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. The November 2012 blast claimed the lives of John and Jennifer Longworth and spawned an investigation that landed five people behind bars. -- 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. In the game of death, monserrate daughter is the only way to be reunited with the game of life. He was going to bring Thompson to their house so she could say she was okay to move forward, too. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. Did you see her on TV a few days later? The explosion in the subdivision just south of the city on Saturday, Nov. 10, killed John and Jennifer Longworth. A copy of her plea agreement was entered into evidence and handed out to each member of the jury. 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. So you do get concerned about, will they see the arsons? If I could bring Dion and Jennifer back, I would do that in a heartbeat, she said. In addition to his roofing business, Mastercraft, Leonard also flipped cars on the side. After speaking with detectives, they went to Mark's sister's home, where they spent the night. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. Jeff Wager, the lead homicide investigator in the case, talks about the surveillance and arrests of Mark Leonard and Monserrate Shirley: It was at a meeting with prosecutors in early 2015 that Richmond Hill residents learned of the plea deal being worked out with their former neighbor, Monserrate Shirley. [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. Im telling the truth and nothing but the truth was a phrase repeated by Monserrate Shirley throughout the day. He says the log lighter worked fine when he lived there. [7] Shirley told the police she never smelled any natural gas, but that her daughter had thought she did recently. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. Im thankful for my trial team for sticking with me. 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. Glenn Hults, the final defendant to stand trial for the explosion, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge last month that may result in no additional jail time. Its because the life of the game itself is the life of the game itself. . It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. I thought it was crazy, but I went along with him. I cant give the Olveys back a peace of mind. I didnt give it any credibility. 2023 CIRCLE CITY BROADCASTING I, LLC. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." I didn't do nothing wrong.". For years, the team holed up in that office three days a week to avoid being distracted by other ongoing cases. "John Shirley, whose ex-wife Monserrate Shirley lives at the home with their 12 year-old-daughter, said he got a text from his daughter about a week-and-a-half ago telling him the heat. 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. Prosecutors contend that the motorcycle was disassembled in Shirley's garage. [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. For one: She had earned a reputation as a master liar, as Mark Leonards defense team would later call her. . [6] Prosecutors also allege that he offered the hit man a $5,000 bonus if he made the murder look like a suicide. She, at first, struggled to identify her other neighbors. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Shirley and her boyfriend Mark Leonard were out of town for the weekend while her 12-year-old daughter stayed with friends. Follow her on Twitter:@hollyvhays. Leonard is charged with 53 counts of murder, arson and conspiracy. With good behavior, her earliest possible release date is Dec. 19, 2032. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. They then worked to establish a pattern of poor decisions in her personal life and changing stories throughout the investigation. In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its chef and owner. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. "That cannot be real. Prosecuting Mark Leonard presented with some challenges. Heappears to have died of natural causes. "I feel like, you know, it would have been better off for me to be there [at the house when it exploded]," Shirley said. Monserrate Shirley, 49, said she became distraught when neighbors telephoned her after the November 2012 explosion and told her that her home was destroyed. There's little remaining of Shirley's home (pictured at left) after Saturday's explosion. Shirley says Monserrate's sister moved out of the neighborhood around the same time they moved in. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Indianapolis, IN Interactive Weather Radar, Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much, Opening statements in the trial of Mark Leonard. Eventually, hed be asked to repeat her answer at her boyfriends murder trial. Its also the name of the game of death in which our monserrate daughter will be taking us on. BREAKING: By a vote of 24-38, New York's State Senate has voted against same-sex marriage legislation. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. 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. 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. I got upset with her and sent her some derogatory texts. Aaron Carter. On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. [29] He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years without parole on August 14, 2015. 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 I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. Monserrate worked Friday, November 9. "I want $300,000. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. More on AOL Real Estate:Find homes for rent in your area.Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.Find homes for sale in your area.Find foreclosures in your area. . Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. None of them had given any indication they were willing to take a plea under the terms prosecutors were offering. Monserrate Shirley entered a guilty plea in the case that started as an insurance scam in Richmond Hill in 2012. Shirley said she was attracted to Mark Leonard, particularly noting he was well-dressed and had bleach blonde hair. Mark Leonard drove her home that night and stayed with her for what the defense characterized as a romantic, sexual night. According to Shirley, he said the house fire would happen, "even if I have to step in the living room and light up this house myself.". When testimony moved to the night of the explosion that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth, Monserrate Shirley had a difficult time staying composed. We did the right thing, for the right reason, and got the right result in the right way.. "I don't know what happened. Monserrate Shirley leaves court after learning her sentence. Its about not letting the person who was watching your game die ever have a say in your game. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. Robinson has said she will argue for 50 when the time comes. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. News, information &. 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. She grew up in Puerto Rico with a violently abusive father who would often beat Shirley as well as her siblings and mother. 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. He told her to tell Holts, though, that they would be trying the fire again that night (Sunday night). Its because the game of death is the game of life itself. . 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. The original posters source was a little bit of a weird little coincidence, but the name was still alive and well. In another, she said Mark Leonard turned on the gas line and actually lit the fire during the second attempt. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. Seven months later, on March 18, 2016, his brother Bob Leonard Jr. received his own sentence of life without parole in a courtroom in Fort Wayne, Indiana. To do that, the team moved 80 boxes of documents connected to the case to an office on the east side of Indianapolis. FULL STORY | Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much. At the time her friends called her, Monserrate was at a casino with Mark Leonard. 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. "I was at one of my part-time jobs when I got a text from my daughter, which was very unusual. 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. [6] Investigators said personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000. "I mean, I'm totally devastated like my neighbors are.". Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. She later worked at St. Francis and Community South. Her sister had lived in the same housing complex. I see a con artist when I look at her., If she really is apologetic, then I accept the apology, said Dion Longworths father, John Longworth. Robinson could not tell them, for example, that Shirley would be facing a sentencing range of 20-50 years in prison. 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. I did everything to make him happy, Monserrate Shirley said in testimony. 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. But the majority supported us.. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. A second mortgage had been taken out on the home for $65,000 in addition to the original mortgage of $116,000. I care about people. Shirley didn't hear anything more about a plot to start a fire that night, and nothing happened. Bob Leonard, Monserrate Shirley, Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults also face charges in connection to the explosion. Monserrate Shirley is lead into her sentencing hearing in December 2016. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. She was wearing a jail jumpsuit, was shackled and her hair had grown long, dark and curly.IM TELLING THE TRUTH. 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. Shirley: "She lost everything. "You can't even do a fire. Shirley recalled a later conversation that she had with Bob and Mark Leonard, after the explosion. Leonard died around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at an Indianapolis hospital,according to an Indiana Department of Correction spokesman. 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. [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. Attorneys walked Shirley through a number of conversations she had with Mark Leonard from the time they met until the house exploded. This may help explain why this dish is beloved by patrons like myself. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. [24], On March 28, 2015, Mark Leonard was charged with conspiring to murder the key witness against him, Mark Duckworth. There was discussion about: Should we cut all of those? "No one.". 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. And it wasn't the answer we were looking for. I had to know I could make this case based on the evidence I had.. Its an interesting concept. On Monday, November 5, they changed out the thermostat for a "cheaper" model. We knew we were taking a week of testimony from the residents to talk about what had happened to their houses, Robinson said. [12] Though the trio was eligible for the death penalty under Indiana law, prosecutors chose to pursue life sentences without parole because they believed a jury would be unlikely to impose the death penalty without any evidence that the suspects intended to cause the deaths. 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. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" Shirley: "No.". Shirley and Leonard had gone on television on multiple occasions following the blast to state their innocence, and to ask for privacy. And I look at all the opportunity she had where she could have gone for help and she never did.. Denise Robinson, the Marion County Prosecutor on the case, told the court she rarely asks for the maximum sentence. Shirley: "Yes. By the time wed got to trial, hed already been in jail for going on three years. Sgt. He said that his daughter had mentioned that the furnace wasn't working, and he wondered whether a gas leak ignited the blast. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. "No one deserves what happened," she said. She owned the house. She gave it to him, and he used it to pay Bob. They got to the room, but Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed there while Shirley played slot machines for about an hour. A class C felony carries 2-8 years. 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. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. 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 . Her earliest possible release date is December 19, 2037when she will be 72 years old. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. Shirley: "Yes. She came into the courtroom looking much different than she did the weekend of the explosion in 2012. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. I tried to ignore Mark Leonards history as much as I could, Robinson said. Of the dozens and dozens of homes damaged by the blast, 33 were affected so severely they had to be demolished. HOW TO SOLVE ERROR CODE PII_EMAIL_DE03C2D55A4B639F558D. She will be 72 years old. And you have to weigh that out? Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up. He questioned her about the multiple boardings of her cat, Snowball, which he found odd. She explained that Snowball had anxiety. 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.