monserrate shirley daughter

Police became suspicious when they uncovered evidence that the couple had taken similar steps the previous weekend; the cat had been boarded and Shirley's daughter had been placed with a babysitter overnight before the couple went to the casino. This story is Chapter III of a three-part series. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. 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. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. John Shirley, her ex-husband, who owns the home with her, told The Associated Press that he believed the home's faulty furnace could have led to the explosion. [8], Prosecutors alleged that on the Friday before the explosion, Leonard and his brother Bob spoke with a neighbor who was a Citizens Energy employee, asking that person about the differences between natural gas and propane. Shirley says the house had three gas appliances when he lived there: furnace, water heater and fireplace. 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. Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. [6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. He was sentenced in August to two life sentences, along with 75 years in prison. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. Shirley spent hours on the stand. Shirley says he was worried Brook's cat Snowball was in the house and might have been killed. The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). I don't want anyone to get hurt," then started cooking dinner. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. 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. I told them I dont even want to be a part of this, Shirley testified as telling the Leonards. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. [6] Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. While Shirley said he lost a lot, he pointed out the toll was much greater on his then-13-year-old daughter Brook. 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. "I don't know what happened. She owned the house. 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. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. 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. 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. 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 next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. 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. [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. She agreed that's what happened, but insisted she only said what Mark told her to say. I did my best. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. 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. -- 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. 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. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. Shirley says they were his. She later found out her neighbors didnt make it. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. I have morals.I love my patients and I would do anything for them. [30] He died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. 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. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. I always get the money.". [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. The stove was electric. The meeting was difficult for me because I couldnt ethically tell them everything, Robinson said. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. 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. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. She grew up in Puerto Rico with a violently abusive father who would often beat Shirley as well as her siblings and mother. [25] Leonard allegedly asked another inmate at the Marion County jail if he could put him in contact with a hitman, according to the probable cause affidavit. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Its been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. It was a restaurant that had the name of a famous Italian poet who died young, but the restaurant only lasted for a year. Shirley alleged that Hults initially came up with the idea. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. And the game of death is the game of life itself. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. The home of Monserrate Shirley was the center of the explosion that resulted in the deaths of next-door neighbors John "Dion" Longworth and his wife Jennifer (ne Buxton), the injuries of seven others, and $4 million in property damage. 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. She was the one who got her daughter and her cat out of the situation and left her neighbors in the situation. This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. The shirley daughter is an Italian restaurant that takes more than 15 minutes to make you feel at home. I cant give back what was taken from them on November 10. Mark Leonard, the man considered the mastermind behind the 2012 Richmond Hill neighborhood explosion that killed two peopleand wounded at least adozen others, is dead. While she was charged in December 2012 for her role in the explosion, she pleaded guilty to two felony conspiracy charges earlier this year in exchange for her testimony. Its a difficult case. The home was owned by his girlfriend at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified earlier this month that Bob. Defense attorneys tried to play that video for jurors Wednesday, but the judge wouldnt allow it. Will they get to the felony murder?. The topic came up again around July 4. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. [27], Mark Leonard's trial began in June 2015. An offhand comment would change that. You were a nurse. Shirley said she would come back immediately, but they told her there was no house to come back to. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". Investigators quickly honed in on the home's owner, Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr., as the primary suspects. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. 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. Your email address will not be published. SOUTH BEND, Ind. She and her daughterwent to the hotel, where Mark later joined them. Shirley: "Yes. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. Prosecutors ask if Shirley was asked by police to identify personal property following the explosion. [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. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. Should I have accepted that stipulation? In court Wednesday, she said he turned on the gas, but never lit the fire. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. FORT WAYNE, Ind. Thompson left after a few hours and Shirley didn't hear anything else before the first attempt that Saturday. John moved out in February 2010 and their divorce was finalized that summer. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. Monserrate Shirley and Mark leonard, profiled on the next "American Greed," staged a natural gas explosion to collect the insurance on their Indianapolis home. They are charged with. 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. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. Required fields are marked *. The first time Shirley cried on the stand Wednesday was when she was asked about her neighbors. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. 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. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. Shirley testified that friends called and told her there was a huge explosion. . [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. towns among 150 Best Small Town in America, Citizens support Ind. She will not learn her fate until after all four of her alleged co-conspirators has been tried. Its an interesting concept. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. Mark Leonard drove her home that night and stayed with her for what the defense characterized as a romantic, sexual night. While Shirley and the Leonards had been sitting in jail, Robinson and Hollingsworth had been traveling to the ATF lab in Washington D.C. to learn about explosions and taking a crash course on natural gas. [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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He couldn't get a card to play with so she got a card for him and played on his behalf. After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. As fate would have it, it would be Carter, just a few weeks later, who would place Monserrate Shirley in handcuffs. That's whatwe'll be asking the jury to consider.". IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. 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. The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". Once they were alone, Leonard, Holts and Shirley started talking about the fire again while they sat around the pool drinking beer. Monserrate Shirley was given the house after her divorce. "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. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it. In exchange, she offered him the money in her 401K. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". [16] On March 13, Leonard allegedly placed a call to a man who he believed to be a hit man. 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. In one case, she said the first attempt was supposed to be tied to gasoline not natural gas. A prosecuting attorney showed her a photo of the house that exploded and asked her who lived on either side of her. 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. . [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. (WISH) Monserrate Shirley told jurors Wednesday she would do anything for Mark Leonard, because she was in love with him. The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. It ended in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Their funeral was held earlier today. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." "We had a lot of parties," the late. 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). "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. "No one.". For Lt. Mario Garza, the Indianapolis Fire Department veteran tasked with leading the arson investigation, the Richmond Hill explosion will likely be the most significant challenge of his career. She will be 72 years old. [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. 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. Mark Leonard first mentioned trying to burn the house down in February 2012, according to Shirley. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." He said there wouldn't be a problem because it would be a small fire so no one would get hurt, and since she had a long history with the insurance company and no criminal record, they would get the money almost immediately. 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. 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. 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. She was the nurse. Follow his reporting on Twitter at @Jordan_RTV6 or on Facebook. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. 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 refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. The name was inspired by the work of the famous Italian poet Leonardo da Vinci, but it was actually a combination of the two that are so influential in the history of Italian cooking that the name was changed to monserrate. Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1. 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. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. This time, Leonard worked with Thompson instead of Thompson doing the work while Leonard stood next to him, watching and planning. [39] Glenn Hults received a three-year sentence.[40]. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. "Mark can insult [Thompson], and he never does anything," Shirley said. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. [3][4] Damage to homes in the neighborhood was estimated at $4 million. He never gave her money like that again, but did play with his own money, spending anywhere from $2,000 - 10,000 each trip. She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. ", Minch: "You testified that you only used a babysitter maybe once a month, because your lifestyle with Ms. Shirley wasn't such that you went out every weekend?" If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. Bob Leonard's son told investigators that several items were in the van that had been taken from the home, including photos and financial documents. In fact, they said that at the time she raised her insurance policy to $300,000, she was roughly $300,000 in debt (more than $200K between her two mortgages on top of the bankruptcy settlement left over from her divorce). Deputy Prosecutor DeniseRobinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. 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. We did what prosecutors are supposed to do. 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. 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. She transferred from her job in Michigan to the VA hospital in Indianapolis, where she worked for 17 years, focusing in the ICU. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. Made and inspired by a love triangle, this was written by a girl from Italy. Monserrate Shirley, 51, was one of five people charged in the explosion that left two people dead. She continued handling some of Marion Countys most heinous crimes until January 2017, when her former boss, then-Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill, called her up and asked her to join him at the Indiana Statehouse, where he had just been elected attorney general. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. Mark then asked Bob twice to "go get the part that we need." Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. Shirley: "No.". Having Shirley as a witness came with its own pitfalls, though. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. 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. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. 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. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. It was never no for an answer. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. Leonard got sick in March 2012. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. . He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. 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 . (Item updated.) During the course of this lengthy process, we have sincerely appreciated the cooperation and patience of these families. Robinson says she didnt expect anything to change. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . "That cannot be real. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. 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. "I want $300,000. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. You were a mom. But these were good defense attorneys. The entire day she answered questions from attorneys, repeatedly crying. Robinson knew that. And the water heater." Below, former IMPD Det. 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. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". They claim that Leonard wanted the hit man to force the witness to call 9-1-1 and recant his statement before killing him. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. From confusion to conviction, Richmond Hill blast recapped. The Richmond Hill explosion took place on November 10, 2012, in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. 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. Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion.

Mark Derosa House, What Is The Difference Between Moen 1224 And 1224b, Articles M