Chapter 1 | You Told Me No

Summary

Bone Valley - Chapter 1 | You Told Me No: Detailed Summary

Release Date: April 9, 2025
Host: Gilbert King
Production: Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1

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Introduction

In the gripping premiere of Bone Valley, host Gilbert King delves into a haunting mystery from 1987 Florida—the tragic murder of 18-year-old Michelle Schofield and the subsequent wrongful conviction of her husband, Leo Scofield. Two decades later, a startling development surfaces when Jeremy Scott, a previously unidentified violent teenager, confesses to the murder. This confession not only exonerates Leo but also hints at a series of other unsolved crimes.

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The Wrongful Conviction of Leo Scofield

Gilbert King sets the stage by recounting the heartbreaking story of Leo Scofield, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Michelle Schofield. At just 20 years old, Leo maintained his innocence throughout his 36-year incarceration, a stance that deeply resonated with King and prompted his relentless investigation into the case.

[02:05] Justin Allen: "I just want justice for my dead wife. That's what I want."

[02:21] Justin Allen: "I'm saying he didn't do it. That's what I mean. He didn't do it."

Through meticulous research and interviews, King uncovers the cracks in the original investigation that led to Leo's conviction, setting the foundation for the series' exploration of justice and redemption.

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Jeremy Scott's Confession

The narrative takes a dark turn with the introduction of Jeremy Scott, a man with a notorious history of violence. Fifteen years after Michelle's murder, Jeremy's previously unidentified fingerprints match those found at the crime scene, leading to his confession.

[02:26] Gilbert King: "Jeremy Scott told me in terrifying detail how he was the one who killed Michelle Schofield."

Jeremy's admission not only exonerates Leo but also unveils a pattern of brutality, suggesting his involvement in multiple unsolved murders in the region. This revelation propels the investigation into a broader quest to uncover the extent of Jeremy's crimes.

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Gilbert King's Investigation

King's pursuit of the truth brings him face-to-face with individuals deeply affected by the case, including Justin Allen, the son of Jeremy Scott. Justin grapples with the heavy burden of his father's actions and the wrongful imprisonment of Leo, who took the blame for Michelle's murder.

[04:06] Justin Allen: "I've been trying to help him. I'm doing everything I could."

King's interviews reveal the complexities of seeking justice years after the fact, highlighting the emotional and psychological toll on those involved.

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Justin Allen's Quest for Justice

Justin Allen emerges as a pivotal figure in the narrative, embodying the intertwined fates of the innocent and the guilty. As the son of Jeremy Scott, Justin contends with his father's notorious legacy and Leo Scofield's unjust imprisonment.

[08:22] Justin Allen: "I'm holding my boy right now, and it's pacing back and forth and just. I got a lot on my mind."

Justin's introspection and determination to rectify past injustices add depth to the story, illustrating the ripple effects of wrongful convictions on entire families.

[09:52] Justin Allen: "If I'm able to help Leo, it'll make me feel more comfortable about myself because I feel guilty even being alive."

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Unraveling the Past: Jamie Nellums' Testimony

A cornerstone of the episode is the testimony of Jamie Nellums, Leo Scofield's wife and Michelle Schofield's sister. Jamie's recounting of her tumultuous relationship with Jeremy Scott provides crucial insights into the events leading up to the murder.

[19:53] Jamie Nellums: "He had the most piercing eyes... he was wearing all black... just staring at me."

Jamie's narrative paints a picture of Jeremy's manipulation and the emotional turmoil she endured, shedding light on his potential motive and behavior patterns.

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The Turning Point: "You Told Me No"

A pivotal moment in Jamie's story occurs when Jeremy demands, "You told me no," marking a descent into fear and control that ultimately leads to tragic consequences.

[35:33] Jamie Nellums: "You told me no."

This confrontation underscores the volatility of Jeremy's character and foreshadows the impending tragedy that would alter the lives of everyone involved.

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Impact on Families

The episode poignantly explores the ripple effects of Michelle's murder and Leo's wrongful imprisonment on their families. Justin Allen's internal struggle with his father's actions and Leo Scofield's sacrifice highlights the profound emotional scars left by unresolved justice.

[31:03] Justin Allen: "She tried her best. She struggled a lot, like she was far from a perfect mom. But she loved us."

The intertwined destinies of the families emphasize the human cost of miscarriages of justice and the enduring quest for truth and reconciliation.

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Conclusion

Chapter 1 | You Told Me No masterfully sets the stage for an intricate exploration of murder, wrongful conviction, and the search for truth. Through compelling interviews and meticulous storytelling, Gilbert King invites listeners into the heart-wrenching saga of Bone Valley, laying the groundwork for future revelations and justice.

[39:30] Jamie Nellums: "I knew I wasn't coming back. I knew if they didn't catch him, I was going to die."

As the episode closes, the unresolved tension and the quest for closure linger, promising deeper dives into the mysteries surrounding Jeremy Scott and the quest to restore justice for Leo Scofield.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [01:39] Gilbert King: "If Jeremy had gone to jail instead of Leo, Justin would have never been conceived."

• [04:06] Justin Allen: "I've been trying to help him. I'm doing everything I could."

• [09:52] Justin Allen: "If I'm able to help Leo, it'll make me feel more comfortable about myself because I feel guilty even being alive."

• [19:53] Jamie Nellums: "He had the most piercing eyes... he was wearing all black... just staring at me."

• [31:03] Justin Allen: "She tried her best. She struggled a lot, like she was far from a perfect mom. But she loved us."

• [35:33] Jamie Nellums: "You told me no."

• [39:30] Jamie Nellums: "I knew I wasn't coming back. I knew if they didn't catch him, I was going to die."

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Final Thoughts

Bone Valley weaves a complex tapestry of human emotion, justice, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Chapter 1 lays a formidable foundation, promising listeners a journey through the intricate dynamics of a case that intertwines love, betrayal, and the quest for redemption.

For those intrigued by stories of true crime and the intricacies of the legal system, Bone Valley offers a compelling narrative that is as emotionally charged as it is intellectually stimulating.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments from the episode have been intentionally excluded to focus solely on the substantive narrative and discussions.

Transcript

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[Gilbert King]

Something unexpected happened after I told you the story of a man convicted of murdering his own wife. I am 100% innocent. That means someone else killed my wife. If you haven't heard season one of Bone Valley, you might want to go back and listen. It's the story of Leo Scofield, who spent 36 years in prison for a crime he swears he did not commit.

[Justin Allen]

I just want justice for my dead wife. That's what I want.

[Gilbert King]

After investigating his case for years, I'm convinced he's telling the truth. Because I also met the one man who says he knows for sure that Leo is innocent.

[Justin Allen]

I'm saying he didn't do it. That's what I mean. He didn't do it.

[Gilbert King]

Jeremy Scott told me in terrifying detail how he was the one who killed Michelle Schofield.

[Justin Allen]

So she gave me a ride, and that's when I guess I lost it. Then she went screaming and panicking and stuff.

[Gilbert King]

When I first learned about Jeremy Scott, I didn't want to know any more than I had to until it was too late. Here was a man with a history of extraordinary violence. He was impulsive and volatile, attacking random citizens and teenage girls on the outside and cellmates, guards and nurses while locked behind bars. I'll admit, at first I Saw Jeremy as sort of a monster. It was Leo, of all people, who changed my mind. Leo, whose wife was murdered by this man, was able to see something in Jeremy that I couldn't. I was looking for this creature that, you know, I couldn't.

[Jamie Nellums]

I could hate, that I could.

[Gilbert King]

I could detest, I could be repulsed by and vindicated in all of it.

[Justin Allen]

And then you see him. And what is he?

[Gilbert King]

He's a broken individual, broken vessel.

[Justin Allen]

Someone who's never known what it is to be loved.

[Gilbert King]

My prayer is that somehow he comes to know a love that gives him some kind of peace. Jeremy was trying to tell me and anyone who would listen the truth. That he was the guilty one, not Leo.

[Justin Allen]

I've been trying to help him. I'm doing everything I could.

[Gilbert King]

In season one of Bone Valley, I told you the story of a man fighting to prove his innocence. This season, the story of a man trying to prove his own guilt. And the unlikely collection of people who heard Jeremy confess and out of nowhere step forward to help him make things right. So I spoke to Jeremy yesterday, you know, and I try to encourage him to stay out of trouble. And I would tell him.

[Jamie Nellums]

Cause I did love him. I did love Jeremy. And it wasn't until you knew him.

[Gilbert King]

A little bit, right? I just knew him as a kid. Yeah.

[Justin Allen]

Hi. Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Gilbert King]

Jeremy Scott confessed and the state of Florida doesn't believe him. These are the stories of the people who do.

[Jamie Nellums]

When y'all wanted to talk to me before, I tried. I couldn't do it. I never talked to anybody about any of this. I couldn't sit here a year ago, I couldn't do it. I could do it today.

[Justin Allen]

Everything in life takes effect, you know, Like, I don't want to hide nothing. Everything I say, I want everybody to hear. Like, at the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Gilbert King]

Do you hear my madness? Laughter has my fear Sorrow's depths are endless in this valley of tears.

[Jamie Nellums]

I.

[Gilbert King]

Wanna see a revelation I wanna know who you are I'm reaching out in desperation to to the one who's holding the stars. Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy Chapter 1 1. You told me no. One morning in the fall of 2022, I woke up to a flood of text messages, a missed call, and a voicemail that came in at 1am Hi.

[Justin Allen]

Gilbert King. This is Justin Allen. I was born on March 5, 1989, the son of Jamie Nellums. Her name used to be Jamie Allen. And the son of Jeremy Lynn.

[Gilbert King]

Scott, Jeremy's son, wanted to talk to me.

[Justin Allen]

If you just call me, then, please. Bye.

[Gilbert King]

I texted him back right away, and we started chatting. His messages felt urgent. He just finished listening to his father confess to murder. Justin wrote, sorry for getting excited and talking so much. I've never had a chance to talk about my dad, and I'm 34.

[Justin Allen]

Hello?

[Gilbert King]

Hey, Justin.

[Justin Allen]

Hey, Gilbert.

[Gilbert King]

How are you?

[Justin Allen]

I'm pretty good. How you doing?

[Gilbert King]

I'm doing good. I'm so sorry I missed you last night. I know it was. It was late. I was asleep the whole time. I woke up.

[Justin Allen]

I was a little crazy.

[Gilbert King]

Yeah, I could imagine. I mean, one of the first of a long list of things Justin wants to talk about is actually not his dad. It's Leo. Justin has listened to our podcast and done all these sleepless calculations.

[Justin Allen]

He's come to this conclusion with the Leo situation. If you really stop and think about it, I pretty much owe him my life.

[Gilbert King]

If Jeremy had gone to jail instead of Leo, Justin would have never been conceived.

[Justin Allen]

The murder was in 1987. Right?

[Gilbert King]

Right.

[Justin Allen]

Okay. Leo ended up taking the hit from my dad. But within that time, my dad was free, you know, and he was still with my mom, and they had me. So if the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Gilbert King]

While we're on the phone, I realize Justin is with his own son.

[Justin Allen]

I'm sorry. I'm holding. I'm holding my boy right now, and it's pacing back and forth and just. I got a lot on my mind.

[Gilbert King]

Yeah, yeah.

[Justin Allen]

Hold on. Here's some grants. He wants to color now. His birthday was yesterday.

[Gilbert King]

Oh, sweet. Two years old.

[Justin Allen]

Yeah, he just turned to. He's tall.

[Gilbert King]

He tells me he's raising his son with his girlfriend, Ariel, who also has three young daughters from a prior relationship.

[Justin Allen]

That's how I look at it. They're my girls because I take care of them with my girlfriend.

[Gilbert King]

This is why his voicemail came in so late at night. He's incredibly busy. He works the night shift as a supermarket manager, and during the day, he's taking care of the kids while Ariel's at work.

[Justin Allen]

My boy, 2 years old, and I'll talk about him walking and trying to talk now and everything else. He likes super monsters, you know, I'm trying to teach him right? And this is all thanks to Leo taking the fucking hit for my dad.

[Gilbert King]

Justin tells me he feels immense guilt about Leo Scofield.

[Justin Allen]

If I'm able to help Leo, it'll make me feel more comfortable about myself because I feel guilty even being alive. I'm not gonna lie, like, because think about it. The dude lost his wife and had to go to jail for 35 years.

[Gilbert King]

Yeah.

[Justin Allen]

Just to have the killer that killed your wife son live.

[Gilbert King]

In the podcast, he heard his dad trying to tell the truth about Michelle's murder to help absolve Leo. It was the first time he ever heard his dad speak.

[Justin Allen]

Dude, when I heard my dad's voice, that shit hit me, because no one ever talks about my dad.

[Gilbert King]

Yeah. Justin told me growing up, his mom never spoke about his dad at all. Nothing bad, nothing good, just nothing. But when he was around other family members, he'd catch bits and pieces.

[Justin Allen]

You know, I did know my dad was. You know, from a young age. I listened. I'm not stupid. Like, I knew he killed from a very young age. It's just whenever I hear stories about him, it's always something different. I don't know what's true or false.

[Gilbert King]

Yeah. As we talk, I get the sense that overnight, Justin has embarked on a delicate and complicated mission to find out everything he can about his dad, however difficult, and to see if any of what he learns can bolster his dad's confession and help Leo. A big part of that mission is getting his mom, Jamie, to talk to me. Among the texts he sent me were screenshots of a Facebook conversation he had with her. He tells her he just finished listening to the podcast, and he floods the chat box between them with questions about Jeremy's murders, whether or not Jeremy really loved her, if he tried to kill her. She answers his questions, and she tells him that his dad only saw him once.

[Justin Allen]

You read the text. The first time he ever cried in front of her was seeing me. He's never once held me.

[Gilbert King]

I already knew something about Justin's mom, Jamie Nellums. She was Jeremy's girlfriend around the time of mom Michelle Schofield's murder. While I was investigating Jeremy's crimes, I saw her name in police reports. So Kelsey and I tried to talk to her years ago. She even agreed to meet us for lunch at a nearby restaurant in Polk County. She texted me that she was on her way. We waited and waited, but Jamie never showed up, and I never heard from her again. But now, after hearing his dad talk for the very first time, Justin was asking Jamie to talk to me. In the messages to his mom, he talked about hearing Jeremy's voice. He wrote he sounded alone and afraid, always on guard. Trust issues. Weirded me out. How alike we are. He wanted to know if she heard the podcast, too. She says, I haven't. I'm sorry. Honestly, I can't bring myself to hear his voice again. He says I understand fully. And when he tells her, I'm trying to contact Gilbert King now and see what happens, she says, he tried to contact me a while back. I wouldn't talk to him. I just couldn't do it. Later on, she says my psych doctor thinks I should tell my story to Gilbert King if it would be therapeutic. Justin urges me to contact her again. He says she wants to talk now.

[Jamie Nellums]

How are you feeling about this microphone and all of that? It's okay. I'm a little more okay with it now than I was. It's just, you know, when all this first started and everything, I spent so many years trying not to think about it, not to talk about it.

[Gilbert King]

Kelsey and I rent a hotel room for our interview with Jamie.

[Jamie Nellums]

It was really rough there for a while because I went through years of nightmares and the paranoia.

[Gilbert King]

Kelsey has arranged the room simply. Three chairs, a table in the middle and two microphones set up. Sit here.

[Jamie Nellums]

Yeah, I was going to say, if you don't mind.

[Gilbert King]

I sit down across from Jamie. She's dressed in jeans and a blouse, her short brown hair showing just a hint of gray. She's visibly nervous as we settle around the table. I wanted to start slowly, assuming she might have a hard time opening up. But as she spoke, I realized that this was going to be different from the Jamie I'd come to know. Through depositions and courtroom transcripts.

[Jamie Nellums]

Justin finally reached a point where he.

[Gilbert King]

Wanted to start asking questions in those formal settings. She was responding to lawyers focused solely on the facts. Here it became clear she was responding to Justin. She was determined to give him the answers he'd always wanted about his father's life and her own.

[Jamie Nellums]

If me dealing with my crap can help him, it's worth it. It's worth it. I can deal with this to help him. If it's just for me, I wouldn't be doing this. I wouldn't be. I'm just being real. If it was just to do your book or just to do a podcast or whatever, I wouldn't be sitting here. I'm doing this for Justin. I really am.

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[Gilbert King]

Hey, I was just in an accident. Don't worry.

[Jamie Nellums]

We'll get you taken care of.

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[Gilbert King]

Where were you born? You know, what did your parents do for a living? Just give us an idea of your growing up and what you remember.

[Jamie Nellums]

Okay? I can remember weekends at my grandmother's house. She had 13 kids, and there'd be like 30 of us, all as cousins. We'd go over on Friday. We'd stay there till Sunday. The parents would all be in the house playing canasta all weekend. They'd have their weekend marathon. The kids were outside playing.

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We used to play in the orange grove. And Jamie, all of us, the cousins, we would go over there and we would play like freeze tag or, you know, hide and seek and things like that in the orange grove.

[Gilbert King]

Jennifer Stone lived just two doors down from Jamie's grandma.

[Thrivent Advertiser]

We knew all the neighbors. All the neighbors knew all the kids and who they belonged to. So if you did something you weren't supposed to, your parents were going to hear about it.

[Gilbert King]

When Jamie was 7, her mom married a strict and controlling ex Navy guy. By the time she turns 17, they're divorced and her mom gets a job as head nurse at a local hospital.

[Jamie Nellums]

She worked 12 hour shifts, so we were pretty much on our own.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie found herself experiencing a new sense of freedom, one she'd never known before. With her stepfather out of the picture, she could finally breathe. And in that space, there's a quiet resistance to the control she'd grown up under.

[Jamie Nellums]

Well, we found that club, Secrets Picture, a rave club with no alcohol. It was a safe place for teenagers. They didn't let people over 18 in. And it was a dance club. It had the flashing lights and the neon lights, and we would wear the white shirts with the black lights. You know, it would kind of glow.

[Gilbert King]

One night in April 1987, Jamie's sitting in a chair right off the dance floor. She's got thick brown hair and glasses like a wallflower, hiding off to the side with her friend Maria. When they see this teenage boy enter the club. He's. He's tall and thin, and he moves with confidence and a quiet presence that's hard to ignore. His name is Jeremy Scott.

[Jamie Nellums]

None of us had ever seen him before.

[Gilbert King]

And he's heading toward them.

[Jamie Nellums]

Well, when I first met him, the first thing I thought was his eyes. He had the most piercing eyes. They would just, like, look in. And I can remember sitting in the chairs, and he was wearing all black, so you couldn't really see him, but you could see his eyes, and he was just staring at me. And I can remember being nervous, you know, because I'd never had a boyfriend before. Never really talked, But I was so shy, so shy, mad. And I remember him kicking my chair and saying, you want to dance? And we danced. And that was it.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the night, Jeremy walked her to her car.

[Jamie Nellums]

I had a big 73 Cutlass Supreme.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie's friend Maria leaned on one side of the car with her boyfriend.

[Jamie Nellums]

They were hugging and kissing and stuff.

[Gilbert King]

While Jeremy and Jamie settled by the driver's side.

[Jamie Nellums]

And we just kind of stood there awkwardly for a few minutes. And he asked if next Friday I'd meet him at the mall. Well, I was kind of iffy because the ones that went to the mall were the type of kids that didn't go to secrets. You know, these were the smokers and the drinkers, and that's where the cops would always show up, was at the mall. And. But I said, yeah, I'd meet him at the mall. And I did.

[Gilbert King]

From what I've learned about Jeremy, Secret seems like the last place he'd want to be. Tight supervision, no alcohol, and parents hovering just outside. So a few nights later, Jamie meets up with Jeremy at one of his usual spots behind the Lakeland Mall.

[Jamie Nellums]

Now, when I met him at the mall, I asked him where he was staying at, and he said he was staying downtown. He did ask me for a ride home, and I had dropped him off at this house, and I Remember looking at this house and thinking it looked abandoned, like nobody lived there, like it was falling apart. But there was lights on upstairs. There was people staying there. It was all kids like him. They were hijacking electricity off the apartment complex behind it with cords. So that's how they had lights on. So come to find out, that's where he stayed at a lot. And that's where he would take me a lot of times, was to abandoned houses. And that's where, you know, he'd be like, you're. You're staying with me tonight. And we'd go downtown and find an abandoned building, and we climb in and go to sleep. And here I got a nice townhouse and bed waiting for me at home. And I'm in love, you know, and honestly, if I want to be honest, it was kind of exciting.

[Gilbert King]

Jeremy's hanging out with people like this guy named Rambo, Stocky, 20something, who wears camo, rides a motorcycle, and who spent some time in the Polk county jail on burglary charges.

[Thrivent Advertiser]

They were not my people.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie's childhood friend Jennifer was less than impressed with Jamie's new boyfriend.

[Thrivent Advertiser]

I wasn't comfortable with the people that he was with, and I never understood what she saw in him, to be honest with you. They. They were, you know, the. The head banging, rock and roller, you know, the drugging type was what we referred to them as. They were just looking at them. Okay, it sounds very judgmental, but being an adult now, I would say a bunch of low lives, but she was my friend. You know, we were young but dumb kids. She was in love.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie spending more and more time trying to understand Jeremy's secret, off the grid world. She wants to know more about him and the people who matter in his life.

[Jamie Nellums]

He talked a lot about his grandmother. He talked a lot about his grandfather and how they used to call him Jeremiah and that Jeremiah was a bullfrog. That was his grandfather's favorite song. And they called him Bam Bam. And they thought it was so cute because he'd beat everything up with sticks and stuff and thought it was funny.

[Gilbert King]

As we talk with Jamie, I could sense she was allowing herself to remember not just the painful truths Justin would have to confront about his father, but perhaps for the first time in decades, she was willing to think about why she'd once been drawn to Jeremy Scott.

[Jamie Nellums]

Jeremy had that good side and he had that funny side, and he could be sweet and caring and, you know, he had that good in them. I saw it.

[Gilbert King]

But Jamie also found herself doing things for Jeremy, things She never would have imagined doing before she met him. At first, it wasn't anything too bad. Just sort of weird.

[Jamie Nellums]

I had money, you know, all I had to do was ask. But he would take me and we'd go donate plasma, and we'd do that three times a week.

[Gilbert King]

It's not unlike giving blood to the red cross. They'd go into a harsh, fluorescent lit room where people wait in long lines, trading the plasma in their blood for cash.

[Jamie Nellums]

And I know the first time he took me, it was like $100. For being a first time donor, they pay you a large amount. But then after that, I think it was like 25 the first time, 15 the second time, and 10 the third time. So it was what, like 50 bucks? Something like that. And then as soon as we get done, I'd give him the money.

[Gilbert King]

It's like they live in separate worlds. While Jamie roller skates with friends, Jeremy's getting drunk in the park. While she's in school, he's breaking into houses and pawning whatever he can.

[Jamie Nellums]

We'd been together a while, and we weren't together all the time. I mean, this a thing you've got to understand. I would see him for two or three days, and then I wouldn't see him for three or four months, and then I'd see him for two or three days, and then I wouldn't see him for six weeks. He didn't have a house phone. He didn't have a house. So he'd either call me from a pay phone or I wouldn't hear from him. And when he would show up, he'd call from a pay phone, hey, meet me down the road. Then when I would see him, it was constant. He was right there in my face, constant. And I couldn't go anywhere, do anything without him right there.

[Gilbert King]

One day, Jeremy tells Jamie he wants to take a trip a few hours north. Jeremy gets behind the wheel, and even though he doesn't have a license, he.

[Jamie Nellums]

Was wanting me to meet his mom. I hadn't met his mom yet.

[Gilbert King]

After hours of driving, they finally make it to Perry, Florida. Jeremy pulls into a gas station where his mother Linda is working.

[Jamie Nellums]

It was the only gas station in the whole town. And I can remember us pulling up to the head station and her coming out. And her exact words were, what the f are you doing here? And I just kind of sat there in shock, you know, I'm like, oh, my God, this is his mom. You know? And he turned around and he got back in the car and we drove down the road. And he pulled off the side of the road and I looked at him and I said, are you okay? And I guess I shouldn't have said that. And as soon as I said, are you okay? He punched me as hard as he could and he kicked me out of the car. And I can remember him kicking me out of the car and me looking down this road and there's nothing but palmetto trees and big old pine trees and nothing. There's no building, you know. And I started crying and I'm thinking, he's going to leave me here. I don't know anybody. I'm not going to talk to that lady. I'm not talking to her. She talks to her son that way. What's she gonna say to me, you know? And about 10 minutes later, he came back. He came back and he picked me back up.

[Gilbert King]

They make the long, quiet drive back to Polk County. From that moment on, her fear was mounting and always there.

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[Gilbert King]

Sitting in that hotel room with Jamie, listening to her go back in time, I could see she was entering some of the territories she tried to leave behind. Things that caused her a lot of pain and at times, probably caused Justin some pain, too.

[Justin Allen]

She tried her best. She struggled a lot, like she was far from a perfect mom. But she loved us. Yeah, like I give her that. She loved us with all her heart, and I knew that.

[Gilbert King]

But it was a constant battle to keep Jeremy out of her mind.

[Jamie Nellums]

I was burying him for me. Does that make sense? So it wasn't that I was trying to protect Justin. It wasn't that I was trying to keep him from Justin. I didn't talk about to anybody.

[Gilbert King]

But now with Justin wanting to know everything, Jamie told me it was time she said it all out loud. She takes us back to 1988. She's dating Jeremy, and he disappears yet again.

[Jamie Nellums]

I still don't know what he went to prison for. I remember asking him several times, and he never answered me. I know Jeremy used to like to wait outside the Green Parrot and wait for the gay people to leave, and he'd beat them up with baseball bats and stuff.

[Gilbert King]

He'd hang outside Lakeland's gay bars like the Green parrot and fantasy 2000.

[Jamie Nellums]

As a matter of fact, that's how he ended up with stitches. That one night, he ended up with stitches in his knee and in his head because he waited outside Green Parrot and they knew he was there and jumped him and he got some of his own medicine.

[Gilbert King]

The lesson doesn't take. And. And he's soon back at Lake Morton after dark, prowling for his next targets.

[Jamie Nellums]

I mean, everybody knew what Lake Morton was and that that was the gay hangout. And a lot of them got robbed, a lot of them got beat up, a lot of them got hurt, and it was just never reported. It was never in the newspapers, but everybody knew about it.

[Gilbert King]

I know from going through court records that robbing gay men is not what Jeremy went to prison for this time. Instead, it was for breaking into a home in Lakeland, stealing a few cameras, a VCR, and some other electronics. He was caught, convicted, and sentenced to state prison, where he spent over four months until his release in May of 1988.

[Jamie Nellums]

When he got out from. That was when he was really different. And I don't know if something happened while he was in prison or. I don't. I don't know what it was, but he was a total different person. And that's when his eyes were empty and. And there. There was nothing. I mean, he never smiled. He.

[Justin Allen]

He.

[Jamie Nellums]

There was nothing. There was nothing there. And I can remember looking at him and just not even really recognizing him, not even knowing who he was.

[Gilbert King]

Weeks after Jeremy Got out of prison. Jamie remembers him disappearing again. For a while, she didn't see or hear from him. She had no idea where he was. Until one hot summer morning when Jamie, her sisters, and her mom were getting ready to head to Disney World for the day.

[Jamie Nellums]

He shows up that morning. I hadn't seen him in like three weeks. My mom was nice enough to offer to pay for him to go to Disney World with us, and he said no. But then he told me I couldn't go. And my mom put her foot down. No, she's going. We've already bought tickets. It's family day. We're going. That was the first time I'd ever told him no. I had never told him no before, ever. For anything. Anything he ever asked me to do, I did it.

[Gilbert King]

Except for this time. Jamie leaves with her mom and her sisters. They spend the entire day at the Magic Kingdom. And as they step into their ground floor apartment that night, they see him. Jeremy. He's outside, knocking on the sliding glass door.

[Jamie Nellums]

He was in the backyard waiting. And I'm pretty sure he sat there all day.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie steps out into the backyard. Jeremy gives a small wave, motioning for her to follow. It's dark now. Jeremy leads her to a spot where behind the townhouses, out of sight.

[Jamie Nellums]

He bent over and he stood up and he turned around and he said, you told me no. And that's the last thing I remember. And that's when it really got bad. Because I think that's when it was ingrained in me to never again tell him no. And I never did.

[Thrivent Advertiser]

I remember. I remember something with. With her jaw. It was always kind of. Kind of out of whack, not. Not properly aligned. And I. I thought she was in a car accident. It was my understanding of what happened. Is that really what happened? I don't know. She had bruises and, you know, there was a couple times you could see where it looked like he grabbed her, someone grabbed her. You know, she had bruises on her arms, and it looked like someone had punched her in the face, but, you know, it was.

[Jamie Nellums]

I fell.

[Thrivent Advertiser]

I can't remember what her explanation was, but, you know, I fell. You know, I wasn't paying attention, but it was. She always explained it away. So what are you going to say? I never saw him do anything. She never told me he did anything.

[Jamie Nellums]

I think there was a part of me that thought I could help him, that I could make it better, make him feel loved and he'd be okay, and maybe he wouldn't do the things that he was, you Know what I'm saying? But I know that by the end, it was all fear. There was no. There was no love there. It was all fear. Jeremy was in jail when I found out I was pregnant.

[Gilbert King]

By the fall of 1988, Jamie's been seeing Jeremy for about a year and a half, always on his terms. She's 18 now and she drops out of school.

[Jamie Nellums]

I was having to stay with my grandmother because my mom found out I was pregnant and she kicked me out. So I was living at my grandmother's house and Jeremy showed up. And I was showing I was scared to death. And I can remember him calling me a couple weeks later and telling me some bull ass story about he was dying of some disease and I needed to find somebody else. And. And I can remember thinking in the back of my mind, he's breaking up with me because I'm pregnant. And the sick part of me was angry. How dare you break up with me because I'm pregnant with your kid. And I can remember I started crying and my Aunt Mary walked in, she's like, what's wrong with you? And I said, he just broke up with me because I'm pregnant. And then all of a sudden, I caught myself and I stopped and I smiled and I said, he just broke up with me because I'm pregnant.

[Gilbert King]

Jamie thought she was finally rid of Jeremy and all the chaos, the violence and the abuse. But two weeks later, he's back. This time with blood on his pants and a stolen car. He wants Jamie to get in. And by now, Jamie knows the consequences of telling Jeremy no next time.

[Jamie Nellums]

I knew I wasn't coming back. I knew if they didn't catch him, I was going to die.

[Gilbert King]

Own Valley is a production of Lava for Good podcast in association with Signal Company Number One. Our executive producers are Jason Flom, Jeff Kempler and Kevin Werdes. Kara Kornhaber is our senior producer. Jackie Pauley and Hannah Beale are our producers. Produce. Brit Spangler is our sound designer. Marianne McCune is our editor. Fact checking by Dania Suleiman. Jeff Clyburn is our head of marketing and operations. Our social media director is Ismati Guardrama. Our social media manager is Sarah Gibbons and our art director is Andrew Nelson. Additional research and production by Kelsey Decker. Additional sound recording by James Johnson. Bone Valley is written and produced by me, Gilbert King. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and threads @ Lava for Good.

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[Gilbert King]

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[Gilbert King]

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