[6] She claimed to have been horrified at the Longworths' deaths, as well as the massive destruction wrought by the explosion. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. This time, Shirley's daughterwas at home, but she was upstairs. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . Shirley: "Yes. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. The sentence accounts for time served and good. . None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. 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. But their arrests wereonly the beginning of years of work to put them behind bars for good. 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. 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. The blast killed two people and. Start the day smarter Notable deaths in 2023 The world's largest war 2023 meteor showers TRANSCRIPT | Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. While Thompson checked the digital thermostat, Shirley heard him and Leonard say they could use it to trigger the fireplace as the source of the fire, but they never directly gave her any specifics on how they were going to do it.
wikipedia.en/Richmond_Hill_explosion.md at main - github.com Too little, too late, said Jennifer Longworths father, Don Buxton. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. Ms. Shirley, 47, and Mark Leonard, 43, her boyfriend, were 100 miles away at a casino when their home blew up. 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. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. 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. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Bryce Young falls short: 5-10 . . monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . [38], Gary Thompson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. I dont know why they did it. They'd soon get a new roommate. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions. Will they get to the felony murder?. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". 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. Gary Thompson, who had helped with the first two unsuccessful attempts to blow up Monserrate Shirleys house, pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2016, to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. "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. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion.
Neighbors seek max sentence in fatal home blast - USA TODAY 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. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy.
'But for Monserrate Shirley:' Betrayal next door - WRTV Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. She said Mark didn't actually want anyone to come to the house, he just wanted a trail they could point to after the fire so they could explain why they were in the hotel. 2012 explosion in Richmond Hill, Indianapolis, Indiana, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "At least 2 killed, others injured in explosion, fire in Indianapolis neighborhood", "Family breaks ground on new home in Richmond Hill subdivision after Indianapolis home explosion", "36 homes critically damaged in explosion in south side neighborhood", "Homeowner at center of explosion feels lucky to be alive", "Authorities call Richmond Hill explosion a homicide case, seek details on white van", "Probable cause suggests pattern of fraud, details inconsistencies", "Richmond Hill suspect, friend face insurance fraud charges", "Affidavit: women say richmond hill blast suspect Mark Leonard has long history of scheming", "Shattered Subdivision Offers a Trail of Clues", "Life sentences without parole sought for Indianapolis explosion suspects", "4th person arrested in Indianapolis house explosion", "Fifth suspect charged in 2012 Indianapolis south side explosion", "Mark Leonard, Indy Blast suspect, pleads not guilty in murder plot", "Jim Voyles now representing Monserrate Shirley", "Home Explosion Case: Monserrate Shirley, Mark And Bob Leonard Due In Indianapolis Court", "Richmond Hill explosion: 3 trials for price of 1?
Indianapolis House Explosion Case Now a Criminal Homicide Investigation "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. . Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. We did what prosecutors are supposed to do. I didn't do nothing wrong.". How to fix the pii__email__cbd448bbd34c985e423c Error code? [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition.
She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. 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). She asked that Mark and Bob switch it back out for the nicer version. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. 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. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. SOUTH BEND, Ind. They said they didn't know. "Everybody's pointing a finger at me like I did something wrong," Shirley said in a video posted on the Indianapolis Star newspaper's website. [6] A friend of the couple reported that Mark Leonard had lost $10,000 at the casino approximately three weeks before the explosion. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. arranged for her daughter to stay . Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. 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.
Man accused of murder in deadly house blast learns his fate - CBS News [20] The trials started in 2015. Once again, she agreed to make the same three arrangements: the casino reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. 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. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. She could face 20-50 years in prison. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. 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. [2] Over sixty firefighters responded to the blaze. They decided to cut a piece of cardboard to block off the chimney path. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. 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. [14] In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson. 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. This is too risky." The truth is, I was scared.. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. At least half a dozen marriages in the Richmond Hill neighborhood ended in divorce in the years immediately following the blast. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. But Im not allowed to say that. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it.
Monserrate Shirley, Indianapolis Homeowner - AOL Real Estate She was the neighbor that all the other neighbors were looking at. Its a difficult case. "I want $300,000. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. 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. 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. Robinson knew that. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys asked Shirley if she thought Hults was joking. After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. The next morning, they returned to Indianapolis and saw the house was again still standing so Mark called Bob and told him to meet at a nearby parking lot. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. Shirley says they were his. She moved to the United States when she was 25. An offhand comment would change that. Except her cat, the clothes on her back and a teddy bear she got when she was 1. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. We've got a few more.". She found a house with a floorplan she liked." So while I had that, I pretty quickly set it aside and put it in a file marked Mark Leonard and never looked at it, because I couldnt allow that to influence me in the decision. 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. If that timeline holds, final jury instructions would be given Monday, July 13 then deliberation would begin. Shirley: "No. The name comes from a restaurant that is on the run called theserie rossa which translates to the run of the wits. The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. When we got in this case, we were asked to save her life, said defense attorney James Voyles. 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. [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. 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.
Richmond Hill explosion: Where are they now? - indystar.com Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. In her sentencing order, Judge Sheila Carlisle repeatedly stressed that Shirley could have stopped the plan at any time but didnt. 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. [6] 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. Shirley had earlier cooperated in providing testimony against alleged co-conspirators but. 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. But no other problems. Prosecutors then proposed an unusual strategy involving one trial, but three separate juries, one for each defendant. 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. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. She was the nurse. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. That hit man was later revealed to be an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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. In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. Mr. Monserrate Morales was born on January 7, 1955 in Puerto Rico. 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. The problem was that none of that criminal history would be admissible at trial. 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. Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and received a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. At least three of his possessions did survive, however: two golf bags, with clubs, and a driver he'd been gifted. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them.