He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "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.". 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. John Duncan was the one to call, saying something horrible had happened on her street and he wanted to make sure she and her daughterwere okay. 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. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. Mark Leonard drove her home that night and stayed with her for what the defense characterized as a romantic, sexual night. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. Did you see her on TV a few days later? 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. Monserrate Shirley and Mark leonard, profiled on the next "American Greed," staged a natural gas explosion to collect the insurance on their Indianapolis home. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. An offhand comment would change that. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. [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. [6] One woman had previously won a $70,000 judgment against Leonard in a civil suit after lending him $53,000, which he never repaid. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. It's been hard for me and my daughter. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. 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. Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. 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. Investigators found that the couple had substantial debt, including $63,000 in credit card debt, and were in bankruptcy proceedings. When the relationship first started, she said, "He was a nice guy. Home owner, Monserrate Shirley; her boyfriend, Mark Leonard; and his brother, Bob Leonard, were arrested Friday and charged with murder and arson Prosecutors may seek the death penalty Fire. 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. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. We did what prosecutors are supposed to do. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. 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. The courtroom was crowded Monday as the proceedings began, as those who were hurt or lost their homes, plus the parents of Dion and Jennifer Longworth wait to learn Shirley's . Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Defense attorney David Shircliff then said Shirley may not have provided the "means" for the explosion, but she took care of the logistics to make sure no one realized she was helping blow up her own home. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. Below, find a transcript of John Shirley's testimony from Tuesday's hearing: 2:22 p.m. John Shirley, Monserrate Shirley's ex-husband, called as witness. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. Even years later, Robinson says she doesnt know why Black brought the hitman allegations up. Shirley: "No.". 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. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. 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. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. [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. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. 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. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. Shirley: "No. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. While questioning potential jurors, one of Leonards attorneys, Diane Black, brought up out of the blue that her client had tried to hire a hitman from jail to kill his friend, and potential witness against him, Mark Duckworth. 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. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. 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. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. 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. I look at a neighbor that I would have been happy to help if she would have just come across the street and said, man I got a problem will you give me a hand? The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. 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. 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. 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. At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. 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. When a defense attorney comes out and says, My client didnt do anything at all, but you clearly can show they did, then usually its going to be an all-or-nothing verdict, Robinson said. No one deserved what happened. They'd soon get a new roommate. Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1. "John Shirley, whose ex-wife Monserrate Shirley lives at the home with their 12 year-old-daughter, said he got a text from his daughter about a week-and-a-half ago telling him the heat. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. 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 Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. Check those tickets! Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. 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. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. She will be 72 years old. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. I should have been there.". Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. . She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. 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. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. . Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. 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. 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. Shirley struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Then there was the question of Leonards history. 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. "I want $300,000. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. In November 2014, Glenn Olvey who was trapped with his family in his collapsing house finally gave up on rebuilding his home in the neighborhood. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. Glenn Hults, who had known of the scheme and kept Shirleys daughter Brooke out of the house, pleaded guilty on Dec. 28, 2016, to one count of assisting a criminal. Shirley spent hours on the stand. But these were good defense attorneys. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. 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. Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". 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. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. Out of fear that a Marion County jury would be too tainted by extensive media coverage of the case, the trial had been moved to South Bend, Indiana. The game of death is a pretty popular one, but its not just because of the game of death; its also the game of life itself. 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. The program is a spin-off of the Oxygen series Snapped and has a similar format to the Investigation Discovery program Wicked Attraction. The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. Shirley agreed to plead guilty to two counts conspiracy to commit arson and testify against the co-conspirators in exchange for having all other charges dropped. -- John Shirley told jurors Tuesday that, while his relationship with his ex-wife Monserrate was severely damaged by the time he moved out, the gas appliances in their home were not. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. So in the game of death, monserrate daughter is the Shirley of the game of death. 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. I certainly might feel bad for his family. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. The truth is, I was scared.. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. 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. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. 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.
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