We knew somebody else was involved, and he was the only one whose name consistently came up, but it was only after she cooperated that we were able to charge Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults.. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. 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. Man convicted of murder in deadly Indiana house explosion Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal 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. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. When we got in this case, we were asked to save her life, said defense attorney James Voyles. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. Its been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. Should I have accepted that stipulation? Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. [26], In a case unrelated to the explosion charges, Mark Leonard and two other men were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Mark Leonard was convicted in 2015 of two counts of murder as well as a litany of other charges, including multiple counts of arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. 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. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. Did you see her on TV a few days later? -- 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. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. This is too risky." Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide [7], An investigation involving the Indianapolis Division of Homeland Security, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Indianapolis Fire Department was begun. Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. Hults faces no prison time to three years . To see the faces of the neighborhood people and the sense of relief and calmness when the verdicts came in was a good thing, Garza said. He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. More: Richmond Hill: 'The scars still remain', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case. Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it. They are charged with. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Three charged with murder after 'setting off deadly Indiana house Hults and his then-fiance babysat Shirley's daughter on the night of the explosion. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Bryce Young falls short: 5-10 . Investigators found that the couple had substantial debt, including $63,000 in credit card debt, and were in bankruptcy proceedings. Thats time served, and hes out. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. HS counselor at board meeting, Serial Indianapolis rapist pleads guilty to 9 counts, Mom speaks out after 2 kids killed by falling tree, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Its about your game being the only game that matters. An Indianapolis woman said she asked her then-boyfriend's half-brother what he had done when she learned the fire they planned to ignite using natural gas had Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Shirley: "No.". Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. 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. So you do get concerned about, will they see the arsons? "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. FORT WAYNE, Ind. 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. 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. Mark Leonard is on trial in South Bend in connection to the explosion in the Richmond Hill neighborhood that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth in November 2012. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Crime scene photos from the Richmond Hill explosion The man he called was actually an undercover agent. [The residents] clearly knew the Leonards were the bad actors, and that we needed to do everything we could to get to them, Robinson said. Snapped: Killer Couples - Wikipedia Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. His sentencing is set for December 28, 2016 at 1 p.m. Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry issued the following statement: We respect the Courts decision ordering Monserrate Shirley to serve a fifty-year prison sentence for her participation in this senseless conspiracy. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. 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/. But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. Its not the only weird coincidence Ive noticed in the past few months, but the name shirley was the one that stood out to me most. I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. 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. Indianapolis explosion may have been caused by furnace, says owner of If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. 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. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. Shirley says Monserrate got the house in the divorce. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers She found a house with a floorplan she liked." I commend Det. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. Glenn Hults, a friend of Leonard's who said he knew about the plot beforehand but didn't call police, was sentenced to three years. ", She said Mark told her, "It cannot be that bad.Don't worry about it. 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. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." 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. 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. "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. 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. "Our investigators believe natural gas is involved," the Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. 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. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. [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. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. 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. Heappears to have died of natural causes. 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?

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