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. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. 'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV 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. 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. The Insurance Scam That Blew Up A Neighborhood - Medium Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. Snapped: Killer Couples - Wikipedia I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. 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. She grabbed a few pictures, including the canvas portrait of her daughterat age 5 that hung above the fireplace. And you have to weigh that out? Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner Whose House Exploded, Bereft Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. 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. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. 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. 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. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. [34][35], Monserrate Shirley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. When you come out and say, My client attempted to commit insurance fraud through a small fire and this just happened, he had no idea, what the jury doesnt realize, because Im not allowed to tell them, is attempted insurance fraud even if coupled with reckless homicide is a class C felony. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Iwas scared. 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. The sentence accounts for time served and good. Are they going to get bored with it?. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. Neighbors seek max sentence in fatal home blast - USA TODAY 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. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. 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. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. Leonard asked her to get a babysitter for her daughter, make a reservation at the casino's hotel for the two of them and to board the family cat, "Snowball." She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. On the other two days, Robinson still the head of the prosecutors homicide division would review pending cases and prepare for other trials on her plate. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . West's Mortuary, Inc. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. To this day, absolutely they had the right to do that. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. Its very difficult sentencing hearing weve been through for two days. Crime scene photos from the Richmond Hill explosion towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. Then there was the question of Leonards history. 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. 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. No one else was within earshot, so far as she knew. Woman pleads guilty in deadly Indianapolis explosion - CBS News (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. Shirley spent hours on the stand. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. 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. I said OK, she said. Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson returned from prosecuting the Richmond Hill cases to a pile of homicides waiting on her desk. PREVIOUS | Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. The Retaking Of Richmond Hill - Indianapolis Monthly She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. It's been hard for me and my daughter. Would you describe her demeanor the same way?" Until shed agreed and signed on the dotted line, there were things I could not tell them. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Leonard died around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at an Indianapolis hospital,according to an Indiana Department of Correction spokesman. By December 2014, two years after the explosion in the Richmond Hill subdivision, prosecutors were preparing to go to trial without any cooperating witnesses. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . 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. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. Today, Snowball, a white Persian cat, is in the care of John Shirley, Monserrate's ex-husband. (WISH) - Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. Every day I ask myself why I didnt stop this. . [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. 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. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. News, information &. And the water heater." Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Shed said similar things in an interview with IMPD Det. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. Shirley: "No.". monserrate shirley daughter - Investigative Guide On the day of the explosion, another neighbor saw a white van pull into the driveway of Shirley's residence between 2:00 and 3:00p.m. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. 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. SOUTH BEND, Ind. "I don't understand it," Shircliff said of the judge's ruling. "I moved out in February of 2011," he said. 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. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. When she told him there was around $10,000-12,000 in it, he said that wasn't enough. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. 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. They should go to jail. I dont know why they did it. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. 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. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. [29] He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years without parole on August 14, 2015. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. As his court date neared, the workload ramped up. Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today." He gave her $3,000 to use, and they lost it all. 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. In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. Monserrate Shirley agrees to testify against ex boyfriend in Indiana Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. Indianapolis House Explosion Case Now a Criminal Homicide Investigation [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. Should I have accepted that stipulation? As stated previously, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals. The only improvement he ever made was to buy two flat screen TV's, a 65-70 inch model for the master bedroom and a 42 inch screen for her daughter'sroom. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. 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.. Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com "You can't even do a fire. 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. The evidence Robinson and Hollingsworth had was substantial. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. But the majority supported us.. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. Two of those alleged co-conspirators were arrested as a direct result of her cooperation: Gary Thompson and Glenn Holts.
Breathe Journey Take Action Project Ideas,
Faytx20hl Cross Reference,
How Many Shark Attacks In Destin, Florida,
Articles M