Shirley: "Yes. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. You can't do anything," he said. 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. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. 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. INTERACTIVE MAP|Residents relive Richmond Hill explosion, ViewExplosion Damaged Homesin a larger map, Download the new and improved RTV6 app to get the latest news on the go and receive alerts to your phone, Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox, Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Indianapolis, IN Interactive Weather Radar, Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. As Mark Leonards defense team would point out repeatedly throughout his trial, there was a chance, however small, that Shirleys cooperation could end with her walking free at the end. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. But the majority supported us.. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. "I want $300,000. 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. [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. 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. As fate would have it, it would be Carter, just a few weeks later, who would place Monserrate Shirley in handcuffs. She died at age 85 in 2014, but Shirley Temple's childrenand fans gathered in LA on Monday, April 23 to celebrate what would have been her 90th birthday. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Leonard went to pick up Thompson in the white van witnesses in the neighborhood have previously testified seeing in Shirley's driveway. 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. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. 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. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. But these were good defense attorneys. Shirley says he was working at Eli Lilly at the time, and Monserrate was working as an RN at the VA hospital. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. Amazingly, despite the force of the explosion, a hybrid pear tree planted by Dion Longworth still grows in the yard where he and his wife Jennifers house once stood. Shirley spent hours on the stand. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. In 2017, Leonard wasconvicted and received an additional 50-year sentencein a murder-for-hire scheme authorities say he concocted from jail after his arrest. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. "I don't know what happened. 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. The courtroom was crowded Monday as the proceedings began, as those who were hurt or lost their homes, plus the parents of Dion and Jennifer Longworth wait to learn Shirley's . Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. The entire day she answered questions from attorneys, repeatedly crying. "Cases are made up of hurdles all the time," Robinson said Wednesday. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. No one involved in this investigation or prosecution will forget the stories of this tragedy and the continuing fear and trauma that it caused to the survivors. 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. Make At the end of the interview, Carter asked Shirley what should happen to the person responsible for the explosion. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its a difficult case. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. 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.. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. The human toll is harder to estimate. Should I have accepted that stipulation? Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. "Everybody's pointing a finger at me like I did something wrong," Shirley said in a video posted on the Indianapolis Star newspaper's website. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. [20] The trials started in 2015. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. 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. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. 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. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. 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. And the game of death is the game of life itself. After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. [16][17] The alleged motive for the arson was to collect insurance money to ease financial strain. Monserrate Shirley agreed to testify against Mark Leonard as part of a plea agreement to reduce her potential prison time. I commend Det. 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. How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? 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. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. 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. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. ", Minch: "At no time did she ever say she was involved in the explosion?" 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. 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. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. SOUTH BEND, Ind. 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. 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. The co-conspirators include Shirleys boyfriend at the time, Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. 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. And you said she was crying? 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here.

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