I did my best. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". 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. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Leonard started talking the next week about trying for a second time to burn down the home. The defense wrapped up a little more quickly than expected after Judge John Marnocha denied their request to play a video of Shirley's 2012 interview with the media. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner - AOL Real Estate 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. The human toll is harder to estimate. 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. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. Out of fear that a Marion County jury would be too tainted by extensive media coverage of the case, the trial had been moved to South Bend, Indiana. When the relationship first started, she said, "He was a nice guy. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. Wednesday in court, Shirley said that at the July 4th pool party, she called lighting the house on fire crazy. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". It's also possible she will walk free if the judge sentences. 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. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. He also told Bob to go get Gary Thompson. It was run by the daughter of a famous American actor who was very close to the owner. It was a good feeling.. Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold. 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. 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. (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" Jordan Fischer is the senior digital reporter for RTV6. You were a mom. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Shed said similar things in an interview with IMPD Det. And I think when the motivation is that, what we have is a person who is the worst of the worst.. In court, Shirley testified Leonard had promised to show her how to make a lot of money. Are they going to get bored with it?. Snapped: Killer Couples - Wikipedia He reportedly said, "[T]he tsunami winds came down the chimney, blew out the fire in the fireplace and the gas kept running and the house blew up. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. [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. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. We again offer our condolences to the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth and to those who suffered injury and loss. I didnt give it any credibility. And you said she was crying? 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. Homeowner Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years for role in - WTTV The two divorced on July 25, 2011. (Item updated.) She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . Estimates for the total scope of the damage caused by the explosion exceeded $4.5 million. The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. 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. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. 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. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? Indiana Man Convicted of Murder in Home Explosion Case - Insurance Journal Will they get to the felony murder?. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana 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. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. Get caught up on the first two chapters here:Chapter I: The Night the Sky Caught Fire|Chapter II: The $4 Million Arson Plot. Required fields are marked *. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. She was too involved. [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". 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. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. [16][17] The alleged motive for the arson was to collect insurance money to ease financial strain. The Retaking Of Richmond Hill - Indianapolis Monthly He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. 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. Iwas scared. [21] Mark Leonard was granted a change of venue and was tried in South Bend. 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. Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. At the final tally, the explosion meant to allow Shirley and Leonard to collect $300,000 in insurance money caused more than $4 million-worth of property damage. Its an interesting concept. Federal grand jury indicts man on hate crime charges after he allegedly shot 2 Jewishmen in Los Angelesin February, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18, over dozen missing, Fishers firefighters assist car flipped NB over I-69. But in this case, Monserrate Shirley had already received leniency from the state when she entered into a plea agreement that dismissed a total of 50 charges, including murder. 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 gave 12 interviews and statements between the explosion and Wednesday's testimony - some for law enforcement, others for attorneys and one for the media - and defense attorneys pointed out inconsistencies between some of those. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. 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. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. Robert Leonard, who was convicted of murder and multiple felonies, was sentenced to life without parole. Mark was a handsome man with sex appeal and a lot of money, judging by his stash of cash and fast luxury cars. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. Their funeral was held earlier today. Richmond Hill explosion - Wikipedia 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. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. 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 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. The host family had a lot of horses, so Shirley's daughter went to play with them under the supervision of Holts' girlfriend, Sharon, whose teen . She was an RN for more than 20 years, starting her career in Michigan where she attended college, before moving to Indianapolis after her then-husband John Shirley got a job offer there. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. [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." Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. 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. 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. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. Monserrate Shirley is lead into her sentencing hearing in December 2016. They are charged with. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. 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. "Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1.". Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. RICHMOND HILL: Shirley's ex takes the stand - WRTV Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. Prosecutors alleged that the men conspired to submit an insurance claim for a stolen motorcycle. Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. The program is a spin-off of the Oxygen series Snapped and has a similar format to the Investigation Discovery program Wicked Attraction. They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. FULL STORY | Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much. Shirley: "No.". She and her husband Gabriel Ferrer (son of Rosemary Clooney and Jos Ferrer, and a first cousin to George Clooney) had four children: Jordan Alexander Ferrer (born July 8, 1980), twin girls (Gabrielle Monserrate Ferrer & Dustin Boone Ferrer, born September 17, 1983), and Tessa Ferrer (born March 30, 1986). Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. Somebody knew that I was out of town. When she arrived at the bar, she found Mark and Bob in the white van at a nearby gas station. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. 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. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers No one deserved what happened. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. Their first trip together was to the Hollywood Casino roughly 3-4 months after they first met. They should go to jail. I said, You guys are crazy, that my house is too big.. While she was driving, Mark called to tell her to book a hotel room and to tell her daughter it was because the house was too cold to stay at. You were a nurse. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." Inquiry Into Indianapolis Blast Suggests Scheme Gone Wrong - The New She owned the house. He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. -- 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, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. Indiana Neighborhood Explosion: Two Questioned in Connection to Blast He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley 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. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. 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. 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. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. FAIL: New York Senate Says NO to Gay Marriage - Queerty "No one.". Make Monserrate Shirley testified that Mark Leonard is the one who told her to increase the insurance on the contents of her house, and she also testified Mark Leonard brought up the idea of setting fire to her house for easy money. I thought it was crazy, that cannot be done, and I asked Mark, Thats not what you told me, theres an explosion in there, (theres) people, my neighbors, that cannot be real, Shirley said. He says sometimes strong winds would blow out the pilot light when someone opened the garage door. I dont feel bad for Mr. Leonard, said Don Buxton, father of Jennifer Longworth, who was killed in the blast with her husband, Dion. She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. . "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. This is too risky." [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. Saturday morning, they headed to the casino and Mark played a blackjack table, then they went to the bar and sat, waiting to get the phone call their home had caught fire. In addition to the thousands of pieces of physical evidence, they had more than 200 witnesses lined up to testify. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. At the time of the explosion, Shirley says he was living in Noblesville. Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard: 'Killer Couples' Airs Richmond Hills "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. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. [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. That presented a potential pitfall in the case, Robinson said. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. 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. ", Holts then asked who would get the money if they went through with it and Mark said, "Of course, me. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. Bad food, non-first class flights drop Colts to middle-of-pack in player survey. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. "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. Minch: "You testified about some things you lost in the explosion. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. They went home together that night and he moved in the first week of December. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. We've got a few more.". As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. 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. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. 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. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . Three charged with murder after 'setting off deadly Indiana house 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. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. 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. Monserrate Shirley sentenced to 50 years in prison - YouTube