She found a house with a floorplan she liked." [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. arranged for her daughter to stay . Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. When asked why she didn't take Leonard's hospitalization in March 2012 as an opportunity not to let him back into her home since she knew what he wanted to do by that point, she said she couldn't turn away a sick person. 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. 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. ", When asked if the attacks on Shirley's credibility would damage the State's case, Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said, "If you think about anybody who gives a number of statements, and you think about inconsistencies when you're asked questions and you have to answer the questions that you're asked [no more, no less]. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. They laughed at her for asking, but it was switched back out. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. ", 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?" Their funeral was held earlier today. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. You were a mom. 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. 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. Monserrate Shirley agreed to testify against Mark Leonard as part of a plea agreement to reduce her potential prison time. 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. "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. Shirley: "Yes. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Your email address will not be published.
'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. Iwas scared. 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. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. "The State asked questions about [the interview] andthe judge said on the record that he saw no difference in her demeanor [on the video] than what she did today and that was our whole point: that she can tell a lie as easy as she tells the truth.". At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. No one involved in this investigation or prosecution will forget the stories of this tragedy and the continuing fear and trauma that it caused to the survivors. Everything's under control.". Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. Its about remembering who you are. We did what prosecutors are supposed to do. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. 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.
Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. 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. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. And that, Im sure, will never change.. 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. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. 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. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. 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. She has already been behind bars for four years. Glenn told me, Between Mark and Gary, theyre going to explode the whole neighborhood. I said, Dont play like that.
She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. "No one.". Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. 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. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. She could face 20-50 years in prison.
Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner - AOL Real Estate After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. Required fields are marked *. 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. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. It would have shortened the trial a week. [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. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". Leonard got sick in March 2012. 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.
In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. She said they should be punished, Carter testified. Aaron Carter. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. It's also possible she will walk free if the judge sentences. 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. "It's like waking up to this bad dream," Shirley said, her voice cracking as tears flowed down her cheeks.
FAIL: New York Senate Says NO to Gay Marriage - Queerty SOUTH BEND, Ind. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. 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. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Indianapolis, IN Interactive Weather Radar, Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much, Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years in prison - YouTube Charged in the deadly Richmond Hill Fire RTV6 News brings you the best breaking news coverage in Indiana. Robinson knew that.
Defendant in Indiana house explosion gets maximum 50 years - FOX 5 Atlanta No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. But no other problems. 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. Or that, because it was her first serious offense, a judge could eventually decide to suspend some or all of that sentence. Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion, plotting with his. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. 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. 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 . Its about becoming who you were meant to be. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. 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. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson 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. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. She was too involved. They should go to jail. 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. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. Should we not use all those witnesses?
Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico.
Snapped: Killer Couples - Wikipedia 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. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard.
JDK-8141210 : Very slow loading of JavaScript file with recent JDK [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. He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. 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. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. 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 alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. 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. 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. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. I certainly might feel bad for his family. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. 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. [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. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs," he said. Shirley spent hours on the stand. [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. You're done.". After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. 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. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. 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. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. She never got a call, though. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. 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. 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. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. Monserrate Shirley, who had pleaded not guilty after she and two men were charged in late 2012, appeared before a Marion County judge in a courtroom filled with current and former residents of the . I didnt give it any credibility. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. . Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. Leonard went to pick up Thompson in the white van witnesses in the neighborhood have previously testified seeing in Shirley's driveway.
Neighbors seek max sentence in fatal home blast - USA TODAY 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. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. 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. She took care of all three. 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. Mark Leonard was convicted in 2015 of two counts of murder as well as a litany of other charges, including multiple counts of arson and conspiracy to commit arson. 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. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. He says he and Monserrate never boarded the cat when they were married. She will be 72 years old. 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. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. "I don't know what happened. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. I dont wish them any hardship. 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.". The family, he said, will never truly get closure. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." Jordan Fischer is the senior digital reporter for RTV6. 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. Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. 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. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy.
She moved to the United States when she was 25. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. . It was a good feeling.. Shirley met Mark Leonard. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. The topic came up again around July 4. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. [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". Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. The next morning, they returned to Indianapolis and saw the house was again still standing so Mark called Bob and told him to meet at a nearby parking lot. She didnt know anyone died, she said. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. In fact, they said that at the time she raised her insurance policy to $300,000, she was roughly $300,000 in debt (more than $200K between her two mortgages on top of the bankruptcy settlement left over from her divorce). Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. The first time Shirley cried on the stand Wednesday was when she was asked about her neighbors. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. I always get the money.". 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. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. The sentence accounts for time served and good. The blast killed two people and. Leonard was at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility inSullivan County serving two life sentences for his role in the explosion that rocked the southeast-side neighborhood that destroyed five homes and damaged more than 80 others. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. To the uninitiated, it seems to be a reference to a nickname used by the family of the deceased who are being called Shirley by their name. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011.
Police arrest Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard and Robert Leonard for 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. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. The sentence accounts for time served and good. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. 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.
Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. 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. I said OK, she said.
Richmond Hill explosion - Wikipedia 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. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. 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.