"Everybody's pointing a finger at me like I did something wrong," Shirley said in a video posted on the Indianapolis Star newspaper's website.
Police arrest Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard and Robert Leonard for The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012.
Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New 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.
Three charged with murder after 'setting off deadly Indiana house But these were good defense attorneys. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. 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. Are they going to get bored with it?. 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. 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. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? The stove was electric. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. Shirley testified in Fort Wayne at the trial of Bob Leonard, Jr. one of five people accused in the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill Explosion. Shirley says Monserrate's sister moved out of the neighborhood around the same time they moved in. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. She said they should be punished, Carter testified. 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? [7], An investigation involving the Indianapolis Division of Homeland Security, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Indianapolis Fire Department was begun. FORT WAYNE, Ind. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. After he was done, the fireplace worked properly and they never smelled any gas inside the home because of it. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. She and her husband Gabriel Ferrer (son of Rosemary Clooney and Jos Ferrer, and a first cousin to George Clooney) had four children: Jordan Alexander Ferrer (born July 8, 1980), twin girls (Gabrielle Monserrate Ferrer & Dustin Boone Ferrer, born September 17, 1983), and Tessa Ferrer (born March 30, 1986). "I want $300,000. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. 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. (Item updated.) Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. 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've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. We did what prosecutors are supposed to do. The defense wrapped up a little more quickly than expected after Judge John Marnocha denied their request to play a video of Shirley's 2012 interview with the media. 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. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. -- John Shirley told jurors Tuesday that, while his relationship with his ex-wife Monserrate was severely damaged by the time he moved out, the gas appliances in their home were not. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. Leonard later tried telling Shirley that the only reason Holts wouldn't talk about his own fire was because he didn't want Leonard to end up with more money than he had. Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions.
Richmond Hill Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org Aaron Carter. When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. Thats time served, and hes out. And that, Im sure, will never change.. Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who lived in the home, along with Leonard's brother, Robert Leonard, were arrested Friday on 48 charges, including murder and arson. Its an interesting concept. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. "I am a nurse. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. [28], Mark Leonard was found guilty on all 53 counts, including murder and felony murder charges, on July 14. They went home together that night and he moved in the first week of December. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. I didn't do nothing wrong.". On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance.
Richmond Hill explosion - Wikipedia ", "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.
One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. It was unclear when the complaint was made and whether the utility company was alerted. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. 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. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. 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. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. One small job. She has already been behind bars for four years. 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. At one point you replaced the thermostat." The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. 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.
Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana [12] Though the trio was eligible for the death penalty under Indiana law, prosecutors chose to pursue life sentences without parole because they believed a jury would be unlikely to impose the death penalty without any evidence that the suspects intended to cause the deaths. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. ", 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]. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. Monserrate Shirley testified that Mark Leonard is the one who told her to increase the insurance on the contents of her house, and she also testified Mark Leonard brought up the idea of setting fire to her house for easy money. While Shirley and the Leonards had been sitting in jail, Robinson and Hollingsworth had been traveling to the ATF lab in Washington D.C. to learn about explosions and taking a crash course on natural gas. [20] The trials started in 2015. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. They'd soon get a new roommate. [6] Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. 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. "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. . It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. 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. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. 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. The sentence accounts for time served and good time credit. ", 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?" 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. 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. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. 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. While she was charged in December 2012 for her role in the explosion, she pleaded guilty to two felony conspiracy charges earlier this year in exchange for her testimony. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. 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. Below, former IMPD Det. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. ", Minch: "You said you talked to Ms. Shirley on the 11th. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion.