Below, find a transcript of John Shirley's testimony from Tuesday's hearing: 2:22 p.m. John Shirley, Monserrate Shirley's ex-husband, called as witness. In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions. At one point, after one of the failed attempts to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she offered Mark Leonard her 401k instead. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. 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. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. She wanted to put it on her plate. Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". Shirley said that she was at a casino bar at the time of the explosion, and her boyfriend and daughter -- who also live with her -- weren't home either. Its about remembering who you are. It's been hard for me and my daughter. 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 contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. 'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". 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. Thats time served, and hes out. Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New Investigators have ruled out a natural gas leak from the home's underground pipelines, the Star reported, and they are now focusing on whether there may have been a leak from one of the gas appliances inside three homes that were obliterated in the explosion. Robert Leonard, who was convicted of murder and multiple felonies, was sentenced to life without parole. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. [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." SOUTH BEND, Ind. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. Indianapolis explosion may have been caused by furnace, says owner of He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. But Im not allowed to say that. When they arrived, Mark told her the fire would happen Saturday night so she needed to ask to keep their room a second night (Saturday night). Heappears to have died of natural causes. But these were good defense attorneys. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. Its about your game being the only game that matters. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. . Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. Indiana Neighborhood Explosion: Two Questioned in Connection to Blast Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. [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. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. You were a nurse. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. "She lost everything," he said. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? 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. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. Woman tells of failed tries before deadly Indianapolis house explosion Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner - AOL Real Estate 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. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. Prosecutors alleged Leonard was the mastermind behind the explosion, plotting with his. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard: 'Killer Couples' Airs Richmond Hills Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . She was 11 years old at that point. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. His defense team admitted that the blaze had been intentionally set, but told jurors it was only intended to be a small fire and that murder was never his intention. 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. Three charged with murder after 'setting off deadly Indiana house Shirley says he and Monserrate married on July 17, 1993. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. "No one.". Homeowner Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years for role in - WTTV Shirley testified that friends called and told her there was a huge explosion. "It's like waking up to this bad dream," Shirley said, her voice cracking as tears flowed down her cheeks. Much of the attention since the explosion has centered on Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard, who lived at the house in the center of the blast area. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. "John Shirley, whose ex-wife Monserrate Shirley lives at the home with their 12 year-old-daughter, said he got a text from his daughter about a week-and-a-half ago telling him the heat. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. "He'll do anything I ask," Mark said of his brother. She got in the van with them, and Mark asked her to give Bob $40. The entire day she answered questions from attorneys, repeatedly crying. 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. The meeting was difficult for me because I couldnt ethically tell them everything, Robinson said. . 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. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. She has already been behind bars for four years. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. 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. Are they going to get bored with it?. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 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. Shirley Temple's Children Remember Their Late Mother - Closer Weekly The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? Says Sen. Tom. To the uninitiated, it seems to be a reference to a nickname used by the family of the deceased who are being called Shirley by their name. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. 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. Instead, on Dec. 20, 2016 after a two-day sentencing hearing that would be the closest her former neighbors would get to seeing her on trial Shirley was sentenced to the maximum term of 50 years in prison. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. Its been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. One year of his sentences wassuspended, and the rest was to be split between jail and work release. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. He says he and Monserrate never boarded the cat when they were married. wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com 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. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. ", 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?" Their challenge was to distill two-and-a-half years of research and investigation into a six week trial without losing the jury in the process. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. "You can't even do a fire. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. I commend Det. 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. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. [20] The trials started in 2015. 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 two divorced on July 25, 2011. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Shirley: "Yes. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. ProjectEuler/Program.cs at master gknicker/ProjectEuler When she left that morning, her daughterand Snowball were still there (Mark was going to take them to school and the kennel). That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. Monserrate Shirley: 'I did everything to make him happy' - WISH-TV They went home together that night and he moved in the first week of December. The co-conspirators include Shirleys boyfriend at the time, Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. 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. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. 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." She was upset when she got home that night and saw her nicer digital thermostat sitting on the kitchen island and the new cheaper model on the wall. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. 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. 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. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. Richmond Hill Explosion - indyencyclopedia.org She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. 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. I had a homicide detective crying on the stand. [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. Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1. "No one deserves what happened," she said. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough wears a Graceland sweater as she . [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 evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. The topic came up again around July 4. I said, You guys are crazy, that my house is too big.. Shirley says he replaced the thermostat "so there were more options to heat the house during the day.". It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . I didn't do nothing wrong.". And you have to weigh that out? Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. [27], Mark Leonard's trial began in June 2015. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. 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. 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 agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana 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. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. We have done that. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. The couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. They are charged with. More than 4 years later, Monserrate Shirley to be sentenced in Richmond Man convicted of murder in deadly Indiana house explosion While still at the hotel, Mark asked her to call a heating & cooling company on Sunday, November 4, to see what they would charge to check on the heat because the house was too cold. She took care of all three. 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. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. The sentence accounts for time served and good. 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. Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. 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. . 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. She moved to the United States when she was 25. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge last month that may result in no additional jail time. After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. 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. The first time Shirley cried on the stand Wednesday was when she was asked about her neighbors. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. Richmond Hill explosion - Wikipedia I certainly might feel bad for his family. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. 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. Woman pleads guilty in deadly Indianapolis explosion - CBS News Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. They had left town the night before, after Ms. Shirley's nursing shift at a local. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. You're done.". While Leonard has been in slacks, a dress shirt and tie throughout the trial, Shirley walked into the courtroom in shackles and a prison jumpsuit. Your email address will not be published. "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.". None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. 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. It was never no for an answer. 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. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. 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. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . 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 said I think theres ($10,000) or $12,000 in there, and he said, That was not enough, I want $300,000, Shirley said. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. 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. Crime scene photos from the Richmond Hill explosion ", When asked if the attacks on Shirley's credibility would damage the State's case, Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said, "If you think about anybody who gives a number of statements, and you think about inconsistencies when you're asked questions and you have to answer the questions that you're asked [no more, no less]. Shirley met Mark Leonard. 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. 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. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. 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. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. 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. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed.

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