Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. 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. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Woman agrees to testify against others in Indianapolis house explosion Bad food, non-first class flights drop Colts to middle-of-pack in player survey. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. "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. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . 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. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. "I don't know what happened. On August 14, 2015, Mark Ray Leonard was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole, plus an additional 75 years, on 53 counts, including murder, arson and insurance fraud. Their challenge was to distill two-and-a-half years of research and investigation into a six week trial without losing the jury in the process. Robinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. 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. Thats time served, and hes out. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. I thought it was crazy, that cannot be done, and I asked Mark, Thats not what you told me, theres an explosion in there, (theres) people, my neighbors, that cannot be real, Shirley said. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. 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. . Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. Its not the only weird coincidence Ive noticed in the past few months, but the name shirley was the one that stood out to me most. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Neighbors seek max sentence in fatal home blast - USA TODAY That hit man was later revealed to be an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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. Its about your game being the only game that matters. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. Mark was a handsome man with sex appeal and a lot of money, judging by his stash of cash and fast luxury cars. Its an interesting concept. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? "Everything they were telling me, it could not be possible," Shirley said on the stand as she started to get emotional. How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. Mark Leonard, the man considered the mastermind behind the 2012 Richmond Hill neighborhood explosion that killed two peopleand wounded at least adozen others, is dead. How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? But she put an end to that in August 2011.". 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. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. "That cannot be real. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. Aaron Carter. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. She didnt know anyone died, she said. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. More than 4 years later, Monserrate Shirley to be sentenced in Richmond I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. Should I have accepted that stipulation? . She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its chef and owner. ", 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?" Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. [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. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. She told him the attempt didnt work but that there would be another attempt. 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. 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. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. Investigators quickly honed in on the home's owner, Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr., as the primary suspects. "No one.". 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. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. When you come out and say, My client attempted to commit insurance fraud through a small fire and this just happened, he had no idea, what the jury doesnt realize, because Im not allowed to tell them, is attempted insurance fraud even if coupled with reckless homicide is a class C felony. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. Woman pleads guilty in deadly Indianapolis explosion - CBS News He leaves to cherish his memory his daughters: Britney Morales (Malcolm Richardson) and Maria Morales: two step-daughters Latasha (Nathan) Roberts and Kizzy Carter; three grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. 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. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. Police became suspicious when they uncovered evidence that the couple had taken similar steps the previous weekend; the cat had been boarded and Shirley's daughter had been placed with a babysitter overnight before the couple went to the casino. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. Gary Thompson, who had helped with the first two unsuccessful attempts to blow up Monserrate Shirleys house, pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2016, to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. She will be 72 years old. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". 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. They said they didn't know. 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. "I want $300,000. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. For one thing, the trial team deputy prosecutors Denise Robinson and Mark Hollingsworth, plus two junior deputies would have to wade through an entire subdivision-worth of evidence to build, arguably, the largest criminal prosecution in Indiana history. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. 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. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). . 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. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. After he was done, the fireplace worked properly and they never smelled any gas inside the home because of it. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". You're a piece of [expletive]. You were a mom. [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. Mark. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. Yes, I didnt think it would be possible, Monserrate Shirley said.HUGE EXPLOSION. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. They laughed at her for asking, but it was switched back out. 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. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. The home of Monserrate Shirley was the center of the explosion that resulted in the deaths of next-door neighbors John "Dion" Longworth and his wife Jennifer (ne Buxton), the injuries of seven others, and $4 million in property damage. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. Leonard got sick in March 2012. On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge last month that may result in no additional jail time. So in the end there were a couple of people who were opposed to it, and I respected that. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. Four years after Richmond Hill explosion, Monserrate Shirley to be The human toll is harder to estimate. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. "I am a nurse. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. PHOTOS: First Richmond Hill trial Mark Leonard is on. They'd soon get a new roommate. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. The blast killed two people and. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. News, information &. They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. Much of Tuesdays testimony included accounts of Shirleys difficult childhood. 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, 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. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. He says he and Monserrate never boarded the cat when they were married. 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. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Jordan Fischer is the senior digital reporter for RTV6. HS counselor at board meeting, Serial Indianapolis rapist pleads guilty to 9 counts, Mom speaks out after 2 kids killed by falling tree, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. Robinson knew that. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. [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. In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. 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. 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. Monserrate Shirley testified that Mark Leonard is the one who told her to increase the insurance on the contents of her house, and she also testified Mark Leonard brought up the idea of setting fire to her house for easy money. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. We have done that. Indianapolis House Explosion Case Now a Criminal Homicide Investigation Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. Shirley said after he and his wife's divorce was finalized in July 2011, the last time he was at the home at 8349 Fieldfare Way was August of that year. Her earliest possible release date is December 19, 2037when she will be 72 years old. 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. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. 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. Shirley says they were his. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. Shirley: "No.". PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? 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. If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions. At one point you replaced the thermostat." Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. 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. She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again.
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