Beyond the discrepancy in the timeline, Alice Scott had a history of mental issues and had been involuntarily committed to a mental institution by her family. She also blatantly lied about the distance between the bathroom window that she allegedl
Additionally, there were three unsolved murder cases where women had been stabbed to death in the area, a fact which Polk sheriff’s Detective Richard Putnel testified he was unaware of.
To further dilute the prosecution’s case, there was an unidentified set of fingerprints in the car that did not belong to Leo or Michelle.
Prosecutor John Aguero, a man who has himself been accused of domestic battery, lacked physical evidence. To compensate, he brought a parade of witnesses that testified on the Schofields’ sometimes tumultuous marriage. These witnesses cited incidents where the couple was involved in physical altercations and painted Leo as a violent, unpredictable man.
The witnesses cited occasional incidences of hair pulling, slapping, and screaming matches as evidence of domestic unrest.
