After demands for a vote on the bill, we finally received one. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. 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. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't . Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold. 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. [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. The home also had a microwave above the stove which had a programmable timer. One year of his sentences wassuspended, and the rest was to be split between jail and work release. Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. . Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. 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. Psychologist Dr. Stephanie Callaway diagnosed her with dependent personality disorder, but stated under cross-examination that, while the diagnosis explains Shirley's actions, it does not absolve her of responsibility. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". Shirley: "Back in August (2011) she just stopped taking my phone calls and letting me talk to Brook. "We had a lot of parties," the late. 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 . After the second failed attempt to burn the home, Monserrate Shirley said she went to the home of Glenn Hults to pick up her daughter. The blast the product of an insurance fraud scheme killed two people and injured dozens of others. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Somebody knew that I was out of town. "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". 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. 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. 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. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. 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. She got in the van with them, and Mark asked her to give Bob $40. 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. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. I said, You guys are crazy, that my house is too big.. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. . And the water heater." "That cannot be real. [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. Officials did not release further information regarding his death. 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. 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. 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. This time, Mark and Bob talked alone while Monserrate left to pick up her daughter. 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. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. she said. [13] A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. She moved to the United States when she was 25. 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. 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 daughters often watched the girl. 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. She would then go to a southside bar to meet Mark before they left for the casino. Then there was the question of Leonards history. 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. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. Robinson, all-too-aware of the limitations of the justice system after decades as a prosecutor, says she is just glad they were able to get some amount of justice for the victims. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. With good behavior, her earliest possible release date is Dec. 19, 2032. That hit man was later revealed to be an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. John Duncan was the one to call, saying something horrible had happened on her street and he wanted to make sure she and her daughterwere okay. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. 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. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. Ultimately, she could end up serving 21 years if she maintains good behavior in prison. 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. Monserrate and John had the home in Richmond Hill built in 2003. 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 Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate, or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook and Pinterest. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. [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. Monserrate Shirley, 49, would have to testify against former boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother in the plea deal . The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). It's been hard for me and my daughter. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. More: Richmond Hill: 'The scars still remain', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 'It's the toughest thing I've ever done in my career', More: Richmond Hill explosion: 7 keys that solved the case. The girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. [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." ", 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?" I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. Its a game that only you can play. But the majority supported us.. She testified Wednesday she has a condition that prevents her tear ducts from actually producing tears. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. Make
I worked from the smaller charges to the larger ones to say, Of course its clear he did this, this and this, but heres how you get to here, Robinson said. She said Leonard had bought it a few months beforehand at that point. Bob Leonard said, "Well, you're in it. 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. The two divorced on July 25, 2011. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. I didnt give it any credibility. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. She then spoke with another neighbor, who told her there had been an explosion. 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. 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. The program is a spin-off of the Oxygen series Snapped and has a similar format to the Investigation Discovery program Wicked Attraction. There have been days with only two people in the audience other than media, but there were more than 30 Wednesday. We have done that. [1] Thirty-three homes were damaged severely enough to require demolition. She asked Mark and Bob what happened that made it be an explosion instead of a fire. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. 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. To the uninitiated, it seems to be a reference to a nickname used by the family of the deceased who are being called Shirley by their name. They started looking around the house at potential ways to start the fire. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. You may have noticed that the name monserrate has been replaced with the word shirley, which is used in both a variety of other games and in the game of death. No one deserved what happened. 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. Shirley said she has a condition with her tear ducts that makes her unable to produce tears, so people dont think Im crying for real.. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. The man he called was actually an undercover agent. I don't want to be involved in any of this.". 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. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. 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. They should go to jail. At one point you replaced the thermostat." 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.
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