Last season, millions tuned into the betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Justin RutherfOrd, Doctor, father, Family man it was the perfect cover to hide behind.

Detective Weaver said, I'm sure you know why we're here. I was like, what in the world is going on?

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Rachel Martin. You probably know how interview podcasts with famous people usually go, right? There's a host, a guest, and a light q and A on NPR's new podcast, Wild Card. We have ripped up the typical script. It's part existential deep dive and part game show. I ask actors, artists, and comedians to play a game using a special deck of cards to ask some of life's biggest questions. Listen to NPR's Wildcard on the I heart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Melissa Fumaro. And I'm Stephanie Beatriz. You may know us from television night nine nine. And now we're here with our very own podcast, more better with Stephanie and Melissa. Join us as we take on topics like listening to yourself, the challenge of self care, and making friends as an adult. We're going to share our struggles, we're going to speak to experts, and we're going to share everything we learn with you. Listen to more better with Stephanie and Melissa on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Yesterday, I went out in the afternoon, going out for my last time on the rec field. It's so contained and it's so secure. It has to be, right? I mean, it's a high level security institution. You can't look far without having to look through a fence. Steel bar, a reinforced glass door, tall twelve foot fences covered in razor wire. There's something there that's going to remind you that you're not free. You know, you are confined. My mind was whirling, you know, thinking about all the what ifs, the possibilities. What am I going to do? What's this going to be like? Is it really going to happen? Because I'm going to tell you something. Right up to the last minute, I was holding my breath, waiting for a hammer to drop. Do you hear my madness? Laughter has my fears sorrow's depths are endless in this valley of tears I wanna see a revelation I wanna know who you are I'm reaching out in desperation to the one who's holding the stars to the one? Who's holding the stars to the one.

I know it just upsets everybody, but.

I saw this coming. To be honest with you, I saw this coming.

Kelsey and I are sitting in a hotel room in Miami along with Scott Kupp. Just two weeks earlier, Leo had been officially granted parole. Since then, I'd been in near constant contact with Chrissy and Scott as they coordinated plans for Leo's first day out of prison. Here's what we were expecting. Leo was scheduled to walk out of the gates at Everglades Correctional Institution at 09:00 a.m. where a crowd of family, friends, friends, and supporters would be gathered to cheer him on and witness his first steps of freedom after spending 36 years behind bars, Leo's lawyers from years past were also planning to attend, and so was Jonathan Martin. He's the Florida senator who spoke at Leo's parole hearing last year and who has been in discussions with Scott Kupp about Leo's prospects for exoneration. Chrissy had planned a whole day for him. First, there would be a luncheon at the hotel where Leo would say some words and play some music. Then he'd get into a car and drive with Chrissy to see his daughter Ashley, who had just given birth to his third grandson. Then he'd head to the halfway house in Tampa, where he'd unpack and settle in and begin the adjustment to life outside of prison.

Kelsey and I flew into Miami and headed over to the Miccosukee hotel the night before the release. This hotel is right on the outskirts of Miami and less than a mile from where Leo would spend his final night in prison. We were feeling pretty excited as we headed to the Miccosukee hotel. But just as we were walking up to the front desk to check in, I got a call from Chrissy.

I feel like I didn't really get the full story of what she told you on that call, actually.

She basically said, this is what I've heard. I don't know anything else. I'm on my way over. But they have moved the walkout time to 06:00 a.m. number one. Number two, only three people are going. Chrissy, Dave, and Pam picking up Leo, no media. The other thing they said is, as far as we know, no Miccosukee can't stop there. Gotta go straight to the Noah's house. So, yeah, we don't know who issued the orders. Was it the prison overwhelmed with the logistics of a high profile release? Or did this come from higher up in the Florida Department of Corrections, there was no way to know. But after that phone call from the prison, we did know that all of Chrissy's plans for Leo's release were done for if they say, get in the.

Car and go straight to Noah's, he.

Better get in the car and go straight to Noah's. Because at this point, as upset as.

Everybody is, if that's what they're telling him to do, he better, he better do it.

Sitting in the hotel room with Scott Kupp, we tried to figure out what to do next. We exchanged a few texts with Seth Miller, Leo's lawyer from the Innocence project of Florida. Since he's been through this process many times.

Yeah, I'm curious. Has he ever experienced this before? He just told me he's done like 30 walkouts.

Like, what the fuck is going on?

This one's different. You know, Jonathan Martin was supposed to be here when Leo got out. And at 06:00 a.m. it's kind of hard for him to leave at 330 to get from Fort Myers or where the hell he's coming from. So there's a lot of stuff that's happening. The prison has set these last minute conditions for Leo's release, and it's final. It seems like just one more reminder that walking through that gate might look like freedom, but parole is still basically prison without bars. We have records. Let's see who this is.

Dave and Pam, Leos family from Massachusetts find their way to Gilberts hotel room, where everyone seems to be congregating. Its nice to see them, at least. This is a long and complicated story, but since you havent really heard their voices before, heres some quick backstory to get you caught up. The woman Leo called mom growing up is really his stepmother. Cheryl married Leos dad when Leo was a toddler and she raised him. It was never hidden from Leo that his biological mother was out there, but he had never met her until 2018. Thats when Leo, with Chrissys help, finally reconnected with his birth mother, Sandy. I cant imagine that its already nerve wracking to reach out to a biological parent who youve been separated from since you were three, but reaching out to a biological parent and saying youre convicted of killing your wife and youre innocent, I could see how that might not go over well. But actually, she quickly embraced Leo, and along with Sandy came Dave and Pam. Sandy referred to her husband Dave as the love of her life, and Pam is the half sister Leo never knew existed. Sandy, Dave and Pam traveled down from Massachusetts to visit Leo frequently.

They had a couple years of family reunions in the hardy Correctional visitation park, and then Sandy passed away in April of 2020. Since then, Dave and Pam have truly become Leos family. So much so that Dave has legally adopted Leo, his deceased wifes adult son. And Pam and Leo are lovingly referred to as the twins because although theyve spent a lifetime apart, they have so much in common. And their shared sense of humor means they are almost always laughing in each other's presence. So that's Dave and Pam.

And Chrissy was saying that only the three of us can pick him up at Clark tomorrow morning and take him away. They won't be where? What the hell, right?

We don't even know.

The object was to have something here and then take him to Fort Myers so he can see Ashley, his grandchildren.

Right?

They said to him, you can have a target on your back. Because of the notoriety and everything out there, they're going to be watching you. Be careful. Absolutely everything by the book. Steady on. Whatever you need us to do, we'll do. So stay focused, follow the rules they give you. That's our focus.

I'm glad you two were at least.

Included with the, but how sad is that? That I'm the one that can go. It makes me feel bad just cause that's me, and I really wanna see him walk out that door. Like, that's totally what I wanna do.

But we wanted to see him walk out too. It's a moment we've been imagining for five years, but there's no time to think about that now. Plans are still shifting, and it's getting late. There is one thing that hasn't changed. The vehicle that Leo will ride in to leave prison property, Dave's black Tesla.

Is because I wanted him to ride in my car. I didn't want him to ride in some rental car from whomever. I wanted him to ride in my car. My daughter's ridden in my car, my grandkids are riding in my car. My son in law has ridden my car, and I want him in my car.

Love it.

That's why we don't even know what Leo knows at this point about the change in plans. The prison had already taken away his tablet, so we can't get in touch with him. All we could do was hope that he'd be able to make a phone call. We meet up with Chrissy in her hotel room and watch the sunset from her balcony. Leo would take his first steps outside the barbed wire gateway before the sun would rise again. We set our alarms for 04:00 a.m. and try to get some sleep.

Last season, millions tuned into the betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning. And now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Stacey thought she had the perfect husband, doctor, father, family man. It was the perfect cover for Justin Rutherford to hide behind.

They led me into the house, and, I mean, it was like a movie. He was sitting at our kitchen table. The cops were guarding him.

Stacy learned how far her husband would go to save himself.

I slept with a loaded gun next to my bed.

He did not just say, I wish he was dead. He actually gave details and explained different scenarios on how to kill him.

He, to me, is scarier than Jeffrey Dahmer.

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More better. Hey, I'm Melissa Fumero. And I'm Stephanie Beatriz. You may know us from television nine nine. And now we're here with our very own podcast, more better, with Stephanie and Melissa. We've known each other for thousands of years, and we've been through it all together, and we are totally killing it. We are literally the best. No notes. Life is great. None of that was true. JK. JK. Join us on our excellent adventure as we take on topics like listening to yourself. There were a lot of red flags, and it did take me eight years to get there, but I got there. The challenge of self care. This is important. Cause now you're about to be a mom of two kids and making friends as an adult. We're gonna share our struggles. Just white knuckling through. Through life, babe. We're gonna speak to experts, and we're gonna share everything we learn with you. Listen to more better with Stephanie and Melissa as part of the Michael Duda podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Rachel Martin. You probably know how interview podcasts with famous people usually go, right? There's a host, a guest, and a light Q and a on NPR's new podcast, Wildcard. We have ripped up the typical script. It's part existential deep dive and part game show. I ask actors, artists, and comedians to play a game using a special deck of cards to ask some of life's biggest questions. Listen to NPR's wildcard on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Quarter to three. Quarter three. I was awake. I didn't sleep. 2 hours. Doesn't make sense to get up now, you know what I mean? Because I'm locked in this eight by ten cell. My roommate's sleeping. And so now I'm just going to lay here for a minute and lay there and let my mind just burn out thinking about everything I was going to do. And then like quarter after three I said man, get out of bed. Just get out of bed. And I slowly, you know, got ready and I was already dressed in my blues, brushed my teeth. 04:00 my door rolled open, I knew why it was open. Massage came and I came out, carried my little blue bag and all that had in it was my Bible and the Quran and some journals. They brought me to the front and they put me in a holding cell by myself at 04:00 in the morning. And I knew I was going to be sitting there a while because I'm not leaving until six. My wife was given permission to bring my clothes no earlier than 545. So now I'm going to be sitting there and just sitting there from four to 545.

I had my bible with me so that was good. I sat in this little cell, locked in a cage and just prayed and waited.

Alright, I'm about to head downstairs. 515 in the morning. And today is the day Leo's gonna walk out of prison. We're not gonna be able to see it, but it's still gonna happen. And that's the good thing.

We head outside. It's been raining since we got up.

We're Leo gonna be released in the dark and in the rain.

We see Chrissy with Dave and Pam packing up the car with all the food that was supposed to be spread out in a buffet for guests. She's also packed a bag with clothes for Leo to change into since he'll have to leave his prison blues behind.

So we're on our way. We're gonna go get him. Yeah, yeah, I know. I can't wait.

Once Chrissy, Dave and Pam load up and take off, we jump in the car and are right behind them. That's them over there.

Right there, yeah. Oh my gosh. Don't get like pulled over.

No, I'm not going to. The drive lasts all of two minutes. We watched Dave, Pam and Chrissy drive onto prison grounds in the Tesla and I pull over and flip the hazards on.

So we turn into the prison property and get around a curve and there's like three or four cars with their lights on and a barricade. So they all come running to the these officers and they're on walkie talkies, and they come to the door and they say, we roll down the window, and they take our driver's license and check our names. And then they ask for his clothes. And I had him in a bag next to me. So we open the window and give him the clothes. And I hear on the walkie talkie, major's taking the clothes, taking the clothes, and then comes back to us and says, follow the major.

We're parked on the side of the road across from the prison entrance. The shoulder isn't wide enough to keep us out of the lane while cars fly past us. I don't know if this is a fucking spot.

You still have, like, 3ft over here. God, it's. It's really just fully dark out right now. Like, how much are we into the lane?

A little bit. It's so fucking depressing like this.

I can't believe they're making it do it this way. What do the headlights of a Tesla look like?

I don't know. The night before, we'd all decided that even if we couldn't witness those first steps of freedom, we still wanted to be as close as we could to the moment. More cars filled with friends and family members line up behind us. We're all peering through the dark, waiting for the outline of the black Tesla to appear.

And time went by like that. And before I knew it, and they brought the clothes to me, I changed out of everything.

And then we go to another checkpoint, and there's another guard gate. And officers come and they check our driver's license, they check the trunk, and then they say, go to the front pavilion, where we normally go for a visit.

I was able to go out the gate. No inmates for any reason walked to that gate because that's the front gate. And so went through there. And then they took me directly out.

So the car stops and I jump out, and I run up to this pavilion area. It's like a covered area, and there's two wardens in suits, and they're standing there. And I'm kind of. We're just kind of chit chatting, casual conversation, you know, like just trying to be polite. And. And it's still raining. And the intensity is just building for me. Building, building.

I'm like, okay. Cause they're gonna let me go. Opened the front gate, and I went through it, and it was incredible.

And next thing I know, in the rain and the dark, the warden's turned around, and there he was. And I saw him in his clothes and his little blue bag. And he just walked really fast to me, and we just, like. Like, the intensity of that hug was magical. Like, we did it, we did it, we did it.

So Chrissy was, like, hugging and crying, and hugging was a great hug and all. I'm like, okay, let's go. Can we hug somewhere else, please? You know what I mean? These people got done, and I want to go, and I want them to say, oh, you know what, Scoffield? I changed my mind. I'm in jeans now. We're not going back to those. As tighter as these are than those I was wearing, I'm not putting those back on. Never again. And then the door closes, and it was just quiet. Just quiet. Prisons are utterly noisy places. They echo people yelling, screaming, laughing, whatever. And it's constant noise, you know, and it's all day, every day. And I got in that car, and, you know, it's very, very quiet. And then it started moving, and it was still quiet. I'm like, the car don't make any noise. I mean, it doesn't sound like anything. I used to have, like, some guy I was waiting for, and we just started moving. I'm like, what the. Yeah.

Here comes headlights. It's.

It's a van with blinkers on.

No, it's.

That does look like a Tesla, though.

Oh, I think that's them. Is that them?

Yeah. The car comes out and takes a left. We're not sure it's them. It's so dark out. I try to follow them.

Keep going.

No, no, no. Stop. I gotta do traffic first.

Decline. What? What are you doing? Go.

Okay.

I I mean, I hope that was him. It looked like a Tesla.

Oh, my. What?

You said, thanks. I can't imagine what Leo's thinking, if that is him up ahead. My heart is pounding, trying to catch up. Something about this moment feels more like an escape than a walkout. I just want to get as far away from this prison as fast as possible.

I mean, let me text Christy. I don't know if she's gonna reply.

Yeah.

And so I'm driving down the road a little bit, and I said, I think there's some people following us.

That looks like a Massachusetts plate, doesn't it? Let's see.

I'm paranoid they're gonna follow us all the way, way to Tampa.

Okay. Kirsty said yes. Oh, my God. We're in a car behind Leo, and.

The rain's lighting up a little.

And when she told me it was you guys, I was like, okay, okay. That made me feel a lot better.

Leo must be freaked out in that car. It's like all it is is a big computer screen. There's no knobs or anything.

I mean, I'm freaked out by it.

So.

I spent 36 years in Paris.

I can't believe he's up there. We head west as the sun rises behind us. We drive out of the rain as our little caravan cuts across the Tamiami trail led by the black Tesla.

With Leo inside, the rain stopped and the day brightened as we were driving. And the sun came out and the rains just stopped and we started to breathe. So it was the most magical moment of my life.

About 20 miles down the road, the Tesla's left turn signal starts blinking in front of us. Chrissy says she needs to pull over for a bathroom stop. And we all stop too. And everyone gets out. The back door of the Tesla swings open and suddenly there's Leo standing in street clothes in a parking lot, miles from prison. No handcuffs, no barbed wire, no guards in sight. It may not be the walkout from the main gate that everyone was imagining, but he's here. He's out.

Oh, my gosh. Hey, bud. Here come the boys. Hey. Hey.

Hey, buddy.

Hey, buddy. Who's that? Come here, buddy. Oh. How long you met him? Made it.

Wanna meet the new one?

Hey, buddy. Yeah? What you doing? Got your little Holly Davidson jacket on? Mm hmm. Yeah. That's nice. Wow.

Leo's family and friends gather around him, hugging and taking photos. But it's a quick stop. Leo is anxious to get back on the road and get to Tampa.

How you doing, buddy?

Okay.

All right.

Yeah. Okay. I'm still.

Still furnace as hell.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm not sure what I feel, to be honest. Just I think once you get there and get set settled exactly, things will be better.

Back on the road, we continue to follow Leo to Noah's house where he's required to check in. By the end of the day.

I'm still kind of in shock that I'm in. This car just hit me. Yeah. I mean, I'm thinking it's count time right now.

That's pretty, though, isn't it?

You have no idea. You know, it's. You know, it's crazy. And I imagined this for a long time, many years, I thought about this. Is being able to look out at the horizon and be able to see far without having to look through fence or razor wire or, you know, anything like that. It's just amazing. There was a time when we were driving across a bridge through the water. That's something on the boat. Wow, that is crazy how far you can see. Just to be able to see that far, that far and not have to look through anything was absolutely extraordinary. That was amazing. And it made my heart race. Keep waiting to wake up from a dream that would not be real. That would really suck.

The drive from the prison to the halfway house is a little over 4 hours. Inside our car, we spend time listening to podcasts, of course, but within the Tesla, Leo is learning how to work his first smartphone.

And then there should be a gallery for your pictures. So we had bought him a phone, and before he got the phone, before he got out of prison, he's like, I don't know why you people are on the phone all the time, and I'm just gonna have a phone attached to the wall like I always did. I'm like, no, no, no, you're gonna have a phone. And it has everything in it. We had pre programmed his phone numbers and some apps. There's your camera.

Okay.

So when I gave it to him, he was. It was definitely foreign to him. And so it was super fun just to show him.

What a snapchat.

It's a dumbass social. You can send little snaps, a picture or a little text, and then it goes to the OthER PErSOn, and then it's erased after 30 seconds or something. I told him, I said, you use that phone for everything. I said, when you want to go to the gym, you gotta beep. When you go to buy stuff, you beep.

Do I have that on here? Can you put Google Earth on it?

Yeah.

Is it? I love that.

It probably goes without saying, but a lot has changed in those 36 years Leo spent locked up.

I was looking at the pictures we took, and I'm like, we're old compared to. Well, compared to.

I can't see.

What?

I look old.

I look old.

And then the other thing. This is crazy. We don't have mirrors in the prison. Don't have mirrors. We have these little pieces of shiny plastic that you can buy out of the canteen if you want. And they got a stainless steel thing that's bolted to the concrete. But, I mean, it's as reflective as a hubcap. You know what I mean? Literally, you might see a shadow of yourself in it. You're not going to shave in it. And so they sell these little shiny plastic things that have, you know, some type of adhesive silver thing that. And it's better than the hubcap, but it still doesn't show a true reflection. And so when you see yourself in the mirror, after 36 years, it's shocking. It's literally shocking because the little plastic thing is. Softens, you know, lines and, you know, blemishes and all that. You don't really see it in there because it's not true reflection. And so, you see, I look, and I said, damn, I got old. Remember what I told you when we first met? It was along hard road. Well, I didn't even know it would be this long. You don't expect justice to be this low.

But we didn't even know half of what that was actually going on.

Yeah. We had to do the time to find the truth. I guess.

One thing we. We can definitely say is it has been meaningful. You know, I'm kind of absorbing the fact that it's over for me, at least that part of it, and then the experience. We stopped at a bird king. I need to use the bathroom. Good. Are we going in? Yeah. Okay. This is very, very weird. Do I look like a prisoner? No, I don't. You sure? Should we get one of those hats? No, thank you. There's nobody in here. So this is the menu, and you choose what you would like, and then you go up there. Why don't we just get a waffle of cheese? You can. Thank you. Do I look obvious?

No.

Sure?

Absolutely fine.

Fucking scared to death in here. He had a chicken sandwich, and she had some other little thing of wrap, and the girl said, 30 something dollars. And it's changed. I'm like, holy mother of God. Is it to come with a back massage or something? That's crazy. 30 something dollars. 30 something dollars. I said, whopper. Whopper. One whopper with cheese. That's it? Just cheese? What else is on there? Gold? 30 something dollars. That's crazy. Unbelievable.

Last season, millions tuned into the Betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Stacey thought she had the perfect husband, doctor, father, family man. It was the perfect cover for Justin Rutherford to hide behind.

They led me into the house, and, I mean, it was like a movie. He was sitting at our kitchen table. The cops were guarding him.

Stacy learned how far her husband would go to save himself.

I slept with a loaded gun next to my bed.

He did not just say, I wish he was dead. He actually gave details and explained different scenarios on how to kill him.

He, to me, is scarier than Jeffrey Dahmer.

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More better. Hey, I'm Melissa Fumero. And I'm Stephanie Beatriz. You may know us from television night night. And now we're here with our very own podcast, more better with Stephanie and Melissa. We've known each other for thousands of years, and we've been through it all together, and we are totally killing it. We are literally the best. No notes. Life is great. None of that was true. JK. JK. Join us on our excellent adventure as we take on topics like listening to yourself. There were a lot of red flags, and it. It did take me eight years to get there, but I got there. The challenge of self care. This is important because now you're about to be a mom of two kids and making friends as an adult. We're gonna share our struggles. Just white knuckling through life, babe. We're gonna speak to experts, and we're gonna share everything we learn with you. Listen to more better with Stephanie and Melissa as part of the Michael Duda podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Rachel Martin. You probably know how interview podcasts with famous people usually go, right? There's a host, a guest, and a light Q and A on NPR's new podcast, Wild Card. We have ripped up the typical script. It's part existential deep dive and part game show. I ask actors, artists, and comedians to play a game using a special deck of cards to ask some of life's biggest questions. Listen to NPR's wildcard on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

By early afternoon, we pull up behind the Tesla at NOAA's community outreach, the halfway house where Leah will spend the next year.

Yeah.

Leo and Pam walk into the office where he needs to check in.

I just walk in? Yes. I'm not used to this. Okay. Hey. Oh, man, I am so scared. I don't even know what to do. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. I'm a sister. Uh huh. We'll be here tomorrow, baby.

Yeah.

Don't be scared. You in the right place. Come on.

Come on.

It's okay. It's okay.

Come on.

That's okay. You a free man. Yes, ma'am. You a free man. That's all that matters right now. And then we're here to help you. Okay? Thank you, Mister Parker's sister. Okay. Okay. My name is Leo Scofield. This is my sister Pamela.

There you go.

Well, you going to the. Yes, ma'am. Look at God. God is good, isn't he? Lord heard my prayer. I'm going to walk you to the new house.

Leo's shown to the house, one that's newly built, where a bed has been reserved for him.

I love the. Let me tell you, the new house off the chain. I love it. But we have eight ministry houses. Wow. And we just finished building that one. I mean, it's brand new. Okay.

But first he stopped by. Some familiar faces.

There's Greg right there. There's my buddy Greg. I know all these guys. There's Jimmy right here. What's happening? Hey, Jimmy. Thank you. God bless you, too. It's my sister Pamela. What's happening, bro? Man, it's been forever.

Most of the guys here are also recent graduates of the Everglades CI corrections transition program. Leo spent a total of ten months there, and in that time, 39 men were released on parole. Today, with Leo walking out, he's the 40th. Leo moves his stuff into his new home, which is clean, freshly painted and sparse.

All this stuff pop.

Now that Leo is here and checked in, he's finally able to breathe and he begins to reflect on his new surroundings and new existence.

You know, I think I was out of my element until we got here. You know, I needed to get here. What is strange to me, Leo spins.

Around in his seat to knock on the drywall behind him.

I could probably run through that with no problem. For real. I mean, I sense it. See, I've been in a concrete and steel block solid unit for 36 years, and you're not getting through that. You know what I mean? And you feel it. Just the sound of your voice inside something like that, the way it's so enclosed and encased, you know, and inside those cells, there's a sense of security. You know, you have a sense of safety in that as compared to this. Because if I can break through it, who can break in it, you know? And nobody's breaking in my c 1201 cell. You're not coming through that door. If the door is locked, you're not coming through unless it gets open. You know, you can run and crash into it all you want. You know, you're not coming in. The walls are solid concrete. They're not even blocked. They're just slabs. They're single unit. I mean, whole fabricated that way. And so there's a sense of, am I secure? Am I safe? You know, so I don't feel 100% secure. I'm outside my element right now. And so, you know, that's when all you guys go, you know what I mean, I gotta be by myself.

I think I'm gonna have a hard time tonight.

After seeing what will be his new home for the next year, we all head over to the Airbnb that David rented right down the block. It's still about a half hour too early to check in, so we all gather on the back porch. Leo pulls his new guitar out of the case to inspect. For weeks, Leo had been anticipating the opportunity to say a few words of gratitude and share some stories after his release.

Maybe sit up on the ledge, too.

Or sit on this. Let's see what it sounds like.

We were a smaller group than what would have been back at the hotel, but Leo still wanted to play something, even if it was just for a few people he was close to. Years ago, on one of our first visits to Hardy, Leo told us about the days and weeks after Michelle was killed, how he never really had the chance to properly grieve her death and the loss of the future they'd imagined together. Almost immediately, he was a suspect having to fight for his own life. And once he was locked up, he told us, showing grief, sadness, fear, anything other than anger really could make him a target and put him in danger. And anyway, he was young and had already struggled to express his emotions in a healthy way even before all that. But playing music helped. I couldn't tell you what I was feeling, he told us, but I couldn't sing it. I could play it through the guitar. And before his arrest in 1988, he'd written a song for Michelle. Sunset Mickey, he called it. The title references the nickname he'd had for Michelle a lifetime ago. The lyrics, he thinks now, are juvenile, but they reflect who he was at the time.

A young man, immature, with his world turned upside down.

Sunset McKay, where are you now? I can hear you laughing in my heart somehow I miss you in the morning and I love you at night. You were too young to die and it just ain't right. And now that you're gone my life ain't been the same. I still hear you're calling and calling out my name alive and where? But where are you now? You'll always be there time after time. But we'll soon be together. With the love that light broken hearts mended and troubles put to the past. So think of me always wherever you may be and look to the future cause it's me you will see. Sunset making the sun said make it the sun set. Make it sunset make it here.

He told us that he'd sat at her graveside all those years ago, before he ever set foot in a jail or prison and played the song for her. Leo never forgot the words. He said he'd tried playing it a few times in prison, but it was too painful, and he wasn't sure he could make it all the way through. We weren't sure we'd ever hear it.

Leo has said recently that he was feeling conflicted about parole. He was worried it meant he was giving in, settling for parole when he deserves exoneration. I've had my own moments of internal conflict about this. Not about parole itself, but about celebrating before the fight is over. But this moment. Seeing Leo openly grieving his wife 37 years later, while comforted by a family who drove halfway across the country to be here for him during this enormous life transition, this moment made me feel the magnitude of what has changed. To be able to kiss your wife and not be watched by a guard. To be able to visit with family and not have them subjected to a pat down. To be able to call a friend and not be announced by the facility you're locked up in. To open a drawer first thing in the morning and make a choice about what you want to wear that day. To play with your grandchildren and not be confined to a single patch of grass. To be able to measure time on your own terms, not by the prison count. And to sit outside at the end of the evening, watching the color of the sky change as the sun vanishes beneath the horizon, allowing yourself to finally grieve after 36 years.

Finally.

Thank you. I love you guys. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing that with me. Bone Valley is a production of lava for good podcasts in association with signal company number one. Our executive producers are Jason Flom, Jeff Kempler, and Kevin Wertis. Kara Kornhaber is our senior producer, Brit Spangler is our sound designer. Ruxandra Guidy is our editor, and our researcher and producer is Kelsey Decker. Sunset Mickey was written and performed by Leo Scofield. Our theme song, the one who's holding the Stars, was written by Kevin Harrick and Leo Scofield and performed in this episode by Lee Bob and the Truth and Leo Scofield. Bone Valley Halfway Home, was written by Kelsey Decker and produced by me, Gilbert King.

Do you hear my madness? Laughter hides my ears 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 and down desperation to the one who's holding the stars to the one who's holding the stars to the one who's holding the stars do you know who my groaning will you touch my heart? Can you see my longing to be free from the dark? I wanna see your revelation I wanna know who you are I'm reaching out in desperation to the one who's holding the stars to the one who's holding the star to the one who's holding the star to the one who's holding the star to the one who's holding the star.

Last season, millions tuned into the betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Justin Rutherford, doctor, father, Family man it was the perfect cover to hide behind.

Detective Weaver said, I'm sure you know why we're here. I was like, what in the world is going on?

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Rachel Martin. You probably know how interview podcasts with famous people usually go, right? There's a host, a guest, and a light Q and A on NPR's new podcast, Wild Card. We have ripped up the typical script. It's part existential deep dive and part game show. I ask actors, artists, and comedians to play a game using a special deck of cards to ask some of life's biggest questions. Listen to NPR's wildcard on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

More, more, more, better. Hey, I'm Melissa Fumero. And I'm Stephanie Beatriz. You may know us from television night nine night, and now we're here with our very own podcast, more better with Stephanie and Melissa. Join us as we take on topics like listening to yourself, the challenge of self care, and making friends as an adult. We're going to share our struggles, we're going to speak to experts, and we're going to share everything we learn with you. Listen to more better with Stephanie and Melissa on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.