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I dont wish them any hardship. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. It's been hard for me and my daughter. Shirley: "Yes. [5], The most damning piece of evidence was a witness statement from one of Mark Leonard's associates, who told investigators that the weekend before the explosion, Leonard told him that "the house blew up". 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. An offhand comment would change that. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. She got in the van with them, and Mark asked her to give Bob $40. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. We have done that. One small job. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." 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. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . Just to prepare the evidence list which eventually numbered more than 2,000 items Robinson said the entire four-person team worked 24 hours straight. I did my best. 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. 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. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. Two mental health experts testified that her childhood could have contributed to her decision to stay with Mark Leonard and go along with his plan to blow up her house for insurance money. Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. Not until the following morning, when I went from this job to another job, did I get a text from a friend who thought it might be my house. At one point you replaced the thermostat." Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. 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. The explosion leveled 8349 Fieldfare Way, the home at the center of the explosion, and severely damaged a number of other residences, including several (on either side) which were damaged by the ensuing fire. Shirley: "No.". 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 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 the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. But no other problems. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. 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 died around 9:15. 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.". He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. 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. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. 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. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. [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. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Until shed agreed and signed on the dotted line, there were things I could not tell them. Robinson knew that. FORT WAYNE, Ind. You're done.". Should we not use all those witnesses? 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. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. 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. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. Two of those alleged co-conspirators were arrested as a direct result of her cooperation: Gary Thompson and Glenn Holts. Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. ", "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. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. In a room inside IFD Station 63 less than a mile from the Richmond Hill subdivision Carter and Shirley talked about her whereabouts on the night of the explosion. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. 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. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. 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. The sentence accounts for time served and good. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. In another, she said Mark Leonard turned on the gas line and actually lit the fire during the second attempt. But Im not allowed to say that. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . 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. 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. She never got a call, though. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. She will be 72 years old. 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. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. 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. While she was charged in December 2012 for her role in the explosion, she pleaded guilty to two felony conspiracy charges earlier this year in exchange for her testimony. Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. It started as a bad headache, but quickly grew until he was hospitalized with an autoimmune disease serious enough he would need a blood transfusion. 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. Leonard asked her to get a babysitter for her daughter, make a reservation at the casino's hotel for the two of them and to board the family cat, "Snowball." ", When prosecutors asked if she was serious about the 401K offer, Shirley said, "I would have given him anything because I was in love with him.". On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. I didnt give it any credibility. Bad food, non-first class flights drop Colts to middle-of-pack in player survey. 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. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. Monserrate Shirley is lead into her sentencing hearing in December 2016. How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? 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. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. The evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. 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. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. . In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. . [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. It was a good feeling.. Shirley said she has been reeling from the pain of people blaming her for the tragic event. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Your email address will not be published. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. 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 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 . The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. She then got food for them both and went back to the room around midnight. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. 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. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. She has already been behind bars for four years. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits.