Thats time served, and hes out. 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.. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. [6] After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. The human toll is harder to estimate. 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. 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. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Should we not use all those witnesses? 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. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. She died at age 85 in 2014, but Shirley Temple's childrenand fans gathered in LA on Monday, April 23 to celebrate what would have been her 90th birthday. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. I always get the money.". HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. So in the end there were a couple of people who were opposed to it, and I respected that. "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. "I want $300,000. She got in the van with them, and Mark asked her to give Bob $40. "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.". The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. 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. Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. 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. 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. 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. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. When she arrived at the bar, she found Mark and Bob in the white van at a nearby gas station. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. 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. 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. ", "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. 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. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. arranged for her daughter to stay . I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. At one point you replaced the thermostat." Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. 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. Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. At sentencing, St. Joseph Superior Court Judge John Marnocha said Leonard demonstrated a sheer indifference for the safety of others., The motivation here is greed, Marnocha said. 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. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. At that point, Shirley and her co-defendants her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. had been sitting in jail for two years following their arrest on charges of murder, arson and attempted insurance fraud in connection with the explosion. She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. 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. Everything's under control.". [28], Mark Leonard was found guilty on all 53 counts, including murder and felony murder charges, on July 14. 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. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. Shirley: "She lost everything. 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 . Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. 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. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. John Shirley, 50, of Noblesville, told The Associated Press that his daughter sent him a text message last week complaining that the furnace in the home where she lives with her mother and her. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. 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. Robinson told the residents what she could: That they didnt need Monserrate Shirley as a witness, but that she would help fill in blanks they hadnt been able to. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. Her role in the plan and execution of this act protected her own child and the family pet, but failed to consider the obvious danger it presented to anyone else. Check those tickets! Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. Mark. 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. And the water heater." 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. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy. Critics have accused Shirley of faking her reaction after the explosion because she seemed upset but never shed a tear. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. The home also had a microwave above the stove which had a programmable timer. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. The first attempt was supposed to be carried out by Gary Thompson, but it failed. 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. 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. . Shirley met Mark Leonard. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. When the relationship first started, she said, "He was a nice guy. A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. 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. 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. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. I said OK, she said. Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. It's been hard for me and my daughter. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. But these were good defense attorneys. Its been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. "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.". Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. 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. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. Its an interesting concept. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. In court, Shirley testified Leonard had promised to show her how to make a lot of money. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. She never got a call, though. she said. 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. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. 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. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. Leonard died around 9:15. ", 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?" Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. [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". She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. "I am a nurse. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. But the majority supported us.. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. In addition to the thousands of pieces of physical evidence, they had more than 200 witnesses lined up to testify. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. Robinson knew that. 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. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. 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. 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. Robinson, all-too-aware of the limitations of the justice system after decades as a prosecutor, says she is just glad they were able to get some amount of justice for the victims. Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/, emmy rossum jay z and beyonce the big chill tony blankley charles barkley beyonce troy polamalu, http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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. [The residents] clearly knew the Leonards were the bad actors, and that we needed to do everything we could to get to them, Robinson said. "Everything they were telling me, it could not be possible," Shirley said on the stand as she started to get emotional. [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. . 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. 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. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. 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. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. 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. Mr. Monserrate Morales was born on January 7, 1955 in Puerto Rico. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. And the game of death is the game of life itself. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. She was the nurse. Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion. "No one.". Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. But in this case, Monserrate Shirley had already received leniency from the state when she entered into a plea agreement that dismissed a total of 50 charges, including murder. When we got in this case, we were asked to save her life, said defense attorney James Voyles. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. Its about remembering who you are. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. 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. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. While we knew that Monserrate Shirley on her own would never have caused this crime, it couldnt have happened without her. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . Required fields are marked *. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning.