[6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. 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. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. 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 . 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. It was never no for an answer. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. I care about people. [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. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. She was 11 years old at that point. You're done.". 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. We have done that. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. He leaves to cherish his memory his daughters: Britney Morales (Malcolm Richardson) and Maria Morales: two step-daughters Latasha (Nathan) Roberts and Kizzy Carter; three grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. You were a mom. 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. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. 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. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. 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. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. The next morning, they drove back and saw the house was still standing so they went on to Thompson's house where Leonard confronted him. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. 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. Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. . In addition to the thousands of pieces of physical evidence, they had more than 200 witnesses lined up to testify. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. I said I think theres ($10,000) or $12,000 in there, and he said, That was not enough, I want $300,000, Shirley said. John Shirley, 50, of Noblesville, told The Associated Press that his daughter sent him a text message last week complaining that the furnace in the home where she lives with her mother and her. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." The November 2012 blast claimed the lives of John and Jennifer Longworth and spawned an investigation that landed five people behind bars. But the majority supported us.. They claim that Leonard wanted the hit man to force the witness to call 9-1-1 and recant his statement before killing him. 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. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. 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. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. Robert Leonard, who was convicted of murder and multiple felonies, was sentenced to life without parole. Her earliest possible release date is December 19, 2037when she will be 72 years old. 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 . [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. While she was driving, Mark called to tell her to book a hotel room and to tell her daughter it was because the house was too cold to stay at. This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. After he was done, the fireplace worked properly and they never smelled any gas inside the home because of it. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. Mark. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. Did you see her on TV a few days later? At the trial I had firefighters crying on the stand. Shirley agreed to plead guilty to two counts conspiracy to commit arson and testify against the co-conspirators in exchange for having all other charges dropped. "You can't even do a fire. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. Shirley gave 12 interviews and statements between the explosion and Wednesday's testimony - some for law enforcement, others for attorneys and one for the media - and defense attorneys pointed out inconsistencies between some of those. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. 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. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. But I cant do that, and everybody knows you cant do that, but sometimes theres this perception that getting through the justice system will make things better. An offhand comment would change that. After a while, Mark came back in and said Bob had agreed to help for $10,000, but never specified what exactly Bob would be doing. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. The sentence accounts for time served and good. 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. Monserrate Shirley and Mark leonard, profiled on the next "American Greed," staged a natural gas explosion to collect the insurance on their Indianapolis home. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana Its about your game being the only game that matters. Snapped: Killer Couples - Wikipedia On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". But after a second round of boarding Snowball the cat, getting a babysitter for Shirleys daughter and setting hotel reservations, the house again was standing. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. Your email address will not be published. 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. The entire day she answered questions from attorneys, repeatedly crying. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. 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. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. "I mean, sometimes I wish I was there and I'd be dead, and now I wouldn't have to be asked so many questions.". Shirley told jurors he lost a number of things in the explosion, including a collection of tennis rackets and a drafting table. monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide 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. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. . Its a game that only you can play. The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. Get caught up on the first two chapters here:Chapter I: The Night the Sky Caught Fire|Chapter II: The $4 Million Arson Plot. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. In November 2014, Glenn Olvey who was trapped with his family in his collapsing house finally gave up on rebuilding his home in the neighborhood. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . She would sit with him, eat and drink and occasionally play slot machines. 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. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. 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. Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. 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. 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. Leonard got sick in March 2012. 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." While we knew that Monserrate Shirley on her own would never have caused this crime, it couldnt have happened without her. American Greed: Property, auto insurance fraud is $30B problem - WSAV-TV He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. 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. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . Witness: Indianapolis man promised $10K for home explosion For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. ", 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.". 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. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. 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. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. When the relationship first started, she said, "He was a nice guy. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. 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. Shirley's sentencing started Monday morning at 9 a.m. She faces 20 to 50 years in prison for two counts conspiracy to commit arson. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. [14] Shirley admitted raising the limit on her insurance coverage at Mark Leonard's urging, and only went along with the plot out of love for him. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. 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. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. [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 defense team started their cross-examination by establishing Shirley's ability to make life-and-death decisions in high-pressure situations while a charge nurse in the ICU. I didn't do nothing wrong.". 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. 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. "That cannot be real. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. 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. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. 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. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. I should have been there.". I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. This has to be done, Shirley testified. They said they didn't know. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. She was able to take that to the prosecutor and get a protective order against me. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. [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. Leonard, his ex-girlfriend Monserrate Shirley, his half-brother Robert Leonard and Mark Leonards former employee blew up Shirleys home in the Richmond Hill subdivision to collect about $300,000 in insurance money to pay off the houses mortgage and Mark Leonards gambling and credit card debts. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. 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. We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. . The first time Gary Thompson first came over to discuss starting a fire, she told him, "I'm ready, as long is this is a small fire. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. 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. Four years after Richmond Hill explosion, Monserrate Shirley to be I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. 'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion, plotting with his. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. More: Richmond Hill: 'The scars still remain', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case. 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. When she arrived at the bar, she found Mark and Bob in the white van at a nearby gas station. 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. Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. Home owner, Monserrate Shirley; her boyfriend, Mark Leonard; and his brother, Bob Leonard, were arrested Friday and charged with murder and arson Prosecutors may seek the death penalty Fire. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. [29] He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years without parole on August 14, 2015. The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. 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, 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 topic came up again around July 4. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. And the game of death is the game of life itself. Thats time served, and hes out. . While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. "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. "He'll do anything I ask," Mark said of his brother. It would have shortened the trial a week. 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. I dont know why they did it. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. ", 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?" Ultimately, she could end up serving 21 years if she maintains good behavior in prison. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Mark was a handsome man with sex appeal and a lot of money, judging by his stash of cash and fast luxury cars. "No one.". Leonard said he talked to Gary Thompson without her, telling him they were ready to do it. Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning.
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