Shirley testified in Fort Wayne at the trial of Bob Leonard, Jr. one of five people accused in the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill Explosion. Arguing for the maximum in this case, when you live with this case and you see the impact, and you know what devastating effect its had on these lives, it just compels you to argue for that, said Robinson. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". West's Mortuary, Inc. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. . Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." He says he and Monserrate never boarded the cat when they were married. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? John Duncan was the one to call, saying something horrible had happened on her street and he wanted to make sure she and her daughterwere okay. Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. The defense said if prosecutors wrapped up early enough on Thursday, they could call all of their witnesses that day alone and closing arguments could be held Friday, July 10. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. The defendants requested that the trials be moved over concerns they would not receive a fair trial in Central Indiana due to the high-profile media coverage received by the case. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.. 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. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. 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. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. Mark was a handsome man with sex appeal and a lot of money, judging by his stash of cash and fast luxury cars. On August 14, 2015, Mark Ray Leonard was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole, plus an additional 75 years, on 53 counts, including murder, arson and insurance fraud. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. I didnt give it any credibility. wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. "No one.". PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. 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. The November 2012 blast claimed the lives of John and Jennifer Longworth and spawned an investigation that landed five people behind bars. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? Hults faces no prison time to three years . [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. She wanted to put it on her plate. . 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. Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. "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.". 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. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. It started as a bad headache, but quickly grew until he was hospitalized with an autoimmune disease serious enough he would need a blood transfusion. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. The name was inspired by the work of the famous Italian poet Leonardo da Vinci, but it was actually a combination of the two that are so influential in the history of Italian cooking that the name was changed to monserrate. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. When a defense attorney comes out and says, My client didnt do anything at all, but you clearly can show they did, then usually its going to be an all-or-nothing verdict, Robinson said. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. 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. 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. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". Indianapolis House Explosion Case Now a Criminal Homicide Investigation Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Shirley told jurors he lost a number of things in the explosion, including a collection of tennis rackets and a drafting table. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. 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. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. Monserrate Shirley was given the house after her divorce. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. Psychologist Dr. Stephanie Callaway diagnosed her with dependent personality disorder, but stated under cross-examination that, while the diagnosis explains Shirley's actions, it does not absolve her of responsibility. Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. And that, Im sure, will never change.. Its about your game being the only game that matters. One year of his sentences wassuspended, and the rest was to be split between jail and work release. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. 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. 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. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. This has to be done, Shirley testified. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. 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. FAIL: New York Senate Says NO to Gay Marriage - Queerty Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? At one point you replaced the thermostat." She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. Its an interesting concept. 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. And your daughter lost some things?" 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. 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. The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. 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/. 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. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner Whose House Exploded, Bereft Says Sen. Tom. 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.. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. 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. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile 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. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. He looked over the insurance policy and said she was under-insured so she called the insurance company and doubled her policy from $150,000 to $300,000. RICHMOND HILL: Shirley's ex takes the stand - WRTV 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. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. [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. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. Minch: "You testified about some things you lost in the explosion. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. The Retaking Of Richmond Hill - Indianapolis Monthly monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its chef and owner. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. Shirley said she has been reeling from the pain of people blaming her for the tragic event. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. Indiana Neighborhood Explosion: Two Questioned in Connection to Blast She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Leonard went to pick up Thompson in the white van witnesses in the neighborhood have previously testified seeing in Shirley's driveway. 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. Indianapolis trio accused of blowing up their home to collect insurance At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. 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. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. The stove was electric. Ultimately, she could end up serving 21 years if she maintains good behavior in prison. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. 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. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. 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. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. It would have shortened the trial a week. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She was inspired by the way Chef Alberto Marinovich put on this dish and it was a joy to serve. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. Critics have accused Shirley of faking her reaction after the explosion because she seemed upset but never shed a tear. Four years after Richmond Hill explosion, Monserrate Shirley to be 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. Shirley would receive over $300,000 in insurance money for the replacement of the home as well as personal items. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. ProjectEuler/Program.cs at master gknicker/ProjectEuler Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. 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. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. She said they should be punished, Carter testified. 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 daughter - Investigative Guide Your email address will not be published. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. 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. Robert Leonard, who was convicted of murder and multiple felonies, was sentenced to life without parole. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. In another, she said Mark Leonard turned on the gas line and actually lit the fire during the second attempt. 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. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. 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. So in the game of death, monserrate daughter is the Shirley of the game of death. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. 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. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. [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". 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. [29] He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years without parole on August 14, 2015. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. Everything's under control.". 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. "Cases are made up of hurdles all the time," Robinson said Wednesday. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. -- 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. I certainly might feel bad for his family. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. . Its about remembering who you are. And the water heater." John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy. The topic came up again around July 4. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. Thats time served, and hes out. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. Leonard asked Holts to tell the story of his own fire, how easily he'd gotten the money and to re-assure Shirley everything would be alright if they did it at her house. 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. You were a mom. But Im not allowed to say that. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. For one thing, the trial team deputy prosecutors Denise Robinson and Mark Hollingsworth, plus two junior deputies would have to wade through an entire subdivision-worth of evidence to build, arguably, the largest criminal prosecution in Indiana history. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. 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. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News 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). 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. 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." Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. . [16][17] The alleged motive for the arson was to collect insurance money to ease financial strain. 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. Richmond Hill explosion - Wikipedia 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. Gary Thompson, who had helped with the first two unsuccessful attempts to blow up Monserrate Shirleys house, pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2016, to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. An offhand comment would change that. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. 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. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. Sgt. Required fields are marked *. Shirley spent hours on the stand. Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. The sentence accounts for time served and good time credit. 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.