He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. . 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. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. 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. She said he also told her not to worry because he took out the step-down valve on the gas line, "and put it away where no one else would ever find it. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. For Lt. Mario Garza, the Indianapolis Fire Department veteran tasked with leading the arson investigation, the Richmond Hill explosion will likely be the most significant challenge of his career. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . I don't want to be involved in any of this.". [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. Below, former IMPD Det. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. Monserrate Shirley was given the house after her divorce. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com An offhand comment would change that. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. The sentence accounts for time served and good. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. Their funeral was held earlier today. We have done that. Richmond Hill Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org Or that, because it was her first serious offense, a judge could eventually decide to suspend some or all of that sentence. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. Leonard then tried to get Thompson to talk about what he did at Holts' home, but he refused, saying they shouldn't talk about it. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. In addition to the thousands of pieces of physical evidence, they had more than 200 witnesses lined up to testify. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. "No one deserves what happened," she said. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. The home also had a microwave above the stove which had a programmable timer. 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. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. Mark. 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. Somebody knew that I was out of town. Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News One small job. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". "You can't even do a fire. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. Shirley: "She lost everything. While we knew that Monserrate Shirley on her own would never have caused this crime, it couldnt have happened without her. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. They should go to jail. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. As his court date neared, the workload ramped up. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. 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. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. 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. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. She owned the house. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. She will be 72 years old. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. 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. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. The sentence accounts for time served and good. Example video title will go here for this video. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. Your email address will not be published. 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. I didnt give it any credibility. Monserrate Shirley and Mark leonard, profiled on the next "American Greed," staged a natural gas explosion to collect the insurance on their Indianapolis home. 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. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. 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. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. If Monserrate Shirley keeps up her part of the agreement, a judge will decide her sentence after all the Richmond Hill explosiontrials have been completed. 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.. I dont know why they did it. And your daughter lost some things?" 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. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. They laughed at her for asking, but it was switched back out. ", "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. 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. Shirley says he replaced the thermostat "so there were more options to heat the house during the day.". He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. [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. 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. Make He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. . "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.". Crime scene photos from the Richmond Hill explosion 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. They said they didn't know. Shirley struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. She could face 20-50 years in prison. "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. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . "Two innocent people died because of this!" During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. 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. A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. 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. [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. I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. More than 4 years later, Monserrate Shirley to be sentenced in Richmond Taking them at face value, taking them at what they told the court, they believed that since it was going to come up in the trial they should talk about it during jury selection, Robinson said. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. Get caught up on the first two chapters here:Chapter I: The Night the Sky Caught Fire|Chapter II: The $4 Million Arson Plot. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. I see a con artist when I look at her., If she really is apologetic, then I accept the apology, said Dion Longworths father, John Longworth. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. [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." When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. [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. "It's like waking up to this bad dream," Shirley said, her voice cracking as tears flowed down her cheeks. This is too risky." Their first trip together was to the Hollywood Casino roughly 3-4 months after they first met. "She lost everything," he said. More: Richmond Hill: 'The scars still remain', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" 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. 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. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. He told her one of the reasons she needed to upgrade the policy was he planned to bring in some nicer things and do some work around the house to improve it and they would need the extra coverage to match the upgrades. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Bryce Young falls short: 5-10 . It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. 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. And you said she was crying? "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. ProjectEuler/Program.cs at master gknicker/ProjectEuler A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. 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. Leonard died around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at an Indianapolis hospital,according to an Indiana Department of Correction spokesman. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? Shirley: "No.". "I am a nurse. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. While still at the hotel, Mark asked her to call a heating & cooling company on Sunday, November 4, to see what they would charge to check on the heat because the house was too cold. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. One year of his sentences wassuspended, and the rest was to be split between jail and work release. 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? And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. I didn't do nothing wrong.". It would have shortened the trial a week. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? 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. She took care of all three. 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. . She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". "No one.". Richmond Hill Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org To see the faces of the neighborhood people and the sense of relief and calmness when the verdicts came in was a good thing, Garza said. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. 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. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. FORT WAYNE, Ind. 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. Defendant in Indiana house explosion gets maximum 50 years - FOX 5 Atlanta She never got a call, though. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. The stove was electric. [6] 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. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. 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. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley says Monserrate's sister moved out of the neighborhood around the same time they moved in. SOUTH BEND, Ind. She was too involved. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. [6] Investigators said personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000. We've got a few more.". They went home together that night and he moved in the first week of December. [11], Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and Bob Leonard were initially charged with two counts of murder and arson in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion.

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