GUILTY IN - Two killed, 7 injured as explosion rocks Indy neighborhood, 10 Nov 2012

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http://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/trial-date-set-for-richmond-hill-explosion-suspects
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INDIANAPOLIS - The murder trials of three suspects in the Richmond Hill explosion might have to be held outside of a courtroom because of a plan that’s never been done in Indiana.

Mark Ray Leonard, Monserrate Shirley and Robert Leonard have faced a judge in criminal court while in detention, but their trial may require a high school or a college.

The suspects in the deadly south side explosion will not return to court until March. Their lawyers are trying to figure out the best way to handle their separate trials.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office is requesting what is known as concurrent jury trials, which means having three separate juries hear the evidence at the same time in the same room.
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http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/07/02/richmond-hill-suspects-change-venue-hearings/12038177/

A hearing is scheduled for the last week of July on a motion for a change of venue in the murder and arson trial of Mark Leonard, the alleged mastermind behind the deadly 2012 Richmond Hill explosion...

The first trial in the case originally was set to start in June, but was postponed after prosecutors and defense attorneys told the judge they would not be ready. No new trial dates have been set.
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http://fox59.com/2014/07/17/prosecutors-lay-out-motive-strategy-in-richmond-hill-case/

Marion County prosecutors have investigated and argued from the moment the smoke cleared over the Richmond Hill neighborhood that failing finances and gambling debts led the fatal house explosion that killed two neighbors and damaged dozens of homes nearly two years ago.

Now, in recently filed court documents, we are learning the strategy and evidence the State will present in the murder and arson trials of homeowner Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother Bob Leonard.
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The trial for Mark Leonard will be held in South Bend which is about 150 miles north of Indianapolis. There is a new bypass road from Indy to South Bend and much of it is complete as of today. Just in time... Though no date has been set yet.

Last month Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson dropped her opposition to the defense's change-of-venue request, citing the difficulty of finding a fair and impartial jury in Marion County and the risk of having a conviction overturned on appeal because of questions about the jury.


http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...hill-blast-suspect-trial-south-bend/14353369/
 
http://wane.com/2014/12/11/judge-moves-second-indy-explosion-case-out-of-marion-county/

A judge agreed to move a second trial in the 2012 southside explosion case out of Marion County. Monserrate Shirley&#8217;s trial would begin somewhere between November 2015 and January 2016...

Carlisle instructed defense attorneys and prosecutors to each submit a list of five counties where they would agree to hold Shirley&#8217;s case. That list should not be submitted until after Jan. 1, she said, when dozens of new judges take the bench across Indiana...

Court documents show prosecutors and Bob Leonard&#8217;s attorneys filed a joint motion asking Judge Carlisle to &#8220;initiate the process for change of venue to another county&#8221; in his case as soon as possible.
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Drat! We are soon moving to Indianapolis, and I thought, finally, a trial I can go and sit in the courtroom...and now it has been given a change of venue! :(
 
Richmond Hill explosion defendant Monserrate Shirley pleads guilty to 2 counts
Associated Press, Rafael Sanchez, Derrik Thomas
4:47 AM, Jan 20, 2015
8:04 PM, Jan 20, 2015

Residents hoped that Shirley's cooperation with prosecutors could lead to unknown fourth suspect.
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Read more at ...
Also, video

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/...-shirley-back-in-court-tuesday-to-change-plea


Richmond Hill explosion suspect Monserrate Shirley pleads guilty to arson counts
Ryan Sabalow, ryan.sabalow@indystar.com 5:07 p.m. EST January 20, 2015

Monserrate Shirley, one of the suspects in the 2012 Richmond Hill explosion that leveled a Southeastside neighborhood, may not serve a day in prison.

But as she waits in jail, she will have to testify against her former lover, his half-brother and possibly a fourth suspect who has not yet been identified by police or charged.
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BBM

Voyles read that the suspects tried and failed to set the home on fire at least twice before the Nov. 10 blast.

Voyles read that in late October 2012 Mark Leonard and the unnamed suspect blocked the chimney vent and altered the thermostat so it would "click" and ignite a fire in the home.
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BBM

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...monserrate-shirley-issue-plea-today/22047383/
 
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/st...a9ca266b947/IN--Indianapolis-House-Explosion/

Two counts of murder and dozens of arson charges were filed Thursday against 44-year-old Gary Thompson in the November 2012 natural gas blast that killed a couple living next door.

Thompson is scheduled to appear in court Friday for his initial hearing on the charges.

Court documents say Thompson was involved with tampering with the natural gas flow in the home of Monserrate Shirley and setting a timing device to ignite the gas.
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http://wlfi.com/2015/01/29/4th-richmond-hill-suspect-faces-dozens-of-charges/

Thompson&#8217;s charges were in large part credited to information provided by suspect Monserrate Shirley, who reached a plea agreement that would shorten her prison sentence if she provided information about the case. Curry said Thompson was interviewed on Jan. 19 but denied any connection to the Nov. 10, 2012 explosion...

Sources told News 18&#8217;s sister station WISH-TV that investigators have been focused on Thompson for &#8220;a long time,&#8221; and have been gathering evidence into his possible role in the case.
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http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/04/01/trial-th-richmond-hill-suspect-postponed/70782162/

Thompson&#8217;s trial was tentatively set to start Monday. During a hearing Wednesday morning, his court-appointed attorney, Heather Barton, asked for the trial to be postponed.

No new trial date has been set. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19.

Mark Leonard&#8217;s trial is scheduled to start June 4 in St. Joseph County. Bob Leonard&#8217;s trial is set to begin Jan. 19 in Allen County.
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A utility officer testified that the blast was equivalent to 3 tons of TNT. He also testified that the home had used twice as much gas as any home in the area in the days leading up to the blast. Also gas leak surveys had been preformed and no leaks in the pipeline had been found. It also appeared (in yesterday's testimony) that the gas regulator had been removed and piping had been tampered with.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/util...home-had-equivalent-of-3-tons-of-tnt/33652790

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/utility-official-regulator-missing-from-exploded-house/33635264
 
'I am gonna buy a Ferrari!' Man told his friend he was buying luxury car with insurance money days before he 'blew up his home and accidentally killed his two neighbors'

Mark Duckworth testified on Monday that Mark Leonard told him before the explosion that his house had blown up

He said Leonard told him said tsunami winds caused the blast and that he was getting $300,000

Two days after the 2012 explosion, Duckworth called to check on him when Leonard said he made up it up and was 'kidding'

Duckworth said he told his father he feared for his life because he knew too much before learning Leonard wanted him killed

Prosecutors said Leonard was the mastermind behind the plot to burn the house and collect insurance money


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rd-told-house-exploded-did.html#ixzz3fDDKXSIu
 
The jury has reached a verdict: the court is reconvening at 1 pm Eastern time--so the verdict will be announced in a few minutes.
 
An Indiana judge on Friday sentenced a man to life in prison without parole for murder and arson when he tried to burn down a house for insurance money, an act that sparked an explosion that killed two neighbors, local media reported.

St. Joseph Superior Court Judge John Marnocha handed down the sentence to Mark Leonard, 46, who was found guilty in July of all 53 charges against him, the Indianapolis Star newspaper reported.
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http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/14/usa-indiana-murder-idINKCN0QJ1X220150814
 
December 15. About a month away from the start of his trial, Bob Leonard, the man accused of conspiring with his half brother and the brother's girlfriend in the November 2012 explosion that killed two people and destroyed more than 80 homes in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis appeared Tuesday in Allen Superior Court to address pretrial motions associated with the case.

Just as business was moving along swiftly and without so much as an objection, Leonard decided to make a few motions of his own before Allen Superior Judge Fran Gull.

Leonard, who appeared with his attorney, Theodore J. Minch, and co-counsel, Mark Inman, accused them of a violation of rules of professional conduct and asked for their dismissal in his case.

He also interjected a request for a change of venue while arguing his relationship with his counsel had deteriorated.
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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/l...iss-counsel--asks-for-another-change-of-venue

The trial is starting January 19 if anyone is interested. The motions were denied.
 
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