[6] Investigators said personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000. 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. Gary Thompsonwas handed a 30-year prison sentence, 20 years executed, for his role in the murderous insurance fraud scheme. Before meeting Mark, Shirley had never been to a casino. The human toll is harder to estimate. Residents, particularly the younger ones, report experiencing continued psychological trauma from the incident. The now 49-year-old originally faced life in prison without parole. She said she did not tell officers at the time what happened because she was scared. . On multiple occasions Wednesday, Shirley said she didnt say no to Mark Leonard because she loved him. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. I want everyone to know how sorry I am for this horrible tragedy, she said in court in front of Richmond Hill residents. 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. He asked whose name the house was under, and she said it was entirely in her name after the divorce. FOLLOW|Rafael Sanchez on Twitter|Jordan Fischer on Twitter, RELATED LINKS |Richmond Hill Special Section|Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts. The next morning, they went to Bob Leonard's mobile home. She met Mark Leonard at a bar on November 12, 2011. [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." Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. 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. Shirley is originally from Puerto Rico. [6] They had arranged for Shirley's 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends and had boarded their cat, Snowball, for the weekend. Thompson arrived on Monday or Tuesday, October 22-23, while Shirley's daughter was at school. Leonard told him Shirley was ready and she agreed. The men were reportedly in the home briefly and hurriedly left. I didn't do nothing wrong.". 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. We are sure to have a lot more weird coincidences in the next few days, but this one is pretty crazy. Thompson said he'd been pulled over by a cop so he couldn't get to the house. But the majority supported us.. I didnt give it any credibility. He asked how much was in the 401k, according to Shirley. [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. Shirley says he was paying Monserrate $1,000 a month in child support and mortgage payments. You were a neighbor and you were a friend, Carlisle said. Monserrate Shirley was a divorced Puerto Rican mother whose exotic looks quickly attracted Mark Leonard. I was scared for my life and the life of my daughter., Forgive me for my poor choices in life, she continued. She took care of all three. Shirley said she thought the fire plan was crazy, but went along with it anyway. She wanted to put it on her plate. "That cannot be real. To begin the day, Monserrate Shirley explained how she and Mark Leonard met. Shirley owned the home at the epicenter of the November 2012 explosion that killed two people and damaged dozens of other homes causing more than $4 million in damages. On November 19, it was announced that the investigation had become a criminal investigation. Thompson returned to their home to plan their next attempt. The sentence accounts for time served and good. "You can't even do a fire. Shirley said she recalled telling them two innocent people die out of this.THIS HAS TO BE DONE. . Leonard said he talked to Gary Thompson without her, telling him they were ready to do it. 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. The group researched methods of how to destroy the home and made more than one attempt at doing so before succeeding, authorities said. Monserrate Shirley cried at various points Wednesdaybut didnt shed any actual tears. Jurors will later hear that the golf bags and clubs were found at Bob Leonard's home after the explosion. Again, Monserrate agreed to do her same three preparations: a casino hotel reservation, a babysitter for her daughterand boarding for Snowball. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. Prosecutors started by addressing her plea agreement. 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 had a homicide detective crying on the stand. Bad food, non-first class flights drop Colts to middle-of-pack in player survey. And your daughter lost some things?" "The State asked questions about [the interview] andthe judge said on the record that he saw no difference in her demeanor [on the video] than what she did today and that was our whole point: that she can tell a lie as easy as she tells the truth.". And that, Im sure, will never change.. We firmly believed that Gary Thompson played a role, but until she cooperated, we couldnt prove that, Robinson said. Shirley: "She wanted us to live in a bigger house. An autopsy will be conducted by the Marion County coroner's office Wednesday, according to the DOC. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. [9], Investigators discovered a number of allegations of insurance fraud and other scams by Leonard prior to the blast, particularly involving stolen or wrecked automobiles. 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. A second home was reduced to rubble as well, and other houses were half-collapsed. Leonardwas placed under "imminent death watch" earlier this week. All I can say is, I had one small role in this. "[6] The witness also told investigators that Leonard talked about buying a Ferrari with the insurance money from the house. [19] Judge Shelia Carlisle rejected the proposal, noting that no Indiana law authorizes the use of concurrent jury trials. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016. They said they didn't know. [22], On January 16, 2015, Shirley agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. They enter into evidence two golf bags with clubs and a driver. And then there was the arrangement that when I picked up my daughter I would get to take some of my belongings. "You face one, you get over one and you've got another one all the way until the end. Monserrate Shirley spent the entire day on the stand Wednesday, and the anticipation of her testimony was evident in courtroom attendance. But she put an end to that in August 2011.". This type of trial is unusual but not unheard of, and had been used in the trial of the Menendez brothers. (They were) my neighbors for a very long time since we built the house, Shirley said. FORT WAYNE, Ind. She never got a call, though. And I understand it, because of their feelings about her. They moved into a home they built in Richmond Hill toward the end of 2003. Shirley said that she was at a casino bar at the time of the explosion, and her boyfriend and daughter -- who also live with her -- weren't home either. Four years after thedeadly Richmond Hill explosion, another chapter has closed. Shirley told her daughternot to come back to the house for any reason, though she didn't explain why not. 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. I did everything to make him happy, Monserrate Shirley said in testimony. 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. [20] The trials started in 2015. 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.. Shirley testified Leonard asked to see the insurance policy on the home within a few weeks of moving in. Shirley: "She lost everything. 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 been around since the late 80s, but Im sure well find more of it on our own site. monserrate is the name of the dish, as well as its . Says Sen. Tom. Hed also been previously accused of insurance fraud in connection with a car accident. How to fix pii_email_029231e8462fca76041e Error Code? [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. In an interview with former RTV6 reporter Stacia Matthews, Shirley suggested the explosion may have been an attempt on her life. After the first failure, Leonard decided he also wanted to bring in his half-brother, Bob. Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were convicted and sentenced to prison on various charges, including felony murder for Leonard. Glenn told me, Between Mark and Gary, theyre going to explode the whole neighborhood. I said, Dont play like that. "I have everybody telling me stuff that they said on the TV," she said. 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 . And the game of death is the game of life itself. Many of the women reported that they met him on dating sites and that he soon began asking them for money. When we got in this case, we were asked to save her life, said defense attorney James Voyles. Including journalists, it was closer to four dozen. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. [23] The plea deal involved Shirley pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson in exchange for testifying against the other suspects. You were a nurse. Mark Leonards trial at the St. Joseph County Courthouse was eventful before it even started. [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 said after he and his wife's divorce was finalized in July 2011, the last time he was at the home at 8349 Fieldfare Way was August of that year. Monserrate Shirley was given the house after her divorce. Mark started telling Shirley they needed to get their stories straight before police started asking questions. He refused, though, and warned them, "You guys be careful, because I know someone who committed arson and got 75 years in prison. While there had been some communications early on, we were not willing to offer Monserrate Shirley a significant deal for her cooperation, Robinson said. Its about becoming who you were meant to be. One small job. John did all the maintenance on the home - she never did any. Shirley: "In order to pay a very large amount of child support, I was working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. It was the last time she would be in her home before the explosion. We knew somebody else was involved, and he was the only one whose name consistently came up, but it was only after she cooperated that we were able to charge Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults.. Sgt. She was crying and hysterical and said the house blew up.". Your email address will not be published. Most importantly, Shirleys testimony would further tip the scales against the Leonard brothers. Its quite obvious that monserrate is the source of the name in this case. So in the game of death, monserrate daughter is the Shirley of the game of death. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. I went into the breakroom and texted my ex about what happened. 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. An offhand comment would change that. I commend Det. 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. Roughly a week afterward, Mark asked Shirley for $500. Dont make that kind of joke, Shirley testified. But no other problems. Will they get to the felony murder?. ", "Richmond Hill explosion suspects to get separate trials", "Attorneys: Change of venue likely in Monserrate Shirley case", "Richmond Hill suspect trial moved to South Bend", "Defendant in deadly Indiana explosion agrees to plea deal", "Richmond Hill trial: Informant says Mark Leonard wanted witness killed", "Home> U.S. Indianapolis House Explosion: Suspect Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot", "Marion county prosecutor's office asks for life without parole sentences in richmond hill explosion", "Richmond Hill trial to focus on greed and desperation", "Mark Leonard convicted of murder in explosion scheme", "Mark Leonard gets life without parole for Richmond Hill explosion", "Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies", "Cause of death of Richmond Hill conspirator Mark Leonard determined", "Richmond Hill explosion culprit Mark Leonard dies at Indy hospital", "Leonard found guilty of all counts in Richmond Hill trial", "Indianapolis man get 2 life sentences in deadly house blast", "Psychologist Says Monserrate Shirley Was Abused as Child, Has 'Dependent Personality Disorder', "Monserrate Shirley sentenced to maximum 50 years in prison", "Gary Thompson sentenced in Richmond Hill explosion after pleading guilty to arson charge", "Glenn Hults sentenced to 3 years in deadly Richmond Hill blast", Affidavit of Probable Cause, Dec. 20, 2012, Affidavit of Probable Cause, April 14, 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richmond_Hill_explosion&oldid=1133693717, November 2012 crimes in the United States, Articles with incomplete citations from March 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 02:18. Holts invited Leonard and Shirley to his friend's house for a pool party in the Geist neighborhood. Or that, because it was her first serious offense, a judge could eventually decide to suspend some or all of that sentence. Among the "no" votes, inexplicably: political dancer Hiram Monserrate. 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. Monserrate Shirley is lead into her sentencing hearing in December 2016. And I wanted to be able to tell them everything., TRANSCRIPT | The full testimony of Monserrate Shirley. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison on the arson charges on top of two life sentences for the murder charges. By this time, Shirley's daughterhad noticed her portrait was no longer above the fireplace and asked Monserrate about it. Its about your game being the only game that matters. Monserrate and John had the home in Richmond Hill built in 2003. [6] 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. 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.