[1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. 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. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. He says he and Monserrate never boarded the cat when they were married. While Shirley and the Leonards had been sitting in jail, Robinson and Hollingsworth had been traveling to the ATF lab in Washington D.C. to learn about explosions and taking a crash course on natural gas. Bob Leonard's son told investigators that several items were in the van that had been taken from the home, including photos and financial documents. [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. Jeff Wager, the lead homicide investigator in the case, talks about the surveillance and arrests of Mark Leonard and Monserrate Shirley: It was at a meeting with prosecutors in early 2015 that Richmond Hill residents learned of the plea deal being worked out with their former neighbor, Monserrate Shirley. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . According to Shirleys account, she was struggling to stay financially afloat when she met Leonard, and within a month of dating, he came up with the idea. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. 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. But Im not allowed to say that. We've got a few more.". 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. 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. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. Monserrate Shirley agreed to testify against Mark Leonard as part of a plea agreement to reduce her potential prison time. 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. Although the jury would eventually hear testimony and an audio recording of Leonard talking to an undercover ATF agent posing as a hitman (and Leonard would eventually get an extra 50 years in prison for it), having that information before the trial even began would have been extremely prejudicial against him. [8], Prosecutors alleged that on the Friday before the explosion, Leonard and his brother Bob spoke with a neighbor who was a Citizens Energy employee, asking that person about the differences between natural gas and propane. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. Its a difficult case. In addition to his roofing business, Mastercraft, Leonard also flipped cars on the side. Shirley says he replaced the thermostat "so there were more options to heat the house during the day.". "She lost everything," he said. It was never no for an answer. 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 . One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. She then got food for them both and went back to the room around midnight. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Shirley spent hours on the stand. 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. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . "Cases are made up of hurdles all the time," Robinson said Wednesday. Its been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. "It's like waking up to this bad dream," Shirley said, her voice cracking as tears flowed down her cheeks. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. 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. The entire day she answered questions from attorneys, repeatedly crying. Two of those alleged co-conspirators were arrested as a direct result of her cooperation: Gary Thompson and Glenn Holts. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. [25] Leonard allegedly asked another inmate at the Marion County jail if he could put him in contact with a hitman, according to the probable cause affidavit. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. (Item updated.) We knew somebody else was involved, and he was the only one whose name consistently came up, but it was only after she cooperated that we were able to charge Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults.. Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. 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. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. I always get the money.". When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. 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. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. 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. 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. 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. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. So in the game of death, monserrate daughter is the Shirley of the game of death. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. 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. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. I commend Det. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. 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. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. . INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. And you have to weigh that out? Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. 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. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. His defense team admitted that the blaze had been intentionally set, but told jurors it was only intended to be a small fire and that murder was never his intention. 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. 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. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. Shirley: "Yes. It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. 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. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. Seven months later, on March 18, 2016, his brother Bob Leonard Jr. received his own sentence of life without parole in a courtroom in Fort Wayne, Indiana. . [27], Mark Leonard's trial began in June 2015. The home also had a microwave above the stove which had a programmable timer. 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. This has to be done, Shirley testified. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. Its a game that only you can play. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. Monserrate Shirley is lead into her sentencing hearing in December 2016. [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. "You can't even do a fire. The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. I didnt give it any credibility. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. 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. They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The first attempt was supposed to be carried out by Gary Thompson, but it failed. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. 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. At one point you replaced the thermostat." Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. 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. It was a good feeling.. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. 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. 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? Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. It's been hard for me and my daughter. 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. [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its chef and owner. UPDATE: Search for accused Johnson County scammer ends in arrest, Men's challenges in fatherhood and marriage explored in new documentary, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Record-breaking rain raises ongoing flood concerns, Saturday Sunrise Live Doppler 13 forecast March 4, 2023. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. Jeffrey Wager and IMPD investigators, Lt. Mario Garza and IFD investigators, agents of the Federal ATF, and our trial team for their commitment and perseverance to bring justice for the Richmond Hill residents.. Mark Leonard drove her home that night and stayed with her for what the defense characterized as a romantic, sexual night. The host family had a lot of horses, so Shirley's daughter went to play with them under the supervision of Holts' girlfriend, Sharon, whose teen daughters often watched the girl. "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. She grew up in Puerto Rico with a violently abusive father who would often beat Shirley as well as her siblings and mother. 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. "We had a lot of parties," the late. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. [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. 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. 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. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. Then there was the question of Leonards history. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. 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. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison. 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. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. [16][17] The alleged motive for the arson was to collect insurance money to ease financial strain. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. 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. 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. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. . She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. They are charged with. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. 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. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. The blast killed two people and. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. The truth is, I was scared.. Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. Shirley struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. 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. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. From confusion to conviction, Richmond Hill blast recapped. . ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. She didnt know anyone died, she said. "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. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. 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. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. An offhand comment would change that. "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. [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. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. No one deserved what happened. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. [28] The defense said that what became the Richmond Hill explosion was only supposed to be a "stupid and selfish insurance fraud that went horribly wrong", adding, "Precautions were taken to ensure people weren't harmed." Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. 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. Leonard died around 9:15. The defense team started their cross-examination by establishing Shirley's ability to make life-and-death decisions in high-pressure situations while a charge nurse in the ICU. They should go to jail. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion.
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