In court, Shirley testified Leonard had promised to show her how to make a lot of money. 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. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. The evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. It was unclear when the complaint was made and whether the utility company was alerted. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . "No one deserves what happened," she said. 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. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. 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. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. Snapped: Killer Couples (known as Killer Couples from seasons 7 to 15) is an American true crime television series currently airing on the Oxygen Network.The program details couples who commit crimes together. Says Sen. Tom. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. Critics have accused Shirley of faking her reaction after the explosion because she seemed upset but never shed a tear. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . 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. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. 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. 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 asked Mark not to try the house fire plan again. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. It's been hard for me and my daughter. 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. 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. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Shirley says Monserrate's sister moved out of the neighborhood around the same time they moved in. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. I always get the money.". Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. . (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. 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. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. 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. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. On the other two days, Robinson still the head of the prosecutors homicide division would review pending cases and prepare for other trials on her plate. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. You were a mom. Required fields are marked *. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. The explosion leveled 8349 Fieldfare Way, the home at the center of the explosion, and severely damaged a number of other residences, including several (on either side) which were damaged by the ensuing fire. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. 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 Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. This is too risky." The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. 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. Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. 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? Shirley: "No. Check those tickets! They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. Shirley: "No.". Woman tells of failed tries before deadly Indianapolis house explosion In Indianapolis, Search For Answers Continues After Massive - NPR Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. I did my best. Leonard said he talked to Gary Thompson without her, telling him they were ready to do it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", 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.". This has to be done, Shirley testified. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. [11], Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and Bob Leonard were initially charged with two counts of murder and arson in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. PHOTOS: First Richmond Hill trial Mark Leonard is on. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. 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. Although the jury would eventually hear testimony and an audio recording of Leonard talking to an undercover ATF agent posing as a hitman (and Leonard would eventually get an extra 50 years in prison for it), having that information before the trial even began would have been extremely prejudicial against him. So you do get concerned about, will they see the arsons? 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. 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. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. You can't do anything," he said. No one, Shirley replied, crying.I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. While Thompson checked the digital thermostat, Shirley heard him and Leonard say they could use it to trigger the fireplace as the source of the fire, but they never directly gave her any specifics on how they were going to do it. 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. Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! The first attempt was supposed to be carried out by Gary Thompson, but it failed. But Im not allowed to say that. Two mental health experts testified that her childhood could have contributed to her decision to stay with Mark Leonard and go along with his plan to blow up her house for insurance money. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. "I want $300,000. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those?
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