But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers [14] Shirley admitted raising the limit on her insurance coverage at Mark Leonard's urging, and only went along with the plot out of love for him. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. 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. She said Mark didn't actually want anyone to come to the house, he just wanted a trail they could point to after the fire so they could explain why they were in the hotel. More on AOL Real Estate:Find homes for rent in your area.Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.Find homes for sale in your area.Find foreclosures in your area. Leonard later tried telling Shirley that the only reason Holts wouldn't talk about his own fire was because he didn't want Leonard to end up with more money than he had. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. She wanted to put it on her plate. The defense attorney told the judge without the jury in the room that he planned to use the video to show that Shirley had the same demeanor in the courtroom as she did while lying to reporters. After a while, Mark came back in and said Bob had agreed to help for $10,000, but never specified what exactly Bob would be doing. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. 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. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. 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. 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. 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. As fate would have it, it would be Carter, just a few weeks later, who would place Monserrate Shirley in handcuffs. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. 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. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. I know it caught us by surprise and we had to react to it.. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. Their first trip together was to the Hollywood Casino roughly 3-4 months after they first met. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. 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. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. 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. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana They went home together that night and he moved in the first week of December. 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. Shirley owned the home at the epicenter of the November 2012 explosion that killed two people and damaged dozens of other homes causing more than $4 million in damages. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. Witness: Indianapolis man promised $10K for home explosion Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. Shirley struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. Robinson told the residents what she could: That they didnt need Monserrate Shirley as a witness, but that she would help fill in blanks they hadnt been able to. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. [25] Leonard allegedly asked another inmate at the Marion County jail if he could put him in contact with a hitman, according to the probable cause affidavit. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. [The residents] clearly knew the Leonards were the bad actors, and that we needed to do everything we could to get to them, Robinson said. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. She was 11 years old at that point. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". She told her daughter a friend had taken it to put a new frame on it. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. "Two innocent people died because of this!" So while I had that, I pretty quickly set it aside and put it in a file marked Mark Leonard and never looked at it, because I couldnt allow that to influence me in the decision. See also:Shantonia Heard of Atlanta Left Her 2 Children Alone With No Power and Gas Oven On, Police Say Apartment Fire Safety Tips Man Killed as Gas Explosion Destroys Connecticut Home. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. Shirley testified in Fort Wayne at the trial of Bob Leonard, Jr. one of five people accused in the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill Explosion. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". Glenn Hults, a friend of Leonard's who said he knew about the plot beforehand but didn't call police, was sentenced to three years. Leonard died around 9:15. 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. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. 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. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. The first time Gary Thompson first came over to discuss starting a fire, she told him, "I'm ready, as long is this is a small fire. Neighbors seek max sentence in fatal home blast - USA TODAY Although prosecutors didnt need their blessing to go ahead with the plea, Robinson said they felt it was important to tell the residents as much as they could. As Mark Leonards defense team would point out repeatedly throughout his trial, there was a chance, however small, that Shirleys cooperation could end with her walking free at the end. "Everybody's pointing a finger at me like I did something wrong," Shirley said in a video posted on the Indianapolis Star newspaper's website. At the final tally, the explosion meant to allow Shirley and Leonard to collect $300,000 in insurance money caused more than $4 million-worth of property damage. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. Exasperated, Judge John Marnocha, who was assigned to oversee the trial, dismissed dozens of potential jurors and ended the day early with an admonition for Black and her co-counsel, David Shircliff. Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. They are charged with. Three charged with murder after 'setting off deadly Indiana house Much of the attention since the explosion has centered on Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard, who lived at the house in the center of the blast area. SOUTH BEND, Ind. ", Minch: "You testified that you only used a babysitter maybe once a month, because your lifestyle with Ms. Shirley wasn't such that you went out every weekend?" We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. She and her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who also lived at the residence, told authorities they had left Friday night for a weekend at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. And the water heater." Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. [15], Prosecutors contended that the trio filled the house with natural gas and then used the spark from a microwave which could be set in advance to detonate it. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. She could face 20-50 years in prison. Mr. Monserrate Morales was born on January 7, 1955 in Puerto Rico. The sentence accounts for time served and good. I did my best. It would have shortened the trial a week. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. When she left that morning, her daughterand Snowball were still there (Mark was going to take them to school and the kennel). Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. She said he also told her not to worry because he took out the step-down valve on the gas line, "and put it away where no one else would ever find it. "I am a nurse. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. Man Gets Murder Conviction in Deadly Indiana House Blast Fraud Case Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. The host family had a lot of horses, so Shirley's daughter went to play with them under the supervision of Holts' girlfriend, Sharon, whose teen . Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. I said I think theres ($10,000) or $12,000 in there, and he said, That was not enough, I want $300,000, Shirley said. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. One year of his sentences wassuspended, and the rest was to be split between jail and work release. "He'll do anything I ask," Mark said of his brother. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its chef and owner. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. I always get the money.". It's also possible she will walk free if the judge sentences. Shirley said that she was at a casino bar at the time of the explosion, and her boyfriend and daughter -- who also live with her -- weren't home either. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. But after a second round of boarding Snowball the cat, getting a babysitter for Shirleys daughter and setting hotel reservations, the house again was standing. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. At the center of the case, Mark Leonard, a womanizer with gambling debts who preyed on divorcees, hatched an arson plot for money with his girlfriend, Monserrate Shirley. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. Defense counsel said the deposition version showed she was actually in favor of burning the house down, she just didn't want to get caught. In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. The sentence accounts for time served and good time credit. Mark Leonard, the man considered the mastermind behind the 2012 Richmond Hill neighborhood explosion that killed two people and wounded at least a dozen others, is dead. John Shirley, 50, of Noblesville, told The Associated Press that his daughter sent him a text message last week complaining that the furnace in the home where she lives with her mother and her. At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. 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. Crime scene photos from the Richmond Hill explosion Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. After the second failed attempt to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she went to the home of Glenn Hults to pick up her daughter. "I mean, sometimes I wish I was there and I'd be dead, and now I wouldn't have to be asked so many questions.". She didnt know anyone died, she said. Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. The defense wrapped up a little more quickly than expected after Judge John Marnocha denied their request to play a video of Shirley's 2012 interview with the media. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. 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. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. Investigators have ruled out a natural gas leak from the home's underground pipelines, the Star reported, and they are now focusing on whether there may have been a leak from one of the gas appliances inside three homes that were obliterated in the explosion. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. . He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. She was the nurse. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. While still at the hotel, Mark asked her to call a heating & cooling company on Sunday, November 4, to see what they would charge to check on the heat because the house was too cold. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. [6] The evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. Glenn Hults, who pleaded guilty to a felony for knowing about the plot but failing to report it to police, is scheduled for sentencing on December 28. [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. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. Ultimately, she could end up serving 21 years if she maintains good behavior in prison. Make Richmond Hill Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. I said, You guys are crazy, that my house is too big.. Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal Or that, because it was her first serious offense, a judge could eventually decide to suspend some or all of that sentence. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. In 2017, Leonard wasconvicted and received an additional 50-year sentencein a murder-for-hire scheme authorities say he concocted from jail after his arrest. Jeff Wager, the lead homicide investigator in the case, talks about the surveillance and arrests of Mark Leonard and Monserrate Shirley: It was at a meeting with prosecutors in early 2015 that Richmond Hill residents learned of the plea deal being worked out with their former neighbor, Monserrate Shirley. It was a good feeling.. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! "I don't know what happened. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. American Greed: Property, auto insurance fraud is $30B problem - WSAV-TV News, information &. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Four years after Richmond Hill explosion, Monserrate Shirley to be Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. 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. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. They claim that Leonard wanted the hit man to force the witness to call 9-1-1 and recant his statement before killing him. Leonard got sick in March 2012. The name was inspired by the work of the famous Italian poet Leonardo da Vinci, but it was actually a combination of the two that are so influential in the history of Italian cooking that the name was changed to monserrate. 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. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. The November 2012 blast claimed the lives of John and Jennifer Longworth and spawned an investigation that landed five people behind bars. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. When she arrived at the bar, she found Mark and Bob in the white van at a nearby gas station. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . This is too risky." [6] Investigators said personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. Shirley says they were his. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. At 11:11 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2012, a two-story home on the south side of Indianapolis exploded with the force of as much as 5 tons of TNT. [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. They should go to jail. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. The only improvement he ever made was to buy two flat screen TV's, a 65-70 inch model for the master bedroom and a 42 inch screen for her daughter'sroom. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". Leonard died around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at an Indianapolis hospital,according to an Indiana Department of Correction spokesman. But the majority supported us.. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. While Leonard has been in slacks, a dress shirt and tie throughout the trial, Shirley walked into the courtroom in shackles and a prison jumpsuit. She will be 72 years old. For her cooperation with the prosecutions of the Leonard brothers, and the information she provided that led to the convictions of Hults and Thompson, Monserrate Shirley was spared the possibility of life without parole. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. She took care of all three. "No one.". According to Shirley, he said the house fire would happen, "even if I have to step in the living room and light up this house myself.". Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. From confusion to conviction, Richmond Hill blast recapped. Its about your game being the only game that matters. 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. Shirley said she has a condition with her tear ducts that makes her unable to produce tears, so people dont think Im crying for real.. Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. Says Sen. Tom. She and her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who also lived at the residence, told authorities they had left Friday night for a weekend at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

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