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. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. Shirley spent hours on the stand. As fate would have it, it would be Carter, just a few weeks later, who would place Monserrate Shirley in handcuffs. Another woman reported that she had loaned him about $5,000 for a construction job, which he had yet to pay back. 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. Prosecutors alleged that the natural gas explosion was intentionally set to collect insurance money. So in the end there were a couple of people who were opposed to it, and I respected that. This has to be done, Shirley testified. Make After he was done, the fireplace worked properly and they never smelled any gas inside the home because of it. Again, she said, "Because I was not able to tell him 'no'." Shirleys apology rang hollow to many Richmond Hill residents in the courtroom. Heappears to have died of natural causes. It wasnt the only curveball Black and Shircliff would throw at the prosecution. The force of the blast shattered windows and ripped down garage doors at dozens of other homes in the neighborhood. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. wishtv.com your home page, Business, Equity and Opportunities Podcast with Scott Sander. He looked over the insurance policy and said she was under-insured so she called the insurance company and doubled her policy from $150,000 to $300,000. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. She remained in the house as the sole owner until the explosion. 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 girlwas already out of the house while they cleared it of the sentimental items. Leonard was at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility inSullivan County serving two life sentences for his role in the explosion that rocked the southeast-side neighborhood that destroyed five homes and damaged more than 80 others. 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. When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. We believed that he did, we had some very thin evidence that he did. Ms. Shirley ultimately took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty and provided important information during the investigation. He occasionally worked on those cars at Shirley's home so she saw he had a wide array of tools. But while he was living in the home, the only problem he had with its gas appliances the furnace, water heater and fireplace was that their pilot lights would sometimes go out when a draft blew in from an open garage door. Shirley would receive over $300,000 in insurance money for the replacement of the home as well as personal items. 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. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. ", When prosecutors asked if she was serious about the 401K offer, Shirley said, "I would have given him anything because I was in love with him.". ", She re-iterated that she offered him her retirement savings in place of burning the home. But I dont feel bad for the deceased.. Amazingly, despite the force of the explosion, a hybrid pear tree planted by Dion Longworth still grows in the yard where he and his wife Jennifers house once stood. [6] Her attorneys argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and was coerced by Mark Leonard into participating in the crime. Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. I always get the money.". 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. [28] Prosecutors expected to submit nearly 3,000 pieces of evidence, and potentially call up to 175 witnesses. Mark had called her asking which credit card he could buy the thermostat with, but she didn't see him actually switch out the thermostat for the new one, nor did he ever say who did it. According to Shirleys account, she was struggling to stay financially afloat when she met Leonard, and within a month of dating, he came up with the idea. 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. 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. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. The inmate and Leonard drew up a contract agreeing that Leonard would pay the inmate $15,000 when he was released, the affidavit said. Leonard is the brother of Mark Leonard, who is dating Montserrate Shirley, who along with Mark Leonard, lives in the home . The cat, nicknamed Snowy, was a birthday gift for their daughter, he said, and "she misses him.". 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. He did come to the house one week before the first attempt. 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. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. She went to a bar on the south side of Indianapolis in November 2011 and they immediately noticed each other. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. 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. 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 said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. After that, the fire wasn't mentioned again until the week before Halloween. You were a nurse. Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. arranged for her daughter to stay . Its a difficult case. Neighbors, family testify in sentencing hearing of Monserrate Shirley, owner of the home. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. The first time Gary Thompson first came over to discuss starting a fire, she told him, "I'm ready, as long is this is a small fire. Mark Leonard was the first to go on trial. Shirley: "She lost everything. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. The next time, Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonards brother, Bob, was supposed to carry out the plan. The case was expected to be the largest and most expensive trial in Marion County history. IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Thirty-three homes were damaged so severely they were deemed unrecoverable, and had to be torn down to the foundation. Shirley: "Yes. [31][32][33] Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. She still qualifies as a practicing nurse. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Leonards death doesnt change the fact that Jennifer and Dion died, Buxton said. ", Minch: "You've had problems over the years with the furnace and the water heater. The crowd watched in grim silence as a Marion County judge entered not guilty pleas for Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and his brother, Bob Leonard. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. Their funeral was held earlier today. ", When they went to pick up Shirley's daughteron Sunday, Holts told Mark to "Get the [expletive] out of here. She owned the house. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. She now faces 20-50 years, though a judge has the right to suspend some, or all of that time. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. Yes, I didnt think it would be possible, Monserrate Shirley said.HUGE EXPLOSION. 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. 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. 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. [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 couple says their neighbor Bob Leonard was led away for questioning. You were a mom. [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. PREVIOUS | Full testimony: Monserrate Shirley takes the stand. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. But she had no hesitation when asked to identify the Longworths as her neighbors. 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 Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. The sentence accounts for time served and good. 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. But a whole days-worth of potential jurors would end up tainted anyway not by media coverage, but by Leonards defense team. 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. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. Shirley: "No.". Leonard asked Holts to tell the story of his own fire, how easily he'd gotten the money and to re-assure Shirley everything would be alright if they did it at her house. Mark and Bob stayed in the garage while they talked about what Bob's part would be, while Shirley stayed inside. Thats time served, and hes out. Many people may remember Shirley giving an interview to the media, including WISH-TV, after the explosion. Its a game that only you can play. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. The defense certainly offered to stipulate that 60 homes were damaged. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. Much of the attention since the explosion has centered on Monserrate Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard, who lived at the house in the center of the blast area. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. Your email address will not be published. The meeting was difficult for me because I couldnt ethically tell them everything, Robinson said. At one point you replaced the thermostat." The sentence accounts for time served and good. The family, he said, will never truly get closure. For their families, the tree is one last connection to the loved ones they lost on Nov. 10, 2012. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Shirley testified that friends called and told her there was a huge explosion. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. 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. They'd soon get a new roommate. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/, emmy rossum jay z and beyonce the big chill tony blankley charles barkley beyonce troy polamalu, http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/14/monserrate-shirley-speaks-about-indianapolis-house-explosion/. I didnt want it to affect the trial date, Robinson said. Shirley stated that her daughter had smelled gas during the week before the explosion. 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. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. They went to the casino and waited for the call that a fire had broken out, but again, the call never came. 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. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. Shed said similar things in an interview with IMPD Det. 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. "(Whoever is responsible will) have to pay for what they did to me and everybody else," Shirley said in the interview. The first attempt was supposed to be carried out by Gary Thompson, but it failed. He was working in Fishers on the night of the explosion. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. 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.. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. "I am a nurse. He eventually improved enough to return home, but Shirley had to continue caring for him for several months. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. [7], An investigation involving the Indianapolis Division of Homeland Security, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Indianapolis Fire Department was begun. 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. While Leonard has been in slacks, a dress shirt and tie throughout the trial, Shirley walked into the courtroom in shackles and a prison jumpsuit. SOUTH BEND, Ind. Later that same day, an attorney asked Shirley if the Longworths deserved what happened to them. Shirley had heard of Bob before, but had not met him before he came over Thursday, November 1. ", Minch: "At no time did she ever say she was involved in the explosion?" But she put an end to that in August 2011.". 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). She told them she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. Write For Us: Investigative Articles are Intriguing. How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? Glenn told me, Between Mark and Gary, theyre going to explode the whole neighborhood. I said, Dont play like that. He says he "was very surprised" to learn Snowball had been boarded on the night of the explosion. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. I didnt want to do anything that would cause that trial date to be continued.. Monserrate Shirley and Mark leonard, profiled on the next "American Greed," staged a natural gas explosion to collect the insurance on their Indianapolis home. He was, however, eventually able to return to his hobby of umpiring softball. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. At the center of the case, Mark Leonard, a womanizer with gambling debts who preyed on divorcees, hatched an arson plot for money with his girlfriend, Monserrate Shirley. Mark Leonard moved in with Monserrate Shirley about a month later. Shirley's daughter went with them in Leonard's Cadillac. At about 11:10p.m., on November 10, 2012, a large explosion occurred in Richmond Hill, a subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. "I thought it was crazy," she told a jury, "but I went along with him." The brothers were sentenced to terms of life without parole for spearheading the conspiracy. But didnt the jury need to hear from the residents? Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. Shirley's next-door neighbors, John and Jennifer Longworth, died in the blast. We again offer our condolences to the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth and to those who suffered injury and loss. As his court date neared, the workload ramped up. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. As of summer 2022 the show has aired sixteen . He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Shirley wasnt a suspect at the time, and the interview was a routine one. The most money she ever remembered seeing him lose on a single trip was $7,000. [18], Prosecutors initially sought to try the suspects together, but the defendants were granted the right to separate trials. Bob had been asking for his $10,000 payment before the explosion even happened. They agreed to say they'd been having trouble with the thermostat and smelling gas for a while. 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). Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. Carter would testify that her emotions and demeanor seemed normal at the time, for someone whose house had just blown up. They laughed at her for asking, but it was switched back out. "They are currently in the process of recovering the appliances from destroyed homes to help determine the cause.". "I don't know what happened. Her house exploded on their third attempt of trying to claim insurance money. Check those tickets! Shirley may have been the prosecution's highest profile witness, but that doesn't mean they're done. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. She could face 20-50 years in prison. They should go to jail. Defense attorney Ted Minch on cross-examination: "You're not happy to be here today."
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