COJ #171 - Bone Valley's Gilbert King on Justice, Forgiveness & Fighting For A Better System
Cup Of JusticeShow Notes
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell sit down with Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist and Bone Valley podcast creator Gilbert King for a conversation that connects wrongful conviction, racial injustice, and the raw power of storytelling across decades of American history.
King shares how his research into Thurgood Marshall's landmark civil rights battles in the Jim Crow South led him to Leo Schofield — a Florida man who spent 36 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit while the real killer, Jeremy Scott, walked free and killed again.
He also recounts the jaw-dropping moment he sat with Leo when Jeremy called unexpectedly — and Leo forgave him. We’re also unpacking why prosecutors double down instead of admitting error, how the judicial system's resistance to finality crushes innocent people, and why one storyteller's decision to shine a light can change everything.
☕ Cups Up! ⚖️
Episode References
Get to know Pulitzer Prize winner Gilbert King — follow him on Facebook and Instagram
Listen to Gilbert’s podcast Bone Valley - Leo Schofield’s storyCan't get enough of Bone Valley?
Can't get enough of Bone Valley? Pick up one of Gilbert's books next.
Devil in the Grove
Beneath a Ruthless Sun
The Execution of Willie Francis
Bone Valley: The Book
“He Served 36 Years for His Wife’s Murder and Then Forgave the Man Who Confessed” - The New York Times, April 9, 2025
“Author Gilbert King: Jeremy Scott died in prison” - WUSF, Sept 28, 2025 Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️
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