By: Pauline Millard I'm a sucker for a good mystery, be it Nancy Drew or Law & Order. Today I came across the multimedia project from the St. Petersburg Times about a
20-year-old murder that is sparking interest once again, thanks to a fingerprint match.
In 1987, an 18-year-old woman named Michelle Schofield went missing and was eventually found in a canal near her home, stabbed 26 times. Her husband, Leo Schofield, quickly became the first suspect based on a neighbor's account of an alleged argument earlier in the evening.
Leo has sworn his innocence for years, mostly because there was no physical evidence to link him to the case. The few fingerprints in his wife's car, found near the canal where she was eventually located, do not match Leo's or anyone in his family. (The prosecution claimed Leo's family created a cover-up to serve as his alibi on the night in question.) There was also no blood found in the couple's home, among other things. Nevertheless, Leo was sentenced to life in jail.
Seeing the holes in the case, The St. Petersburg Times created the impressive project, laying out the evidence, the trial and the points that raise considerable doubt. Most important is that recently the fingerprints in Michelle's car were found to match those of a convicted murderer who is currently in prison.
In addition to being well organized, the newspaper staff made great use of documents, everything from the signed jury papers that sentenced Leo to jail to courtroom drawings. In print, this story could have been glanced over as yet another questionable, but closed case. On the Internet, you see aerial photos of the crime scene, old newspaper headlines and the actual fingerprints that were found in the car.
For extra creepiness, the St. Petersburg Times added original jazz music that sounds like something straight out of a hard-boiled detective movie. Good stuff.
How has your paper used the Internet to highlight a local story? I'd love to see it.
Here are some of my past Picks:
Boston.com Uses
Photo Gallery to Explain Global Iraq Troop Withdrawal
Dueling Car Coverage! The 'Detroit News' Chimes In With Its
Dream Cruise Features'The Detroit Free-Press'
Shows Off The City's Cars'Montgomery Advertiser' Blends
Young Readers and Citizen Journalism
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