Shirley's sentencing started Monday morning at 9 a.m. She faces 20 to 50 years in prison for two counts conspiracy to commit arson. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. Monserrate Shirley, the Indianapolis homeowner whose house is suspected of being the source of a deadly explosion that damaged nearly 80 homes in her subdivision, was inconsolable Tuesday as. 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. "I moved out in February of 2011," he said. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. Shed said similar things in an interview with IMPD Det. Thats time served, and hes out. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. 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 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. But the majority supported us.. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. 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. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. You were a mom. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. "I want $300,000. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. 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. She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. 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. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. At a routine pretrial hearing, deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson, not thinking much of it, told Monserrate Shirleys defense counsel that if their client wanted anything other than a trial seeking life without parole, they had better work something out by the end of January 2015. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. She wanted to put it on her plate. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . The meeting was difficult for me because I couldnt ethically tell them everything, Robinson said. 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. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. Its a difficult case. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. 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. Monserrate Shirley, the Indianapolis homeowner whose house is suspected of being the source of a deadly explosion that damaged nearly 80 homes in her subdivision, was inconsolable Tuesday as she wept while speaking publicly for the first time about the horrific incident. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. I did everything to make him happy, Monserrate Shirley said in testimony. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. He leaves to cherish his memory his daughters: Britney Morales (Malcolm Richardson) and Maria Morales: two step-daughters Latasha (Nathan) Roberts and Kizzy Carter; three grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. "I mean, sometimes I wish I was there and I'd be dead, and now I wouldn't have to be asked so many questions.". Its an interesting concept. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. I did my best. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. They claim that Leonard wanted the hit man to force the witness to call 9-1-1 and recant his statement before killing him. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. 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. [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. arranged for her daughter to stay . And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. Monserrate and John had the home in Richmond Hill built in 2003. Shirley would receive over $300,000 in insurance money for the replacement of the home as well as personal items. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. 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. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. At the center of the case, Mark Leonard, a womanizer with gambling debts who preyed on divorcees, hatched an arson plot for money with his girlfriend, Monserrate Shirley. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? She was too involved. Shirley said that she was at a casino bar at the time of the explosion, and her boyfriend and daughter -- who also live with her -- weren't home either. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. Federal grand jury indicts man on hate crime charges after he allegedly shot 2 Jewishmen in Los Angelesin February, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18, over dozen missing, Fishers firefighters assist car flipped NB over I-69. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. Much of the attention since the explosion has centered on Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard, who lived at the house in the center of the blast area. 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. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. 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 moved to the United States when she was 25. Its about your game being the only game that matters. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. . (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. 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. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. "He'll do anything I ask," Mark said of his brother. "She lost everything," he said. I care about people. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". A tag already exists with the provided branch name. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. 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. 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. 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. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. 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. Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. 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. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. Shirley: "No.". monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. Once the trial began, rather than trying to claim their client was innocent, Black and Shircliff instead told the jury up front that he was guilty but of trying to start a small fire, not cause an explosion. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. News, information &. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. 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. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. 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. 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. 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. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. [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. Its about remembering who you are. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. 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. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. "I don't know what happened. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. They are charged with. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. 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. But after a second round of boarding Snowball the cat, getting a babysitter for Shirleys daughter and setting hotel reservations, the house again was standing. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. . [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. Shirley said she has a condition with her tear ducts that makes her unable to produce tears, so people dont think Im crying for real.. Shirley met Mark Leonard. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. 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.. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. "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. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. Shirley: "No. She will be 72 years old. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. Glenn told me, Between Mark and Gary, theyre going to explode the whole neighborhood. I said, Dont play like that. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. I always get the money.". 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. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. 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. 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. 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. You were a nurse. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. Their first trip together was to the Hollywood Casino roughly 3-4 months after they first met. PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. Worried that jurors might easily convict Leonard of the lesser charges against him, but not the larger ones that carried the life without parole sentence prosecutors were asking for, Robinson built her closing argument from the bottom up. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. When she arrived at the bar, she found Mark and Bob in the white van at a nearby gas station.

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