Where is Leo Schofield’s Dad Now? Is He Dead or Alive? – Due to the several unexpected turns in the case, Michelle Saum Schofield’s abduction and death in 1987 have truly perplexed the entire country for decades. After all, although her husband Leo Schofield has been found guilty of her murder, as detailed in ABC 20/20 episode “Last Seen In Lakeland,” there’s a chance that someone else could be to blame. But for now, if you want to know more about her father-in-law, Leo Schofield Sr., who made the initial discovery of the newlywed’s bones, we have the information for you.
Must Read: Where is Leo Schofield’s Daughter Ashley Schofield Now?
Leo Schofield Sr., Who is He?
We don’t know the specifics of Leo Sr.’s personal and professional experiences before the incident, but we do know the Schofields had relocated from Massachusetts to Florida in the early 1980s. Their large, happy family gave the impression of being almost ideal, but things changed when his namesake’s wife of just over six months abruptly vanished on the evening of February 24, 1987.
That’s because, even though Leo Sr.’s son had called him and the police shortly after midnight to request that an immediate search be launched in search of her, he was also the one who was swiftly found guilty.
Leo Sr.’s contribution involved dropping everything to drive around town with his son in search of Michelle at all hours, then assisting him in placing a few calls to surrounding hospitals and Michelle’s parents. His wife took up the search a few hours later, but he returned the next morning and continued to assist, which helped find Michelle’s bloody remains on the 27th.
Leo Sr. said that an “inner force” or God had compelled him to go directly to the canal along State Road 33, where he had discovered his daughter-in-law hidden beneath a piece of plywood, during his testimony during his son’s 1989 trial.
In a new prison interview with @ARobach, Leo Schofield claimed he “had no part” in his wife Michelle’s 1987 murder. Schofield has been in prison for over 30 years after being convicted of the crime.
Stream "Last Seen in Lakeland" this weekend on hulu. https://t.co/drVXckJPsR pic.twitter.com/tIODESzsYA
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) September 24, 2022
Where is Leo Schofield Sr. Now?
According to cinemaholic, the Schofields moved permanently to Idaho in the middle of the late 1990s to begin their lives. However, immediately after moving there, they encountered legal issues. But this time, it was because of Leo Robert Schofield Sr., who was detained in November 2010 after being accused of sexually assaulting a relative who was under 16 somewhere between 2006 and 2009. Then, in the summer of 2011, the Bellevue resident went into an Alford plea, which means he didn’t confess guilt but acknowledged there was sufficient evidence to support a conviction at trial.
Leo Sr. faced a charge that could have resulted in a sentence of up to 25 years, but thanks to his plea agreement, he was given a sentence reduction to 12 years, with credit for time previously served in county jail. He was classified as a repeat offender who deserved prison time because he had a “long history of denial” and was “high risk” of committing such a heinous crime again. It was discovered that Leo Sr. was wanted in Massachusetts for a charge similar to the one for which he had been found guilty in Rhode Island in 1987, but the latter state had not asked for his extradition.
In his statement to the court during his sentencing hearing, Leo Sr. stated, “I know what I did, and I know what I didn’t do.” Even though I didn’t do anything, I somehow feel guilty about it. As a result, the felon is currently serving an 80-year sentence at the medium-security Idaho State Correctional Institution in Boise. It is crucial to remember that he will be freed after his term is completed on October 30, 2022.