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This smoke is blaring up.

This really is happening.

So I immediately run to the neighbor's house

to get them to call the fire department.

It was immediate, try to undo what had just happened.

Yeah. Welcome to the Knife. I'm Pasha Eaton.

I'm Hannah Smith. This week we speak with April Scales. In 1992, at just 15 years old, April was pregnant, scared, and facing pressure from every direction.

Feeling trapped, she made a desperate decision, a decision that ended in tragedy and a murder conviction.

Now, after years in prison, April joins us to reflect on the day that changed her life forever and what her future looks like now.

Let's get into the interview.

We'd love to start off with you just introducing yourself, maybe telling us a little bit about where you're from and your childhood.

Hello, thank you for having me.

My name is April Barbara Scales.

I grew up in the rural mountains of North Carolina in a county called Wilkes County, which is in the foothills.

I was raised by my grandparents due to having teenage parents.

A mother and father had a history of substance use disorder, incarceration going back and forth.

My grandparents raised me as a result, hoping that my mother would eventually snap into motherhood, but she never did.

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