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Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. They claim that Leonard wanted the hit man to force the witness to call 9-1-1 and recant his statement before killing him. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. Its an interesting concept. It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. . He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. It's also possible she will walk free if the judge sentences. Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it. And the game of death is the game of life itself. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison. She said they should be punished, Carter testified. Shirley said she has been reeling from the pain of people blaming her for the tragic event. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. 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. SOUTH BEND, Ind. But the majority supported us.. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. Leonard said he talked to Gary Thompson without her, telling him they were ready to do it. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. [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". FULL STORY | Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. On Friday, October 26, Leonard told Shirley to get anything sentimental out of the house. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. 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. Investigators quickly honed in on the home's owner, Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr., as the primary suspects. This has to be done, Shirley testified. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. At that point, Shirley and her co-defendants her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. had been sitting in jail for two years following their arrest on charges of murder, arson and attempted insurance fraud in connection with the explosion. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. 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. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. That hit man was later revealed to be an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. [15], Prosecutors contended that the trio filled the house with natural gas and then used the spark from a microwave which could be set in advance to detonate it. The stove was electric. Jeffrey Wager and IMPD investigators, Lt. Mario Garza and IFD investigators, agents of the Federal ATF, and our trial team for their commitment and perseverance to bring justice for the Richmond Hill residents.. 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. Their funeral was held earlier today. 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. At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". At one point you replaced the thermostat." They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". [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. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. 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. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. PREVIOUS | Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. . The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. (Item updated.) Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. See also:Shantonia Heard of Atlanta Left Her 2 Children Alone With No Power and Gas Oven On, Police Say Apartment Fire Safety Tips Man Killed as Gas Explosion Destroys Connecticut Home. Shirley: "She lost everything. 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). "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". 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. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. 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). Mark Leonard, the man considered the mastermind behind the 2012 Richmond Hill neighborhood explosion that killed two peopleand wounded at least adozen others, is dead. 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. "No one.". wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. As his court date neared, the workload ramped up. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Shirley: "Yes. Shirley: "No.". She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. Somebody knew that I was out of town. 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. 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. Should I have accepted that stipulation? "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.". He told her one of the reasons she needed to upgrade the policy was he planned to bring in some nicer things and do some work around the house to improve it and they would need the extra coverage to match the upgrades. You're done.". arranged for her daughter to stay . I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. UPDATE: Search for accused Johnson County scammer ends in arrest, Men's challenges in fatherhood and marriage explored in new documentary, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Record-breaking rain raises ongoing flood concerns, Saturday Sunrise Live Doppler 13 forecast March 4, 2023. And you said she was crying? Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. And the water heater." She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. This is too risky." Mark had called her asking which credit card he could buy the thermostat with, but she didn't see him actually switch out the thermostat for the new one, nor did he ever say who did it. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. She told her daughter a friend had taken it to put a new frame on it. Thats time served, and hes out. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. Check those tickets! It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. It would have shortened the trial a week. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". 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. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Monserrate Shirley agreed to testify against Mark Leonard as part of a plea agreement to reduce her potential prison time. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. The co-conspirators include Shirleys boyfriend at the time, Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. It was unclear when the complaint was made and whether the utility company was alerted. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. 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. 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.