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Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. 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. Although the jury would eventually hear testimony and an audio recording of Leonard talking to an undercover ATF agent posing as a hitman (and Leonard would eventually get an extra 50 years in prison for it), having that information before the trial even began would have been extremely prejudicial against him. It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. 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. This is too risky." While questioning potential jurors, one of Leonards attorneys, Diane Black, brought up out of the blue that her client had tried to hire a hitman from jail to kill his friend, and potential witness against him, Mark Duckworth. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. 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. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. I should have been there.". 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. 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. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. For her cooperation with the prosecutions of the Leonard brothers, and the information she provided that led to the convictions of Hults and Thompson, Monserrate Shirley was spared the possibility of life without parole. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. 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. 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. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. And the game of death is the game of life itself. Shirley says they were his. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. The courtroom was crowded Monday as the proceedings began, as those who were hurt or lost their homes, plus the parents of Dion and Jennifer Longworth wait to learn Shirley's . "Two innocent people died because of this!" 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. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. His sentencing is set for December 28, 2016 at 1 p.m. Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry issued the following statement: We respect the Courts decision ordering Monserrate Shirley to serve a fifty-year prison sentence for her participation in this senseless conspiracy. But no other problems. ", 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]. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. 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. "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. [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. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." 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. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. "She lost everything," he said. 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. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. 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). 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. 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. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. 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. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. The defense attorney told the judge without the jury in the room that he planned to use the video to show that Shirley had the same demeanor in the courtroom as she did while lying to reporters. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. 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 . Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Robinson knew that. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. She continued handling some of Marion Countys most heinous crimes until January 2017, when her former boss, then-Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill, called her up and asked her to join him at the Indiana Statehouse, where he had just been elected attorney general. "He'll do anything I ask," Mark said of his brother. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. But while he was living in the home, the only problem he had with its gas appliances the furnace, water heater and fireplace was that their pilot lights would sometimes go out when a draft blew in from an open garage door. You were a nurse. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. 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. And your daughter lost some things?" It's been hard for me and my daughter. 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. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. We've got a few more.". [6] Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. 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. 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. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. 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. Should we not use all those witnesses? 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. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. Leonard and Shirley went to the casino on Saturday, October 27, expecting Shirley's best friend and neighbor to call when the house caught fire. Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. She said that she hasn't been eating or sleeping well and that she has been taking Xanax to get what little sleep she can. Monserrate and John had the home in Richmond Hill built in 2003. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. "I want $300,000. When asked why she didn't take Leonard's hospitalization in March 2012 as an opportunity not to let him back into her home since she knew what he wanted to do by that point, she said she couldn't turn away a sick person. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. 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. John Shirley, her ex-husband, who owns the home with her, told The Associated Press that he believed the home's faulty furnace could have led to the explosion. ", When prosecutors asked if she was serious about the 401K offer, Shirley said, "I would have given him anything because I was in love with him.". Investigators found that the couple had substantial debt, including $63,000 in credit card debt, and were in bankruptcy proceedings. 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. Their funeral was held earlier today. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. Will they get to the felony murder?. 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. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Jeff Wager, the lead homicide investigator in the case, talks about the surveillance and arrests of Mark Leonard and Monserrate Shirley: It was at a meeting with prosecutors in early 2015 that Richmond Hill residents learned of the plea deal being worked out with their former neighbor, Monserrate Shirley. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. Get caught up on the first two chapters here:Chapter I: The Night the Sky Caught Fire|Chapter II: The $4 Million Arson Plot. . In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. They should go to jail. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Leonard died around 9:15. Robert Leonard, who was convicted of murder and multiple felonies, was sentenced to life without parole. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. 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." [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. Shirley: "No. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. Are they going to get bored with it?. "I moved out in February of 2011," he said. I dont know why they did it. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." "You can't even do a fire. Even years later, Robinson says she doesnt know why Black brought the hitman allegations up. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. So you do get concerned about, will they see the arsons? Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years in prison - YouTube Charged in the deadly Richmond Hill Fire RTV6 News brings you the best breaking news coverage in Indiana. She moved to the United States when she was 25. Minch: "You testified about some things you lost in the explosion. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. The November 2012 blast claimed the lives of John and Jennifer Longworth and spawned an investigation that landed five people behind bars. Then there was the question of Leonards history. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Heappears to have died of natural causes. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. 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 brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. 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. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. 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. She didnt know anyone died, she said. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. Shed said similar things in an interview with IMPD Det. Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. I said OK, 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. [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. Shirley told jurors he lost a number of things in the explosion, including a collection of tennis rackets and a drafting table. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. 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/. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. Shirley said after he and his wife's divorce was finalized in July 2011, the last time he was at the home at 8349 Fieldfare Way was August of that year. I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. But the majority supported us.. ", Minch: "At no time did she ever say she was involved in the explosion?" And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. Until shed agreed and signed on the dotted line, there were things I could not tell them. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. Example video title will go here for this video. [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. Shirley: "Yes. This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. [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." Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. Everything's under control.". The truth is, I was scared.. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. The most money she ever remembered seeing him lose on a single trip was $7,000. Shirley claims Leonard coerced her involvement, testifying that he threatened her and her daughter. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. Mr. Monserrate Morales was born on January 7, 1955 in Puerto Rico. [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. 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. she said. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. "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.". He reportedly said, "[T]he tsunami winds came down the chimney, blew out the fire in the fireplace and the gas kept running and the house blew up. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. In a room inside IFD Station 63 less than a mile from the Richmond Hill subdivision Carter and Shirley talked about her whereabouts on the night of the explosion. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. ", "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. I didn't do nothing wrong.". 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. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement.