I'm sure that she told you about what me and your mom did, took off with the car, and then we were all over the state. I didn't know he took her car. Yeah, they went for some big long road trip together. Boy, was she mad. Boy, was she mad. I bet she was. But I think if she was really mad, she would have called the cops faster. But she didn't. Once this communication is opened up It revealed a side of Jeremy That I'd never truly seen In the four years we've been speaking Between them, there's an openness Almost a giddiness As they begin to learn about each other

To Jeremy Hey Dad, I got you a letter from Gilbert And I was super excited We're like pen pals in a way Except his father and son

you were right we're like pen pals i like that because i don't have many people to write me i never knew who my father was i always wanted to meet

him, but I never did. I don't even know his name. Dear Dad, I had a stepdad and some other father figures, but never got that father-son bond except with Henry and Todd. Henry was cool and married my grandma, but he died in the sleep. Todd was cool, and he taught me, my brother Alex, and my sister how to defend ourselves. He had drug problems and got caught robbing banks. He dated my mom for a a bit.

Dear Justin, I was looking at those pictures you sent of you and Val. I couldn't stop myself from crying. Just seeing you with your son, it makes me so happy to see that, the two of you together. I know Val will be in good hands. Enjoy it while you can, because Val will start growing, and before you know it, he will be a man with kids of his own. there's empathy and remorse but there's also vulnerability the raw need Jeremy feels for family for belonging he takes pride in knowing his son has not followed the same path he did he's trying on the role of a father something he's never known searching for ways to show love in a way he's never received I hope one day that I will get to meet both of you My son and grandson So tell me about this family of yours

I have four kids now But one of them is from my actual seat But I love each one of them like they were my own I've pretty much been winging life up until the point I had Val And then I started to learn about being responsible Life can be amazing and scary at times. Val can say ball, mama, dad, and nana at the moment. And I get excited about the small things with Val.

Sound like you are ready to walk down that road. She has three kids of her own. As long as you are happy, and she is happy, that's all that matters. I'm sorry for not being there for you growing up. I'm glad that you are doing the right thing with your son.

I'm not mad at you, by the way. I mean, I wish you would have thought before you acted, but we all make mistakes, and we, Val and I, appreciate the fact that you were a man enough to still want to talk with me. I'm very proud of you, too, and I'm super excited about you wanting to step forward and face your demons.

Well, son, maybe one day you can come to visit me.

That would be cool.

Well, I hope to hear from you soon. I will close for now. I do love you, son. Don't you forget that.

I'm standing beside you. Love, Justin.

Love, Dad. Jeremy.

you know very early on you said learning all about this would actually help me be a better father I'm just wondering if you still think about that I think it has made me a better father

because I feel like it evolved from me worried about me turning into him to me helping him find

who he is. I don't hear you talking about wondering if you are your dad. I don't even

think he's like himself now. How can I be like him if he's not like him? You know, you're not this scary, Jeremy, that everybody thought you was anymore. You're just, you're messed up in the head, Jeremy, you know, and you need love. I asked Justin, what does he hope

to gain by learning his father's story and telling his own. I think it's more important to my family

than anything else because not just Jeremy, but everybody's been through a lot. You know, it'll just be nice for once in a life, a positive story. You know, if I could have one positive story from like a super bad situation, like no one in their right mind would ever think Jeremy would do it 180. Like, nobody. So what happens when you see him? You would want to know his story, right? You would want to know what happened, what made him change, and to find out it was his heart. You know, the hard work he put in, you know, the support team he has behind him and everything else. It's just people gathering together and caring for one another.

You

One of the things I told Justin is what Jeremy fears most. It's not a fear for his safety or his health in prison, but a fear about what will happen after he dies. The thought that haunts him most is being buried in the prison cemetery. And it turns out you have to have somebody, like, claim you, claim your body after your death.

I'll claim him. I don't want him buried in prison. I don't care what state of mind he is or anything. I don't want him buried there.

He said he didn't think anybody in his immediate family, including his mother and his aunts, would claim him.

Am I allowed to claim him? I think you would be. Then I'll claim him on that. I'm jumping right on that one. If I can, I want him buried over here. I want him buried close to my other family. Just because someone does something bad doesn't mean they're not family, you know? He might not be the father, but he's still my dad, but he's going to be buried like a human being. We at least give him that for the fight he put in.

You said you were better at talking than writing. Let's just do a quick thing here. I just talked to him, and I'll write it down afterwards and send it to him.

Does it act like I'm talking to him?

Yeah, sure.

Okay.

All right. Dear Jeremy, it's Justin, your son. I had Christmas and I met you.

Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good Podcast in association with Signal Company No. 1.

I just got your letter that you wrote to me from Gilbert today, too, and it really sucks about not being able to visit yet, but we'll try to set up a thing to go visit soon enough.

Our executive producers are Jason Flom, Jeff Kempler, and Kevin Werdes.

But I did give permission to talk to you about my daughter that's coming to be. Yeah, I'm kind of starting my own tree kind of thing now. And, you know, they have a grandfather now to look up for, so you got to make sure you stay in line for them. Keep your head up.

Kara Kornhaber is our senior producer. Jackie Pauley and Hannah Beal are our producers.

What do you think? What's your prediction for tomorrow, Jeremy? Kansas City. All day. History will be made.

Hey, Dad. Sorry for the late response, but Gilbert did really good and gave me your birthday letter right on my birthday. It really brightened up my day and everything. I felt like a little kid, you know.

Britt Spangler is our sound designer. Marianne McCune is our editor. Fact-checking by Dania Suleiman.

I got two more bikes, but I don't know if I'll ride them again or not. But we'll see.

You've got to take your time, that's all.

Yeah.

It's like putting tricycle wheels on there and just learning down a dirt road or something.

Yeah. Yeah, it's a pretty good idea. All right, bud, you take care of yourself.

Jeff Clyburn is our head of marketing and operations. Our social media director is Ismari Guadrama.

Guinevere was born. She's so beautiful. I'll eventually be able to send you pictures of her.

Our social media manager is Sarah Gibbons, and our art director is Andrew Nelson.

Everything's been going good. I really do care about you, Dad. And I want to say happy birthday as well. I hope you get this before your birthday. But happy birthday, old man. Love you. Justin, bye.

All right, let Mary know I called you, too, because she worried. I will. I'm going to tell her right now. I told her, I said, everything's good. Okay. And I'm going to send her a snapshot picture.

Additional research and production by Kelsey Decker. Additional sound recording by James Johnson.

He said they just had dinner, and it was coleslaw, two pieces of cold bread, and a rat patty. I said, what's a rat patty? And he said, it's a hamburger patty that has no real meat.

Bone Valley is written and produced by me, Gilbert King. follow us on instagram facebook tiktok and threads at lava for good stay good and stay

on the right track all right i love you dad bye i don't know why i said bye

Thank you.

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