The family, he said, will never truly get closure. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. (Item updated.) Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. Leonard went to pick up Thompson in the white van witnesses in the neighborhood have previously testified seeing in Shirley's driveway. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. Aaron Carter. On the other two days, Robinson still the head of the prosecutors homicide division would review pending cases and prepare for other trials on her plate. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. [6] He told her his friend Glenn Holts had done the same at his own house with help from Gary Thompson, who worked for Leonard at the time. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. and one-eighth, Zionsvilles Brian Mason will be Colts coordinator, Indy east side fire kills dog, injures multiple people, Record breaking weather week in central Indiana, Indiana state trooper hit, killed in the line of, New billboard in Fountain Square tackles antisemitism, Trooper killed on I-69, speeding driver arrested, Everything you need to know about the 2023 Academy, Congressman Baird calls for pause on toxic shipments, Congress works to tackle military spouse unemployment, Indy man gets 16 years after shooting wife in arm, Spencer man killed in rollover crash on I-70, 3 Ind. Shirley says they were his. I said OK, she said. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. Monserrate Shirley, who had initally pleaded not guilty after she and two men were charged in late 2012, appeared Tuesday before a Marion County judge in a courtroom filled with current and. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). Should I have accepted that stipulation? He reportedly said, "[T]he tsunami winds came down the chimney, blew out the fire in the fireplace and the gas kept running and the house blew up. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. But Im not allowed to say that. We have done that. To see the faces of the neighborhood people and the sense of relief and calmness when the verdicts came in was a good thing, Garza said. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. The defendants requested that the trials be moved over concerns they would not receive a fair trial in Central Indiana due to the high-profile media coverage received by the case. Example video title will go here for this video. He said there wouldn't be a problem because it would be a small fire so no one would get hurt, and since she had a long history with the insurance company and no criminal record, they would get the money almost immediately. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. John Shirley, her ex-husband, who owns the home with her, told The Associated Press that he believed the home's faulty furnace could have led to the explosion. [11], Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and Bob Leonard were initially charged with two counts of murder and arson in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. On the day of the explosion, another neighbor saw a white van pull into the driveway of Shirley's residence between 2:00 and 3:00p.m. Shirley: "Yes. . "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/, emmy rossum jay z and beyonce the big chill tony blankley charles barkley beyonce troy polamalu, http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/. . Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies Everything's under control.". She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. So in the end there were a couple of people who were opposed to it, and I respected that. I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. One small job. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. Mark had called her asking which credit card he could buy the thermostat with, but she didn't see him actually switch out the thermostat for the new one, nor did he ever say who did it. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. In Indianapolis, Search For Answers Continues After Massive - NPR More than 4 years later, Monserrate Shirley to be sentenced in Richmond But she put an end to that in August 2011.". A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. At that point, Shirley and her co-defendants her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. had been sitting in jail for two years following their arrest on charges of murder, arson and attempted insurance fraud in connection with the explosion. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . Instead, on Dec. 20, 2016 after a two-day sentencing hearing that would be the closest her former neighbors would get to seeing her on trial Shirley was sentenced to the maximum term of 50 years in prison. With good behavior, her earliest possible release date is Dec. 19, 2032. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. After court adjourned for the day, Shircliff said he attacked her inconsistencies "to show that she can tell the truth as easily as she tells a lie, and it's hard for the jury to know the difference. You may have noticed that the name monserrate has been replaced with the word shirley, which is used in both a variety of other games and in the game of death. A source who claimed to be in contact with the Shirley family told WISH-TV in Indianapolis that a family member had complained about smelling gas in the home at one time. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. I worked from the smaller charges to the larger ones to say, Of course its clear he did this, this and this, but heres how you get to here, Robinson said. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. Witness: Indianapolis man promised $10K for home explosion When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. Shirley: "Yes. She was too involved. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. She will be 72 years old. For Lt. Mario Garza, the Indianapolis Fire Department veteran tasked with leading the arson investigation, the Richmond Hill explosion will likely be the most significant challenge of his career. They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. Leonard died around 9:15. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. His sentencing is set for December 28, 2016 at 1 p.m. Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry issued the following statement: We respect the Courts decision ordering Monserrate Shirley to serve a fifty-year prison sentence for her participation in this senseless conspiracy. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. [9], Investigators discovered a number of allegations of insurance fraud and other scams by Leonard prior to the blast, particularly involving stolen or wrecked automobiles. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. But while he was living in the home, the only problem he had with its gas appliances the furnace, water heater and fireplace was that their pilot lights would sometimes go out when a draft blew in from an open garage door. rosemary clooney george clooney relationship A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. Two of those alleged co-conspirators were arrested as a direct result of her cooperation: Gary Thompson and Glenn Holts. An Indianapolis woman said she asked her then-boyfriend's half-brother what he had done when she learned the fire they planned to ignite using natural gas had In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. I dont believe in vengeance and I know that my son is not a person that would accept vengeance and such things, he didnt live that way., I look at Monserrate Shirley and I see a wasted life, said Tony Burnett, who lived across the street from Shirley. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. She was an RN for more than 20 years, starting her career in Michigan where she attended college, before moving to Indianapolis after her then-husband John Shirley got a job offer there. Says Sen. Tom. Shirley's sentencing started Monday morning at 9 a.m. She faces 20 to 50 years in prison for two counts conspiracy to commit arson. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. JDK-8141210 : Very slow loading of JavaScript file with recent JDK How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? I was introduced to this once-a-year dish at a party and she was one of the first people to give it a shot. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. Heappears to have died of natural causes. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. Below, former IMPD Det. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. Federal grand jury indicts man on hate crime charges after he allegedly shot 2 Jewishmen in Los Angelesin February, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18, over dozen missing, Fishers firefighters assist car flipped NB over I-69. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. Leonard asked Holts to tell the story of his own fire, how easily he'd gotten the money and to re-assure Shirley everything would be alright if they did it at her house. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? But she put an end to that in August 2011.". You're a piece of [expletive]. She was upset when she got home that night and saw her nicer digital thermostat sitting on the kitchen island and the new cheaper model on the wall. It was unclear when the complaint was made and whether the utility company was alerted. Bob Leonard's son told investigators that several items were in the van that had been taken from the home, including photos and financial documents. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. "She lost everything," he said. I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. It would have shortened the trial a week. ", "Richmond Hill explosion suspects to get separate trials", "Attorneys: Change of venue likely in Monserrate Shirley case", "Richmond Hill suspect trial moved to South Bend", "Defendant in deadly Indiana explosion agrees to plea deal", "Richmond Hill trial: Informant says Mark Leonard wanted witness killed", "Home> U.S. Indianapolis House Explosion: Suspect Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot", "Marion county prosecutor's office asks for life without parole sentences in richmond hill explosion", "Richmond Hill trial to focus on greed and desperation", "Mark Leonard convicted of murder in explosion scheme", "Mark Leonard gets life without parole for Richmond Hill explosion", "Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies", "Cause of death of Richmond Hill conspirator Mark Leonard determined", "Richmond Hill explosion culprit Mark Leonard dies at Indy hospital", "Leonard found guilty of all counts in Richmond Hill trial", "Indianapolis man get 2 life sentences in deadly house blast", "Psychologist Says Monserrate Shirley Was Abused as Child, Has 'Dependent Personality Disorder', "Monserrate Shirley sentenced to maximum 50 years in prison", "Gary Thompson sentenced in Richmond Hill explosion after pleading guilty to arson charge", "Glenn Hults sentenced to 3 years in deadly Richmond Hill blast", Affidavit of Probable Cause, Dec. 20, 2012, Affidavit of Probable Cause, April 14, 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richmond_Hill_explosion&oldid=1133693717, November 2012 crimes in the United States, Articles with incomplete citations from March 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 02:18. Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion that damaged or destroyed more than 80 homes in Indianapolis, plotting with his then-live-in girlfriend Monserrate Shirley. Robinson, all-too-aware of the limitations of the justice system after decades as a prosecutor, says she is just glad they were able to get some amount of justice for the victims. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. In addition to the thousands of pieces of physical evidence, they had more than 200 witnesses lined up to testify. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. [7], An investigation involving the Indianapolis Division of Homeland Security, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Indianapolis Fire Department was begun. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. PHOTOS: First Richmond Hill trial Mark Leonard is on. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. Then there was the question of Leonards history. She told him the attempt didnt work but that there would be another attempt. No one deserved what happened. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. RICHMOND HILL: Shirley's ex takes the stand - WRTV Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Mark Leonard drove her home that night and stayed with her for what the defense characterized as a romantic, sexual night. Mark Leonard is on trial in South Bend in connection to the explosion in the Richmond Hill neighborhood that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth in November 2012. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. "Everything they were telling me, it could not be possible," Shirley said on the stand as she started to get emotional. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. I was introduced to this once-a-year dish at a party and she was one of the first people to give it a shot. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. The crowd watched in grim silence as a Marion County judge entered not guilty pleas for Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard. Richmond Hill trial: Monserrate Shirley testifies | wthr.com On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. UPDATE: Search for accused Johnson County scammer ends in arrest, Men's challenges in fatherhood and marriage explored in new documentary, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Record-breaking rain raises ongoing flood concerns, Saturday Sunrise Live Doppler 13 forecast March 4, 2023. Shirley testified in Fort Wayne at the trial of Bob Leonard, Jr. one of five people accused in the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill Explosion. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. "You can't even do a fire. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. The most money she ever remembered seeing him lose on a single trip was $7,000. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Bryce Young falls short: 5-10 . He looked over the insurance policy and said she was under-insured so she called the insurance company and doubled her policy from $150,000 to $300,000. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who lived in the home, along with Leonard's brother, Robert Leonard, were arrested Friday on 48 charges, including murder and arson. She said that she hasn't been eating or sleeping well and that she has been taking Xanax to get what little sleep she can. Are they going to get bored with it?. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. We again offer our condolences to the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth and to those who suffered injury and loss. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. 'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV Shirley would receive over $300,000 in insurance money for the replacement of the home as well as personal items. Shirley: "No.". Shirley gave 12 interviews and statements between the explosion and Wednesday's testimony - some for law enforcement, others for attorneys and one for the media - and defense attorneys pointed out inconsistencies between some of those. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. The program is a spin-off of the Oxygen series Snapped and has a similar format to the Investigation Discovery program Wicked Attraction. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. Your email address will not be published. She moved to the United States when she was 25. In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. She continued handling some of Marion Countys most heinous crimes until January 2017, when her former boss, then-Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill, called her up and asked her to join him at the Indiana Statehouse, where he had just been elected attorney general. Will they get to the felony murder?. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. Defense attorneys later pointed out she allowed him to move in and eventually drive her daughter to school despite knowing he was serving house detention for a DUI charge. More: Richmond Hill: 'The scars still remain', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case. Monserrate Shirley, the Indianapolis homeowner whose house is suspected of being the source of a deadly explosion that damaged nearly 80 homes in her subdivision, was inconsolable Tuesday as she wept while speaking publicly for the first time about the horrific incident. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. Woman agrees to testify against others in Indianapolis house explosion The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Its a difficult case. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. I did my best. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. The sentence accounts for time served and good time credit. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs," he said. The man he called was actually an undercover agent.
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