Shirley spent hours on the stand. 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. "No one.". John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. 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. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. She has already been behind bars for four years. Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. "No one deserves what happened," she said. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. 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. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. ", 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.". On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. 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. 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. 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. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). Seven months later, on March 18, 2016, his brother Bob Leonard Jr. received his own sentence of life without parole in a courtroom in Fort Wayne, Indiana. [5], The most damning piece of evidence was a witness statement from one of Mark Leonard's associates, who told investigators that the weekend before the explosion, Leonard told him that "the house blew up". No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". 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. [28], Mark Leonard was found guilty on all 53 counts, including murder and felony murder charges, on July 14. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. RICHMOND HILL: Shirley's ex takes the stand - WRTV Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. No one involved in this investigation or prosecution will forget the stories of this tragedy and the continuing fear and trauma that it caused to the survivors. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . Shirley: "No.". Officials did not release further information regarding his death. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. 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. And your daughter lost some things?" 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. Woman agrees to testify against others in Indianapolis house explosion The stove was electric. 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. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! It was unclear when the complaint was made and whether the utility company was alerted. Their first trip together was to the Hollywood Casino roughly 3-4 months after they first met. Shirley testified that friends called and told her there was a huge explosion. [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. Man convicted of murder in deadly Indiana house explosion The truth is, I was scared.. Monserrate Shirley, who had pleaded not guilty after she and two men were charged in late 2012, appeared before a Marion County judge in a courtroom filled with current and former residents of the . [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 know it caught us by surprise and we had to react to it.. You may have noticed that the name monserrate has been replaced with the word shirley, which is used in both a variety of other games and in the game of death. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. 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. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. No one deserved what happened. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. 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. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. 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. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. "That cannot be real. He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. Your email address will not be published. But no other problems. 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. Prosecutors said Leonard planned to pay a person he thought was a hit man $15,000, giving him a $5,000 bonus if a witness in the case called police to say he had lied about information he had given investigators. Everything's under control.". Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. 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. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. As fate would have it, it would be Carter, just a few weeks later, who would place Monserrate Shirley in handcuffs. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". 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. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. 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? Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. ProjectEuler/Program.cs at master gknicker/ProjectEuler At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. Indianapolis trio accused of blowing up their home to collect insurance Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. Aaron Carter. The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Shirley said she has a condition with her tear ducts that makes her unable to produce tears, so people dont think Im crying for real.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. When you come out and say, My client attempted to commit insurance fraud through a small fire and this just happened, he had no idea, what the jury doesnt realize, because Im not allowed to tell them, is attempted insurance fraud even if coupled with reckless homicide is a class C felony. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. ", Minch: "At no time did she ever say she was involved in the explosion?" Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. 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. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. [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." Heappears to have died of natural causes. Then there was the question of Leonards history. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. "Everything they were telling me, it could not be possible," Shirley said on the stand as she started to get emotional. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. I always get the money.". And the game of death is the game of life itself. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . But Im not allowed to say that. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. 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. 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 was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. It was a good feeling.. I dont wish them any hardship. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. 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. Man Gets Murder Conviction in Deadly Indiana House Blast Fraud Case [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016.

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