"Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. she said. Indiana Neighborhood Explosion: Two Questioned in Connection to Blast Required fields are marked *. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. And the water heater." Or that, because it was her first serious offense, a judge could eventually decide to suspend some or all of that sentence. Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. While Thompson checked the digital thermostat, Shirley heard him and Leonard say they could use it to trigger the fireplace as the source of the fire, but they never directly gave her any specifics on how they were going to do it. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. While she was driving, Mark called to tell her to book a hotel room and to tell her daughter it was because the house was too cold to stay at. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. You were a mom. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. And you have to weigh that out? Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. But I cant do that, and everybody knows you cant do that, but sometimes theres this perception that getting through the justice system will make things better. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. She later pointed out she agreed to the plot under Mark Leonard's premise that it would be a small fire at just her home - not an explosion that would affect other people. Richmond Hill trial: Monserrate Shirley testifies | wthr.com Much of Tuesdays testimony included accounts of Shirleys difficult childhood. The most money she ever remembered seeing him lose on a single trip was $7,000. Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard: 'Killer Couples' Airs Richmond Hills "I don't know what happened. Her earliest possible release date is December 19, 2037when she will be 72 years old. Its about remembering who you are. 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. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. Saturday morning, they headed to the casino and Mark played a blackjack table, then they went to the bar and sat, waiting to get the phone call their home had caught fire. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. "That cannot be real. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. arranged for her daughter to stay . Says Sen. Tom. When she left that morning, her daughterand Snowball were still there (Mark was going to take them to school and the kennel). Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. Indianapolis explosion may have been caused by furnace, says owner of She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. When she got home, Mark told her he and Bob had gone to the library to research other similar homes that had been set on fire without anyone getting hurt. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. 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. 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. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. But these were good defense attorneys. 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. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. Indianapolis blast: house owner, 2 others accused of deadly plot Leonard, his ex-girlfriend Monserrate Shirley, his half-brother Robert Leonard and Mark Leonards former employee blew up Shirleys home in the Richmond Hill subdivision to collect about $300,000 in insurance money to pay off the houses mortgage and Mark Leonards gambling and credit card debts. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. It was a good feeling.. "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. 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. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. 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. 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. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. "Two innocent people died because of this!" A tag already exists with the provided branch name. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. INTERACTIVE MAP|Residents relive Richmond Hill explosion, ViewExplosion Damaged Homesin a larger map, Download the new and improved RTV6 app to get the latest news on the go and receive alerts to your phone, Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox, Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Indianapolis, IN Interactive Weather Radar, Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. Defendant in Indiana house explosion gets maximum 50 years - FOX 5 Atlanta Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. 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. When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. 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. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. Investigators found that the couple had substantial debt, including $63,000 in credit card debt, and were in bankruptcy proceedings. Taking them at face value, taking them at what they told the court, they believed that since it was going to come up in the trial they should talk about it during jury selection, Robinson said. Amazingly, despite the force of the explosion, a hybrid pear tree planted by Dion Longworth still grows in the yard where he and his wife Jennifers house once stood. 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. Shirley: "No.". Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. 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. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. He told her one of the reasons she needed to upgrade the policy was he planned to bring in some nicer things and do some work around the house to improve it and they would need the extra coverage to match the upgrades. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. [28], Mark Leonard was found guilty on all 53 counts, including murder and felony murder charges, on July 14. Witness: Indianapolis man promised $10K for home explosion Her role in the plan and execution of this act protected her own child and the family pet, but failed to consider the obvious danger it presented to anyone else. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. You can't do anything," he said. "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.". Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. When the relationship first started, she said, "He was a nice guy. Its a difficult case. Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner - AOL Real Estate Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. Shirley: "She lost everything. More than 4 years later, Monserrate Shirley to be sentenced in Richmond 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/. The co-conspirators include Shirleys boyfriend at the time, Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . 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. I did my best. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". I commend Det. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". As his court date neared, the workload ramped up. Iwas scared. You're done.". [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. PREVIOUS | Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? 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. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . 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 said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. Shirley testified in Fort Wayne at the trial of Bob Leonard, Jr. one of five people accused in the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill Explosion. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". She was the nurse. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. But the plan went horribly awry when a vast amount of natural gas had built up in the home before something set inside a microwave oven ignited the blaze. Shirley: "Yes. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. Woman tells of failed tries before deadly Indianapolis house explosion It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. . Monserrate Shirley: 'I did everything to make him happy' - WISH-TV Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. 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. [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. [27], Mark Leonard's trial began in June 2015. Shirley spent hours on the stand. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. In Indianapolis, Search For Answers Continues After Massive - NPR News, information &. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. Robinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. Their funeral was held earlier today. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana She moved to the United States when she was 25. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. 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. Will they get to the felony murder?. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. Arguing for the maximum in this case, when you live with this case and you see the impact, and you know what devastating effect its had on these lives, it just compels you to argue for that, said Robinson. Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. Upper East Side Restaurants 1980s, Performance Etiquette In Dance, Blue Merle Corgi Puppies In North Carolina, Articles M
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