Podcast Summary: Bone Valley – From the Mic to the Page: No. 1 of 5
Podcast: Bone Valley
Host: Gilbert King (Lava for Good Podcasts)
Episode: From the Mic to the Page: No. 1 of 5
Date: November 13, 2025
Overview
In this special episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and host Gilbert King introduces a new series of behind-the-scenes audiobook excerpts connected to Bone Valley, offering listeners unique content not previously shared in the podcast. This first installment features a frank and heartfelt conversation in which Leo Schofield—the subject of Season 1—takes the interviewer’s chair to question Gilbert about his own motivations, experiences, and the making of the Bone Valley project. The dialogue provides intimate insights into their relationship, the emotional reality of wrongful conviction narratives, and the creative transition from podcast to book.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introduction of New Content and Its Purpose
- Gilbert King contextualizes the exclusive audiobook excerpts as a response to persistent listener interest in more content and behind-the-scenes perspectives (00:00–02:11).
- Quote: “In a way, this book takes you behind the crime scene tape. But my goal was still to give readers the same narrative tension and intimacy that made the podcast what it is.” — Gilbert King (01:30)
2. Role Reversal: Leo Interviews Gilbert
- Leo Schofield reflects on their relationship, flipping the script by interviewing Gilbert for the first time (02:23–02:55).
- Memorable Moment: Leo’s good-natured teasing and evident comfort in this role sets a candid, personal tone.
3. The Early Days: Visiting Leo in Prison
- Gilbert discusses the emotional toll of prison visits and the awareness of leaving Leo behind after every interview (02:55–03:45).
- Quote: “We get to walk out to the parking lot...and you go back into your cell. And I think the thing that really got to me...we go and walk out into the car and drive home and have a meal, and you go back into your cell...I always felt bad about that.” — Gilbert King (03:07)
- Leo shares how hope and Gilbert’s involvement helped him endure the emotional strain (03:45–04:24).
4. From Podcast Ignorance to Partnership
- Humorous exchange as Leo admits he didn’t know what a podcast was and thought it sounded like AM radio (04:26–04:55).
- Leo expresses admiration for Gilbert’s prior work and asks why he is drawn to stories of injustice (04:55–05:50).
5. Gilbert’s Background: Draw to Injustice
- Gilbert details his lifelong fascination with wrongful conviction stories and historical injustices (05:50–08:00).
- Quote: “At the heart of these stories, it’s about a man losing his freedom. And for some reason that just really resonated with me even at an early age.” — Gilbert King (06:19)
- The transition from older civil rights cases to Leo’s contemporary case was unexpected for Gilbert, prompted by Judge Scott Cupp (06:35–07:50).
6. The Difference with Leo’s Story
- Gilbert explains the unique urgency and emotional depth when working with a living subject whose life is still profoundly affected by injustice (08:20–09:35).
- Quote: “There’s a sense of urgency...when the people you’re dealing with are sitting across from you and you can see the pain and you can feel the injustice.” — Gilbert King (08:22)
- Revelation: Gilbert admits he doubted Leo would ever be released but promised to “change the narrative” (09:20).
7. Kelsey Decker’s Role & Emotional Investment
- Both reflect on Kelsey Decker’s importance as a researcher whose youthful outrage and dedication reinvigorated the investigation (09:35–11:33).
- Quote: “As someone who’s seen a lot more...just to see how young people are really affected by injustice, it’s kind of contagious.” — Gilbert King (10:25)
- Emotional reflection on Kelsey’s empathetic connection to Michelle and a particularly moving moment after reviewing evidence (11:33–13:59).
- Memorable Moment: Leo chokes up recalling Kelsey’s breakdown after seeing evidence and relating to Michelle (11:44).
8. The Challenge of Portraying Michelle
- The conversation turns to how Michelle, Leo’s slain wife, transitioned in their research from a nameless victim to a fully realized person, deepening the responsibility to her memory (13:44–14:00).
9. Why a Book After the Podcast?
- Gilbert discusses the limitations of the podcast medium and the need for a book to explore trial scenes and untapped research in depth (14:39–16:29).
- Quote: “There was so much more that I wanted to add to it. So much more of the research that I couldn’t really use in the podcast, but it was there.” — Gilbert King (15:43)
10. Humor Amid Hardship: Leo’s Court Appearance
- Lighthearted moment as Leo laughs about Gilbert’s unflattering description of his mismatched suit and “prison haircut” before trial (17:09–17:53).
- Memorable Moment: “I describe you...you look like one of those 80s magicians...I thought, man, Leo’s got to read this.” — Gilbert King (17:14)
11. The Enduring Value of the Book
- Leo encourages even podcast listeners to read the book for its emotional and narrative depth (18:07–18:15).
12. Looking Forward
- Gilbert previews upcoming audiobook excerpts, promising more behind-the-scenes moments, particularly on Jeremy Scott’s background (18:15–19:07).
Notable Quotes
- Gilbert King (about prison interviews, 03:07):
- “We get to walk out to the parking lot and go off on our lives. And you go back into your cell... I always felt bad about that.”
- Leo Schofield (on the emotional cost and hope, 03:45):
- “I had a great hope that something would be different in the telling of it this time, because it was you.”
- Gilbert King (on injustice, 06:19):
- “At the heart of these stories, it’s about a man losing his freedom. And for some reason that just really resonated with me even at an early age.”
- Gilbert King (on narrative urgency, 08:22):
- “There’s a sense of urgency that comes to a story when the people you’re dealing with are sitting across from you and you can see the pain and you can feel the injustice.”
- Gilbert King (on the book’s necessity, 15:43):
- “There was so much more that I wanted to add to it. So much more of the research that I couldn’t really use in the podcast, but it was there.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00 – Introduction: Why these audiobook excerpts?
- 02:23 – Leo Schofield intros as interviewer.
- 02:55 – Gilbert on emotional impact of prison interviews.
- 04:26 – Leo’s first reaction to the concept of a podcast.
- 05:50 – Gilbert’s background and draw to wrongful convictions.
- 08:20 – What differentiates Bone Valley from his previous work.
- 09:35 – Kelsey Decker and the importance of empathy in research.
- 11:44 – Emotional breakdown over Michelle's evidence.
- 14:39 – Why a book after the podcast?
- 17:09 – Humorous take on Leo’s court appearance.
Original Tone & Takeaways
The episode is deeply personal, conversational, and empathetic. The rapport between King and Schofield is palpable, balancing humor and gravity. Behind-the-scenes stories offer a richer picture for both podcast fans and newcomers, emphasizing the enduring emotional costs of wrongful conviction, the complexity of advocacy journalism, and the human stories beneath the headlines.
Listeners are offered an intimate window into both the production and emotional reality of Bone Valley—and are set up to anticipate more revelatory content in the weeks ahead.