She could face 20-50 years in prison. "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs," he said. 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. And you have to weigh that out? After court adjourned for the day, Shircliff said he attacked her inconsistencies "to show that she can tell the truth as easily as she tells a lie, and it's hard for the jury to know the difference. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. 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? Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion, plotting with his. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. 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. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. The meeting was difficult for me because I couldnt ethically tell them everything, Robinson 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. On Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. I know it caught us by surprise and we had to react to it.. The topic came up again around July 4. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. 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. With good behavior, her earliest possible release date is Dec. 19, 2032. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. 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. The jury found 46-year-old Mark Leonard guilty of all counts against him, including murder and felony murder. 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. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. She told him the attempt didnt work but that there would be another attempt. Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. . More on AOL Real Estate:Find homes for rent in your area.Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.Find homes for sale in your area.Find foreclosures in your area. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Its about remembering who you are. 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. At a routine pretrial hearing, deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson, not thinking much of it, told Monserrate Shirleys defense counsel that if their client wanted anything other than a trial seeking life without parole, they had better work something out by the end of January 2015. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. 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. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. [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." Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. "It's like waking up to this bad dream," Shirley said, her voice cracking as tears flowed down her cheeks. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. "No one deserves what happened," she said. 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. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. 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. and one-eighth, Zionsvilles Brian Mason will be Colts coordinator, Indy east side fire kills dog, injures multiple people, Record breaking weather week in central Indiana, Indiana state trooper hit, killed in the line of, New billboard in Fountain Square tackles antisemitism, Trooper killed on I-69, speeding driver arrested, Everything you need to know about the 2023 Academy, Congressman Baird calls for pause on toxic shipments, Congress works to tackle military spouse unemployment, Indy man gets 16 years after shooting wife in arm, Spencer man killed in rollover crash on I-70, 3 Ind. Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. Her earliest possible release date is December 19, 2037when she will be 72 years old. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. She was an RN for more than 20 years, starting her career in Michigan where she attended college, before moving to Indianapolis after her then-husband John Shirley got a job offer there. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. "We had a lot of parties," the late. [12] Though the trio was eligible for the death penalty under Indiana law, prosecutors chose to pursue life sentences without parole because they believed a jury would be unlikely to impose the death penalty without any evidence that the suspects intended to cause the deaths. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. We have done that. I look at a neighbor that I would have been happy to help if she would have just come across the street and said, man I got a problem will you give me a hand? But she put an end to that in August 2011.". Shirley: "Yes. Investigators found that the couple had substantial debt, including $63,000 in credit card debt, and were in bankruptcy proceedings. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. The evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. Aaron Carter. Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. 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. I certainly might feel bad for his family. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. Monserrate Shirley testified that Mark Leonard is the one who told her to increase the insurance on the contents of her house, and she also testified Mark Leonard brought up the idea of setting fire to her house for easy money. "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.". [20] The trials started in 2015. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. In court, Shirley testified Leonard had promised to show her how to make a lot of money. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. "She lost everything," he said. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. He told her his friend Glenn Holts had done the same at his own house with help from Gary Thompson, who worked for Leonard at the time. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. She moved to the United States when she was 25. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. Shirley testified that friends called and told her there was a huge explosion. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. I care about people. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. 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. During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. [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. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. [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. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. 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. 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. 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. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. . She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. Leonard later tried telling Shirley that the only reason Holts wouldn't talk about his own fire was because he didn't want Leonard to end up with more money than he had. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. Shirley says Monserrate's sister moved out of the neighborhood around the same time they moved in. They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. You were a nurse. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . 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. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. ", 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.". [6] At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! 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. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. 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. If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. 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. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. 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. 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.

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