There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. Mark had called her asking which credit card he could buy the thermostat with, but she didn't see him actually switch out the thermostat for the new one, nor did he ever say who did it. [6] Investigators said personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. She never got a call, though. The blast killed two people and. [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. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. . Although prosecutors didnt need their blessing to go ahead with the plea, Robinson said they felt it was important to tell the residents as much as they could. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. [20] The trials started in 2015. As Mark Leonards defense team would point out repeatedly throughout his trial, there was a chance, however small, that Shirleys cooperation could end with her walking free at the end. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." "She lost everything," he said. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. 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. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. So you do get concerned about, will they see the arsons? Somebody knew that I was out of town. The truth is, I was scared.. Leonard went to pick up Thompson in the white van witnesses in the neighborhood have previously testified seeing in Shirley's driveway. Much of Tuesdays testimony included accounts of Shirleys difficult childhood. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. I care about people. [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. FULL STORY | Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. They laughed at her for asking, but it was switched back out. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. Shirley met Mark Leonard. I did my best. 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. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. 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 . Bad food, non-first class flights drop Colts to middle-of-pack in player survey. 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. Amazingly, despite the force of the explosion, a hybrid pear tree planted by Dion Longworth still grows in the yard where he and his wife Jennifers house once stood. Make In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. 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. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. Shirley struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. 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 was introduced to this once-a-year dish at a party and she was one of the first people to give it a shot. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. [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." "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. I know it caught us by surprise and we had to react to it.. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. I didnt give it any credibility. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. On top of his prior criminal convictions, at the time of his arrest, Mark Leonard was being sued civilly by multiple women who accused him of scamming them out of money through online dating sites. PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? 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. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. 2012 explosion in Richmond Hill, Indianapolis, Indiana, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "At least 2 killed, others injured in explosion, fire in Indianapolis neighborhood", "Family breaks ground on new home in Richmond Hill subdivision after Indianapolis home explosion", "36 homes critically damaged in explosion in south side neighborhood", "Homeowner at center of explosion feels lucky to be alive", "Authorities call Richmond Hill explosion a homicide case, seek details on white van", "Probable cause suggests pattern of fraud, details inconsistencies", "Richmond Hill suspect, friend face insurance fraud charges", "Affidavit: women say richmond hill blast suspect Mark Leonard has long history of scheming", "Shattered Subdivision Offers a Trail of Clues", "Life sentences without parole sought for Indianapolis explosion suspects", "4th person arrested in Indianapolis house explosion", "Fifth suspect charged in 2012 Indianapolis south side explosion", "Mark Leonard, Indy Blast suspect, pleads not guilty in murder plot", "Jim Voyles now representing Monserrate Shirley", "Home Explosion Case: Monserrate Shirley, Mark And Bob Leonard Due In Indianapolis Court", "Richmond Hill explosion: 3 trials for price of 1? 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. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. 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. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. They said they didn't know. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. 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. After court adjourned for the day, Shircliff said he attacked her inconsistencies "to show that she can tell the truth as easily as she tells a lie, and it's hard for the jury to know the difference. 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. She grew up in Puerto Rico with a violently abusive father who would often beat Shirley as well as her siblings and mother. 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. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. Should I have accepted that stipulation? An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. Out of fear that a Marion County jury would be too tainted by extensive media coverage of the case, the trial had been moved to South Bend, Indiana. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. 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. It would have shortened the trial a week. Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. 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. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Get caught up on the first two chapters here:Chapter I: The Night the Sky Caught Fire|Chapter II: The $4 Million Arson Plot. [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. When we got in this case, we were asked to save her life, said defense attorney James Voyles. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. And the game of death is the game of life itself. The jury found 46-year-old Mark Leonard guilty of all counts against him, including murder and felony murder. 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. Just to prepare the evidence list which eventually numbered more than 2,000 items Robinson said the entire four-person team worked 24 hours straight. 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. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. You're done.". Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. You can't do anything," he said. 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. 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. 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. 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. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. In another, she said Mark Leonard turned on the gas line and actually lit the fire during the second attempt. 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. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Glenn Hults, who pleaded guilty to a felony for knowing about the plot but failing to report it to police, is scheduled for sentencing on December 28. [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. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. 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. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. I should have been there.". He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. PHOTOS: First Richmond Hill trial Mark Leonard is on. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. But these were good defense attorneys. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. She still wiped under her eyes with a tissue several times while she was on the stand. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. Says Sen. Tom. Robinson knew that. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. [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. Required fields are marked *. Their funeral was held earlier today. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. While we knew that Monserrate Shirley on her own would never have caused this crime, it couldnt have happened without her. Its about your game being the only game that matters. 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. 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. 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 Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. "Everything they were telling me, it could not be possible," Shirley said on the stand as she started to get emotional. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. She was the nurse. 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. We've got a few more.". FORT WAYNE, Ind. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. Aaron Carter. 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. Shirley: "No.". The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" The only improvement he ever made was to buy two flat screen TV's, a 65-70 inch model for the master bedroom and a 42 inch screen for her daughter'sroom. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. ", 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?" They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. She didnt know anyone died, she said. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. I said OK, she said. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". Investigators have ruled out a natural gas leak from the home's underground pipelines, the Star reported, and they are now focusing on whether there may have been a leak from one of the gas appliances inside three homes that were obliterated in the explosion. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions. The most money she ever remembered seeing him lose on a single trip was $7,000. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. An offhand comment would change that. 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. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. It was a good feeling.. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." ", Minch: "You said you talked to Ms. Shirley on the 11th. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. The human toll is harder to estimate. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. ", Minch: "At no time did she ever say she was involved in the explosion?" Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. 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). In fact, they said that at the time she raised her insurance policy to $300,000, she was roughly $300,000 in debt (more than $200K between her two mortgages on top of the bankruptcy settlement left over from her divorce). When she got home, Mark told her he and Bob had gone to the library to research other similar homes that had been set on fire without anyone getting hurt. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. [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. "I want $300,000. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. 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. 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. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. Shirley told jurors he lost a number of things in the explosion, including a collection of tennis rackets and a drafting table. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. [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. 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.