She moved to the United States when she was 25. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. Are they going to get bored with it?. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. Monserrate Shirley agreed to testify against Mark Leonard as part of a plea agreement to reduce her potential prison time. We have done that. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. When they arrived, Mark told her the fire would happen Saturday night so she needed to ask to keep their room a second night (Saturday night). She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. 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. 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. On Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. She could face 20-50 years in prison. This has to be done, Shirley testified. Jordan Fischer is the senior digital reporter for RTV6. . When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. I should have been there.". Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. 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. ", "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. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years in prison - YouTube Monserrate Shirley, 47, her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, 43, and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr., 54, are accused of intentionally leaking natural gas into the house and then using the kitchen's. On the day of the explosion, another neighbor saw a white van pull into the driveway of Shirley's residence between 2:00 and 3:00p.m. Police arrest Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard and Robert Leonard for "I don't know what happened. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. . She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. Leonard got sick in March 2012. . [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. 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. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy. Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. Its about your game being the only game that matters. Leonard asked her to get a babysitter for her daughter, make a reservation at the casino's hotel for the two of them and to board the family cat, "Snowball." "We had a lot of parties," the late. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. Heappears to have died of natural causes. 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.. They'd soon get a new roommate. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. 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. Minch: "You testified about some things you lost in the explosion. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com [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." Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." Says Sen. Tom. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. 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. 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. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. One small job. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. I always get the money.". It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". 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. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard: 'Killer Couples' Airs Richmond Hills In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. We've got a few more.". She asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Aaron Carter. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies And the game of death is the game of life itself. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. 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. Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion that damaged or destroyed more than 80 homes in Indianapolis, plotting with his then-live-in girlfriend Monserrate Shirley. An offhand comment would change that. Monserrate Shirley sentencing: 'She is the worst of the bunch' - WTHR I certainly might feel bad for his family. She took care of all three. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. Indianapolis blast: house owner, 2 others accused of deadly plot 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. 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. (Item updated.) I care about people. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. Defense counsel said the deposition version showed she was actually in favor of burning the house down, she just didn't want to get caught. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. ", When asked if the attacks on Shirley's credibility would damage the State's case, Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said, "If you think about anybody who gives a number of statements, and you think about inconsistencies when you're asked questions and you have to answer the questions that you're asked [no more, no less]. 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. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. 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. I commend Det. 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. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. "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. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson 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. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. 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. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. The blast killed two people and. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide You were a nurse. 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. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. 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. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. The Insurance Scam That Blew Up A Neighborhood - Medium I didn't do nothing wrong.". Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. So while I had that, I pretty quickly set it aside and put it in a file marked Mark Leonard and never looked at it, because I couldnt allow that to influence me in the decision. She got in the van with them, and Mark asked her to give Bob $40. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him.
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