He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. [36] Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the maximum possible under her plea agreement, on December 20, 2016. And you said she was crying? After her 12 hour shift, she planned to see her daughter at the Holts' house and change there. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. Make The sentence accounts for time served and good time credit. When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. Until shed agreed and signed on the dotted line, there were things I could not tell them. Says Sen. Tom. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. Mark was a handsome man with sex appeal and a lot of money, judging by his stash of cash and fast luxury cars. 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 . 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. Monserrate Shirley, who had pleaded not guilty after she and two men were charged in late 2012, appeared before a Marion County judge in a courtroom filled with current and former residents of the . 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. 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. and one-eighth, Zionsvilles Brian Mason will be Colts coordinator, Indy east side fire kills dog, injures multiple people, Record breaking weather week in central Indiana, Indiana state trooper hit, killed in the line of, New billboard in Fountain Square tackles antisemitism, Trooper killed on I-69, speeding driver arrested, Everything you need to know about the 2023 Academy, Congressman Baird calls for pause on toxic shipments, Congress works to tackle military spouse unemployment, Indy man gets 16 years after shooting wife in arm, Spencer man killed in rollover crash on I-70, 3 Ind. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. 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. 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). Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. 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. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. 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. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. . Then there was the question of Leonards history. 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. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Below, former IMPD Det. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). She said he also told her not to worry because he took out the step-down valve on the gas line, "and put it away where no one else would ever find it. Aaron Carter. 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. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. 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. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion. With good behavior, her earliest possible release date is Dec. 19, 2032. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. Monserrate Shirley, who had initally pleaded not guilty after she and two men were charged in late 2012, appeared Tuesday before a Marion County judge in a courtroom filled with current and. "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. Taking them at face value, taking them at what they told the court, they believed that since it was going to come up in the trial they should talk about it during jury selection, Robinson said. 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. I should have been there.". They should go to jail. 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. But these were good defense attorneys. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. 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. PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. Shirley says they were his. 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/. 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. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? 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. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. 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. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. Minch: "You testified about some things you lost in the explosion. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. Shirley: "I moved out in February of 2011. SOUTH BEND, Ind. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. She didnt know anyone died, she said. That was the last time she saw Bob before they were arrested. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. 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 Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. News, information &. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. (Item updated.) But the plan went horribly awry when a vast amount of natural gas had built up in the home before something set inside a microwave oven ignited the blaze. 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. 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. 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 didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. 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. 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. 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. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. Shirley: "No. The blast killed two people and. The sentence accounts for time served and good. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. I did everything to make him happy, Monserrate Shirley said in testimony. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" 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. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. The defendants requested that the trials be moved over concerns they would not receive a fair trial in Central Indiana due to the high-profile media coverage received by the case. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. I always get the money.". The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. 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. 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. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. That hit man was later revealed to be an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. 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. "I want $300,000. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. [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. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. The crowd watched in grim silence as a Marion County judge entered not guilty pleas for Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. We used to cook together, have dinner together.Very charming, very lovely man.". At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. 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. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. Her role in the plan and execution of this act protected her own child and the family pet, but failed to consider the obvious danger it presented to anyone else. PHOTOS: First Richmond Hill trial Mark Leonard is on. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. Glenn Hults, who pleaded guilty to a felony for knowing about the plot but failing to report it to police, is scheduled for sentencing on December 28. The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. "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.". She and her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who also lived at the residence, told authorities they had left Friday night for a weekend at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. [6] One woman had previously won a $70,000 judgment against Leonard in a civil suit after lending him $53,000, which he never repaid. On Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. I certainly might feel bad for his family. I know it caught us by surprise and we had to react to it.. Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. I was introduced to this once-a-year dish at a party and she was one of the first people to give it a shot. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. 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. A source who claimed to be in contact with the Shirley family told WISH-TV in Indianapolis that a family member had complained about smelling gas in the home at one time. The truth is, I was scared.. 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. On the night of the explosion, Shirley said he was working a second job in Fishers. I dont wish them any hardship. For one thing, the trial team deputy prosecutors Denise Robinson and Mark Hollingsworth, plus two junior deputies would have to wade through an entire subdivision-worth of evidence to build, arguably, the largest criminal prosecution in Indiana history. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. PREVIOUS | Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. 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. [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. Critics have accused Shirley of faking her reaction after the explosion because she seemed upset but never shed a tear. But I cant do that, and everybody knows you cant do that, but sometimes theres this perception that getting through the justice system will make things better. The human toll is harder to estimate. Monserrate Shirley was given the house after her divorce. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. That becomes eight years when good time credit is applied. She said they should be punished, Carter testified. [10] Included on the probable cause affidavit were complaints from several women claiming that Leonard scammed them out of thousands of dollars. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. After he was done, the fireplace worked properly and they never smelled any gas inside the home because of it. 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. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. And the game of death is the game of life itself. She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. And your daughter lost some things?" Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. She was too involved. Defense attorneys later pointed out she allowed him to move in and eventually drive her daughter to school despite knowing he was serving house detention for a DUI charge. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. "I don't know what happened. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. 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.. 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. She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . 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. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. The third weekends attempt was the one that killed the Longworths. I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. [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. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. . Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. 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. "No one.". Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. On top of his prior criminal convictions, at the time of his arrest, Mark Leonard was being sued civilly by multiple women who accused him of scamming them out of money through online dating sites. She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. 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. The program is a spin-off of the Oxygen series Snapped and has a similar format to the Investigation Discovery program Wicked Attraction. Robinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. 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. 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. 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. "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. . If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. I commend Det. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. Required fields are marked *. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. In another, she said Mark Leonard turned on the gas line and actually lit the fire during the second attempt. Should we not use all those witnesses? [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. 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. She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. Robinson knew that. 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. 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. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire.
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