Gilbert King

Gilbert King is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove, and the host and producer of the narrative podcast from Lava for Good, Bone Valley.

Tell us Bone Valley’s origin story. How did you first hear about Leo Schofield?
I was speaking at a judges’ conference in Florida when one of the judges approached me afterward, handed me his business card, and told me he knew of an innocent man—Leo Schofield—serving a life sentence in prison. Curious, I called him a few days later. I thought the story was fascinating, and I’ve spent the last six years of my life working on it.

When you get to Florida, what’s the first thing you do? Start researching? Talking to people? How do you form a story like Bone Valley from  nothing?
The books I write are set in Florida, so I spend a great deal of time there, even though I live in Brooklyn. I’m constantly speaking with people in legal circles, and the most important part of my work is building relationships—with prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, detectives, and professors. Gaining access to the people I need to tell these stories is essential, and I depend on those relationships to make it possible.

When you were making it, how much did you go back and forth with Leo and his family? Did they have any idea what it was going to be like or was it all a surprise to them when it was released? 
We visited Leo nearly a dozen times in prison and stayed in constant contact with his family and his lawyers. When they learned I was doing a podcast instead of a book, they weren’t sure what to expect—Leo didn’t even know what a podcast was. But we spent years on the research and investigation, and ultimately, he trusted us. I think everyone was surprised by how it was received. Even us.

Why did this story strike such a chord?
I think it was because we made it clear that a gross injustice had been committed, and we told the story in a deeply empathetic, emotional, and honest way. Listeners became invested in the story—and in Leo’s grace and humanity, despite everything he lost.

What is it about you that makes you such a good investigative reporter? What are the qualities that signal someone could do this?
Bryan Stevenson talks a lot about being “proximate.” It means getting close to the people and the problems you’re trying to understand—bearing witness, listening, and building relationships. I don’t think there’s any other way to tell these kinds of stories without going all in.

What’s the recipe for a good investigative crime story?
For me, a good investigative crime story isn’t just about the crime, the victim, or the perpetrator. The crime is the entry point to propel the narrative—but the story has to reveal something larger about power, injustice, or the failures of the system. 

What can you tell us about the new season of Bone Valley? 
In Season One, we followed Leo’s fight to prove his innocence in the murder that kept him in prison for 36 years. In Season Two, we turn to Jeremy—the man who confessed to killing Leo’s wife, Michelle. It’s a more personal story, shaped by the relationship I’ve maintained with Jeremy as he reckons honestly with his actions and the damage left behind—and by the people from his past, along with others newly drawn to his story, who are stepping forward to help him reclaim some part of his humanity.

When you wanted to tell the story of Leo Schofield, why did you think podcasts was a great way to do it? 
It really came down to Leo.  Listening to him talk about everything he’d been through—all the loss, the injustice, and somehow, still, this incredible grace—stuck with us. We knew the only way to do justice to that was to let people hear him for themselves.

How did audio-only storytelling help you tell this story?
There’s an intimacy to audio that’s hard to replicate. When someone like Leo or Jeremy are in your ears—telling you what happened, what it felt like—you’re pulled into their world in a different way. And when you’re dealing with complicated truths and hard conversations, that simplicity can be really powerful.

How did it hinder you? 
Audio is powerful, but its weakness is that when voices are gone, they’re gone. We had to rely on transcripts or secondhand accounts, which made the voices we could capture all the more important in bringing the story to life.  

How is Leo doing? I heard he was in a motorcycle accident with his daughter earlier this year. 
Leo and Ashley were in a horrific motorcycle accident when a driver pulled out in front of them, leaving no time to stop. Both suffered severe injuries, including broken pelvises and multiple other fractures—though fortunately, neither sustained head injuries. Their recovery is progressing, but it’s going to be a long road back for both of them.

What has surprised you the most about making Bone Valley?  
What surprised me most about making Bone Valley was how satisfying it was to work with our team at Lava for Good. Everyone brought something essential to the storytelling—skills, perspective, or just a different way of seeing the story—and for someone used to the solitude of writing books, I was surprised by how much I loved the collaboration.

Did you expect Bone Valley to get this popular? Did you anticipate making such a big difference? 
Honestly, no—I had no idea. I just knew we’d built something that resonated, something that stayed with people, and we were all really proud of it. I thought, at the very least, we’d managed to shift the official narrative of Leo’s case—push it closer to the truth. You can’t predict how people will respond, but I’ve always believed that storytelling can make a difference.

Did any podcasts serve as inspiration?
Yes, a few podcasts definitely inspired us. When we started this project, I hoped Bone Valley would carry the investigative depth and reporting of In the Dark, especially Season 2 and the Curtis Flowers case, while also capturing some of the intimacy, emotional complexity, and humanity of S-Town. 

Did any other kinds of media serve as inspiration?
There are so many. The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris is a film I often go back to for inspiration. But mostly books like Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.  

What’s a podcast you love that everyone already knows about?
Mystery Show by Starlee Kine is the greatest podcast ever made. 

What’s a podcast you love that not enough people know about?
I don’t know if love is the right word, but I deeply admire Hunting Warhead (CBC) for its fearless reporting and for telling an incredibly hard story with care and precision. 

Thanks, Gilbert!