This is the full statement from Polk County State Attorney Blaine Haas, who claims that Leo Scofield killed his wife in 1987.
Those who rely on the media and “True Crime” podcasts can get their information for information on Scofield’s case. However, those who consider all the facts of the case, as we must do with the rules of evidence, have concluded that Schofield is guilty. When I was elected years ago, I received a fresh and detailed review of the Scofield case, conducted by prosecutors and investigators in my office, independent of John Aguero (who indicted Scofield) or previous administrations. Their conclusions were consistent with multiple appeals and court judges who have supported Squafield’s conviction over the years on a full and accurate basis based on a complete and accurate investigation of the facts.
Schofield’s podcasts present interesting and well-produced stories, but inaccurate and misleading. In criminal cases, omission or abolition of critical facts can make all the difference in determining guilt or innocence.
It would have been much easier to go with the media conspiracy theorists and let go of this case, but that’s not how my role as a national lawyer works. Justice demanded that the cases be handled as I did. The Criminal Review Board has a different role in our system. I respect their work. The decisions they make regarding parole eligibility are not related to prisoner guilt or innocence, but a variety of other factors. By 2023 and 2024, it was clear that Schofield was on his path to parole and in fact had been released.
A while ago I saw a petition on Change.org requesting a review of the Schofield case. Despite the fact that the case had been reviewed multiple times by many different people who concluded that Schofield’s conviction was appropriate, we called Schofield’s lawyers and asked him what kind of review he was looking for and how it would work. His reaction was shocking. He said he was not involved in the Change.org petition and was created by the promoters of Schofield Production, which means it was created to measure public support and relate cases. That’s very important and supports my theory that many people involved in Scofield are just trying to make money. It’s actually a shame he’s caught in the middle.
