Three Charged With Murder For Massive Indianapolis Home Explosion
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Dec 21, 2012 7:20PM
Police have charged three people with murder for the November explosion that killed two people and devastated an Indianapolis neighborhood. The owner of the home where the explosion started, Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother Robert Leonard are accused of causing the explosion to cash in on insurance.
Authorities say the trio purposely released gas into the home, then used a microwave oven to ignite the gas. Shirley and her boyfriend were out of town at the time of the explosion. Her daughter was visiting a friend, and their cat was being boarded. Investigators say Robert Leonard had been at the home on the day of the explosion.
Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said a microwave oven set on a timer was used to ignite the gas.Curry said they also tried and failed to blow up the house the weekend before the explosion.
Curry said Shirley had recently increased the insurance coverage on her house to $300,000. The trio was hoping to cash in the insurance payments to pay off their sizeable debt. Curry said Robert Leonard took personal items, including photographs and financial documents, out of the house prior to the explosion.
Facing multiple murder charges, the case qualifies for life in prison or the death penalty; prosecutors will wait 30 days to decide whether to seek it. Each defendant also faces charges of conspiracy to commit arson and dozens of arson charges.
The Nov. 10 blast killed a couple in a nearby home: Elementary school teacher Jennifer Longworth, 36 and her husband Dion Longworth, 34. Seven people were taken to area hospitals. At least 80 homes were affected with broken windows, cracked ceilings and bowed-out walls. So far, 16 homes have been razed, and 15 are slated to be demolished.
Initial investigations focused on searching for a potential gas leak or perhaps a faulty furnace, some sort of accidental source. On Nov. 19, though, authorities announced the incident was now the subject of a criminal homicide investigation, and they offered $10,000 for information. Authorities said they were looking for a white van, and they seized one belonging to Robert Leonard.
Prosecutor Curry said the two Leonards had asked a Citizens Energy employee some odd questions. The AP writes:
They "asked that person various questions regarding gas, including the differences between propane and natural gas, the role of a regulator in a house and controlling the flow of natural gas and how much gas it would require to fill a house," he said.