At 11:11 p.m. on November 10, 2012, the southeast sky of Indianapolis flashed orange.

Homes shuddered. Sirens wailed. Social media lit up with rumors of a aircraft crash, a meth lab explosion—or had a bomb gone off?

Within the in any other case quiet neighborhood of Richmond Hill, a blast not skilled in trendy Indianapolis historical past—with the drive of just about 5 tons of TNT—rocked a small group, wrecking houses and lives.

After a three-day emergency response, a yearslong investigation revealed foul play. On the middle of the case, Mark Leonard, a womanizer with playing money owed who preyed on divorcees, hatched an arson plot for cash together with his girlfriend, Monserrate Shirley. In courtroom, Shirley testified Leonard had promised to indicate her methods to make some huge cash. “I believed it was loopy,” she instructed a jury, “however I went together with him.” Shirley upped her house insurance coverage to $300,000 whereas Leonard crafted a plan to set the construction on hearth. Leonard rigged a fuel line and microwave, the couple boarded a cat named Snowball that belonged to Shirley’s 12-year-old daughter, and Shirley and Leonard headed out of city to the Hollywood On line casino in Lawrenceburg for the evening the place they awaited a payday.

However what occurred subsequent far exceeded a grubby insurance coverage rip-off. Two Richmond Hill residents—Dion and Jennifer Longworth—died. Twelve folks had been injured. 5 hundred calls flooded native 911 operators at county dispatch. Thirty-three homes had been destroyed to the tune of $4 million in damages. It was a plot worthy of a Coen brothers–like true-crime story—all the way down to Leonard’s try to rent a hitman from jail to kill a witness—and a multiyear prosecution finally led to 2 trials, greater than 5,000 items of proof, and the convictions of Shirley, Leonard, and his half-brother, Robert Leonard Jr., an confederate. Mark Leonard died in 2018 whereas serving two life sentences on the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. Shirley, who’s serving 50 years within the Indiana Girls’s Jail, declined an interview request. Makes an attempt to interview Robert Leonard—serving life with out parole—had been unsuccessful.

Amid the darkness of the saga, moments of humanity and kindness and Hoosier hospitality emerged, recalled many who lived by the expertise and shared their tales. Residents rushed to a staging space close to the scene after the explosion to donate garments, water, and meals. A reporter who lined the explosion and its aftermath got here to get pleasure from a Friendsgiving with one of many Richmond Hill households. Neighbors grew to become endlessly bonded by their trauma, banding collectively to purchase Christmas items for the kid of one of many perpetrators. Right here, these on the middle of the ordeal recount it a decade later.

THE NIGHT OF

Residents took half in a candlelight vigil to honor the victims whereas others (proper) rushed to the scene the evening of the explosion with water bottles, meals, and clothes. Picture by (left) Matt Kryger/The Star through Imagn; (proper) Rob Goebel/The Star through Imagn

DOUG ALDRIDGE, Richmond Hill resident: I used to be upstairs in my bed room watching the Notre Dame-Boston Faculty sport. My spouse and son had been downstairs watching one thing on one other TV. I simply received up up and doing and heard a loud explosion.

RAFAEL SÁNCHEZ, investigative reporter with WRTV-6: It was a phenomenal November evening—unseasonably heat.

NICOLE WEATHER, Richmond Hill resident: I used to be simply drifting off to sleep when it occurred. It felt like my husband took our fridge and threw it down the steps.

RUSS FUTRELL, lieutenant, Indianapolis Fireplace Division: We had simply completed watching the Notre Dame soccer sport. It was shortly after 11 o’clock at evening, and issues had been quieting down across the firehouse. Then we heard an enormous explosion.

ALDRIDGE: Like a bomb.

FUTRELL: We thought perhaps a car hit the firehouse—it simply shook the entire firehouse.

SÁNCHEZ: A photographer and I started heading there from Broad Ripple once we received the information.

ALDRIDGE: I ran out of the bed room. I might hear my son’s automotive alarm going off. I believed somebody had hit his automotive after which our home.

WEATHERS: I noticed an enormous fireball within the sky. The home that exploded was instantly behind us. I ran again inside and the home was simply in shambles.

SÁNCHEZ: Individuals had been claiming {that a} meteorite hit the neighborhood. I believed, Come on.

MARIO GARZA, captain, Indianapolis Fireplace Division: I stay a few miles from the location. My home shook, and it felt like a automotive had run into the home. I occurred to have my division radio with me and received on the radio, listened to the site visitors, and realized that no matter was occurring was shut. I self-dispatched and went all the way down to the scene. I might see an orange glow.

FUTRELL: Exterior of the firehouse, I appeared to the south and noticed an enormous plume of particles within the air. I received on the intercom on the firehouse and I instructed my crew, “We’re going to go and examine what that was.” We thought it perhaps might have been an airplane crash at [the Indy South Greenwood Airport].

ALDRIDGE: I appeared over our [upstairs] balcony, and I noticed my spouse and son on the ground. They’d dove onto the ground after they heard the explosion. I went all the way down to test on them, then appeared out my entrance window. My home faces north in direction of the explosion, and all I might see was … it appeared like a home was lacking. A bunch of particles everywhere in the highway. I yelled at my son, I stated, “I believe the home down the road blew up. Come on.” Ninety-nine % of the time, I’ve sneakers on in the home. This time I used to be barefoot, however ran down there as quick as I might.

JEFF WAGNER, detective sergeant, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Division: I used to be on responsibility. I used to be truly out within the 2500 block of North Meridian Avenue with my accomplice. We had been on a demise investigation of a homeless particular person. We had been standing outdoors. We didn’t hear the explosion. What we heard was all of the radio site visitors afterward.

ALDRIDGE: Individuals had been popping out of the homes simply sort of in a panic, screaming hysterically. I instructed my son to test on these neighbors. I went additional towards Monserrate Shirley’s home, within the entrance yard, and stood in glass and wooden and the whole lot else. Nothing was left of this home besides the furnace within the storage—and so they had a automotive in there, too. That was it. A bit of flame was popping out of the furnace, and I’m considering to myself, There isn’t any manner anyone might survive that. I appeared over to the appropriate, which might have been the Longworth home—half of that was lacking. And I believed, Boy, there’s not quite a bit I can do there.

GREG BALLARD, former Indianapolis mayor: I used to be at an occasion at Lucas Oil Stadium. I used to be sporting a tuxedo. My safety man received an alert. We left instantly to go down there.

FUTRELL: There have been folks in robes and numerous modes of costume coming down and looking for out what occurred of their neighborhood. It was like a twister the place you’ve two-by-fours sticking into garages and into vinyl siding. To make use of the cliche, it appeared like a bomb went off.

ALDRIDGE: I received one other set of neighbors out of their home. Then I ran house for my sneakers, however after I received there, I couldn’t discover my spouse. Seems that when my son and I ran out the door, our golden retriever, Brix, took off. My spouse was looking for him and ended up chasing him everywhere in the neighborhood. So I put my sneakers on, went again outdoors, and the primary hearth engine pulled proper up in between the Shirley’s and the Longworth’s. The fellows jumped out and simply, like, froze.

FUTRELL: If you’re within the second, you’re going by what you’re educated for—for years and years or a long time and a long time. I’d had simply over 22 years on the division, and I fell again on the fundamentals of what we’re speculated to do, which is search and rescue, hearth suppression, and property conservation.

ALDRIDGE: When the subsequent hearth truck arrived, I flagged the crew and confirmed them the place the hydrant hookup was in entrance of my home. They began evacuating folks as a result of there was a large hearth. Among the firefighters had arrange a staging space at Mary Bryan Elementary College, and, by that point, plenty of media folks had proven up there, too. Individuals had been strolling out of the neighborhood—it appeared like one thing from The Strolling Lifeless.

SÁNCHEZ: Individuals emerged from clouds of smoke, popping out with hen cages and canine kennels and their children of their pajamas. It was like a sci-fi film.

BALLARD: We received there about 11:30 p.m., and a college was already opened for the victims as soon as I received there. That’s such a traditional Indianapolis story. There was a nurse on website. I walked by the neighborhood about 10 minutes after I arrived. One of many issues I keep in mind noting was, There’s no aircraft right here. I do keep in mind telling the press as quickly as I received again from that little stroll that there’s no aircraft right here, as a result of that was the primary hypothesis that was occurring on the time.

TROY RIGGS, former director of public security, Indianapolis: What was so spectacular was not solely the response from emergency personnel who responded to the scene, but in addition the response from Indianapolis residents. They noticed the importance of this from the primary report. It was wonderful what number of bottled waters and items of clothes confirmed up. They had been doing this on their very own earlier than we even made an ask for it.

ALDRIDGE: The entire sudden, it was three within the morning, and these folks simply begin bringing stuff to the college. Water and snacks and meals.

RIGGS: The new spots stored popping up. Our hearth division labored on it all through the evening.

FUTRELL: You’re [fighting a fire], and that turns into one hour, one hour turns into three hours, and three hours turns into six or seven hours.

RIGGS: There was anyone from the U.S. Military, perhaps a reservist or somebody that noticed what was occurring and noticed a necessity for site visitors management. To at the present time, I don’t know who that was, however that particular person directed the site visitors for hours. Earlier than we had an opportunity to say thanks, the necessity died down and so they left. Quite a few issues like that occurred.

WAGER: A number of hours later, after the fireplace division knocked down all the fireplace, they found that there have been deaths concerned. I used to be on responsibility because the late-shift murder supervisor.

ALDRIDGE: I known as my sister and requested her to choose us up; she lives in Greenwood. This was about 2:30 a.m. Whereas we had been ready, Monserrate and [Mark Leonard] confirmed up. He wasn’t saying a complete lot. However she was in a freakin’ panic and crying. My spouse requested her what occurred. “Moncy, your home blew up.” I didn’t comprehend it on the time, however these two knew what had actually occurred. Monserrate was placing on present.

THE INVESTIGATION

Residents Power Group staff inspected broken houses in Richmond Hill, which grew to become a large crime scene for investigators to scrutinize.Matt Kryger/The Star through Imagn

Nearly instantly, authorities suspected prison intent based mostly on Leonard’s prior historical past with insurance coverage fraud, which investigators found the evening of the explosion. However they stored that data from the general public to see how an unsuspecting Shirley and Leonard would deal with their alibi as they spoke with reporters. Detectives observed early on that somebody had eliminated a valve from Shirley’s fuel line, which regulated the quantity of fuel coming into the house. Likewise, a tool known as a step-down regulator, which additionally modulated fuel stress flowing into ovens and furnaces, was lacking.

WEATHERS: We’ve lived in Richmond Hill since 2001. Once we moved in, we had been the one home on our avenue. 5 years later, the whole lot was constructed. It was a pleasant neighborhood, very quiet. By no means actually had any troubles.

ALDRIDGE: We went to my sister’s home and stayed up all evening. We had been simply ready to listen to one thing. We had been taking a look at Fb and flipping by all of the TV channels. Channel 8 was the primary one to come back on with a information program on Sunday morning. They’d their helicopter up. I noticed the footage, and I simply began bawling. I hadn’t realized it earlier than, however it appeared like somebody had dropped a bomb in the course of our neighborhood.

WAGER: Once I arrived on the scene, I met with the investigators, the arson guys, and the fireplace division who was helping us within the extraction of the our bodies. I talked to considered one of my federal murder detectives who had been an arson investigator. He was sitting on the scene within the driveway of the Shirley residence, and I walked as much as him. We began speaking and stated he’d already appeared up a few issues on the pc. And he had discovered that Mark Leonard, Shirley’s boyfriend, had a previous [outside of Marion County] for insurance coverage fraud. That was the primary little factor—a pink flag that makes you suppose that one thing just isn’t proper.

RIGGS: We had been sifting by a particles area that was as giant because the neighborhood and on the lookout for proof that would have been as small as a one- or two- or three-inch pipe.

WEATHERS: My cousin had breast most cancers. And when my aunt was alive, she gave me her Treasured Moments Struggle Like a Lady figurine, as a result of I additionally had breast most cancers. It was proper by my husband’s workplace, the place home windows had exploded. It didn’t fall off. It was miraculous. I felt like I had an angel there.

BALLARD: By the subsequent day, investigators already knew what occurred. They instructed me however they didn’t let on.

WAGER: Jennifer Longworth was upstairs and Dion Longworth was downstairs within the basement when the explosion occurred. The plasma ball mainly exploded the home. She fell all through into the basement amid rubble however died virtually instantly from the concussive results of the particular explosion. They’d safety system that was truly recording. The entire occasion of Dion’s demise was recorded. The firemen couldn’t get to him. It was horrible to hearken to.

BALLARD: I went and talked to the firefighters perhaps a few weeks after it occurred. They had been taking it very, very onerous.

RIGGS: We had been treating this as a murder investigation. Because the investigation continued to develop, proof continued to mount.

WAGER: Inside a couple of hours, we had the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives going by the particles, and so they started to find anomalies. The microwave [in Monserrate Shirley’s home, the epicenter of the explosion] ought to have been crushed, however hadn’t been. Its door had been blown off. That was simply one other little piece [to the puzzle].

DENISE ROBINSON, supervisor, particular crimes unit/murder coordinator, Marion County Prosecutor’s Workplace: Sunday evening, most likely about 9, I received a cellphone name from Detective Wager. I believed perhaps he was calling a couple of search warrant or with some technical query, however he prefaced the dialog by saying, “I believe now we have an issue out right here.” As quickly as he stated these phrases, I knew that issues for me had been going to vary. By Monday morning, I used to be on the scene. There have been nonetheless some fires going. You possibly can scent the fuel. What I keep in mind, most likely probably the most, was that it appeared like a conflict zone.

WAGER: After they received to lastly digging by the rubble, they discovered the manifold for the fuel inlet that was truly contained in the [Shirley] home. I don’t know for those who’re conversant in fuel manifolds, however you’ve somewhat spherical factor that’s known as a step-down regulator hooked up to the tip of an iron pipe. So after they discovered the iron pipe that belonged within the Shirley residence, it didn’t have a regulator on it. What that instructed me was that anyone was monkeying round with the plumbing in the home and that we had been taking a look at some actual prison intent.

ROBINSON: I used to be on the location day and evening for a month. We had the command tent arrange. We had proof vans. We did an excellent job the primary couple of weeks of protecting from the media that I used to be even there. If that they had seen me, they might have identified it was a murder investigation. And we had been maintaining that shut. I don’t suppose we launched it as a murder investigation for over per week. If I used to be going out and in of the subdivision, I used to be within the backseat of a automotive laying down. We didn’t need Monserrate Shirley and Mark Leonard to know what was occurring. They had been already popping out making statements by legal professionals and so forth, and we needed to allow them to speak. We needed to allow them to suppose that they had been getting away with one thing.

SÁNCHEZ: Within the early days, all of us thought, Oh my goodness, Monserrate is a sufferer. Her house exploded. She actually led us to consider that she was a sufferer. And she or he would grow to be a sufferer of psychological abuse by her boyfriend.

ROBINSON: Snowball was Monserrate Shirley’s cat. She boarded Snowball the weekend of the explosion. Then we discovered that she had boarded it at two different locations the 2 weeks earlier than, which led us to find that there had been two earlier makes an attempt to explode the home. That strengthened our case about this being intentional. Shirley and Leonard made preparations to remain at a resort and on line casino and despatched Shirley’s 12-year-old daughter to stick with a buddy. They eliminated quite a few private gadgets from the residence—televisions and furnishings, for instance. They eliminated the step-down regulator from the fuel line inside the home in order that the movement of fuel from the meter to the home equipment was now not restricted. They poured gasoline in a few rooms inside the home to ignite the pure fuel. Our idea of the case was that they put a metallic bottle within the microwave and the microwave had a 24-hour timer, which had been set for 11 p.m.

THE AFTERMATH

Residents positioned flowers at a close-by elementary faculty in honor of trainer Jennifer Longworth and her husband, Dion, each of whom died within the blast.Picture by Matt Detrich/The Star through Imagn

GARZA: I’ve been on this job for 36 years. Simply once you suppose you’ve seen the worst in folks, you haven’t. As firefighters, we usually see the worst of what folks can do to folks, and also you sort of get numb to the truth that folks simply could be so merciless to one another.

ALDRIDGE: We moved right here in 2001. I noticed all these homes constructed. To look at them get torn down, that was terrible. As soon as they lastly cleaned off all these heaps, they put an enormous fence round Moncy’s lot and tried to cowl it up. I known as it the freak present after some time as a result of everyone needed to come back by and take a look at it.

FUTRELL: It was, by far, the biggest occasion that I’ve been on, the load of the magnitude of it. The variety of houses that had been broken total: 80-plus houses.

GARZA: It’s a type of once-in-a-lifetime investigations.

ROBINSON: I nonetheless run into individuals who clearly keep in mind it and ask me questions.

RIGGS: In my years of working occasions as giant as sporting occasions with lots of of hundreds of individuals, nothing was ever as sophisticated as Richmond Hill in my 30-year profession.

GARZA: For me, as a hearth investigator, that’s the largest case I’ve had. I’ve been to courtroom a number of instances. However this one was an all-consuming case that lasted a number of years to get it to the courtroom and to get a conviction.

WAGER: There was a witness who got here ahead and stated that that they had spoken with Mark Leonard earlier than the explosion and that the evening earlier than he was browsing on-line for a Lamborghini—a $300,000 automotive.

ROBINSON: I don’t keep in mind my opening statements, precisely. However the case boils all the way down to greed, pure and easy. For Monserrate, the case was considered one of misplaced love.

ALDRIDGE: I needed to testify. The prosecutor got here to everyone’s home beforehand and stated, “Attempt to be your self and provides a truthful reply.” By that point, I couldn’t hardly discuss it anymore. My spouse despatched me to see a psychologist, as a result of each time one thing would come on, I’d really feel terrible and simply begin crying. So as soon as they received me up there on the stand, I caved like a deck of playing cards.

WAGER: There have been a number of tear-jerking moments through the trial.

ALDRIDGE: We had been very fortunate. Two folks died, and others had some minor accidents, however it might have been worse. Leonard might have killed lots of people. That foolish son of a bitch tried to kill me throughout $300,000.

RIGGS: Hoosier hospitality was on full show. The residents of the group held a dinner in honor of our first responders. After which folks in the neighborhood realized Shirley’s 12-year-old daughter was a sufferer of what her mother did, too. They knew that her Christmas was more than likely going to be depressing. And despite the fact that they had been coping with houses that had been broken, they purchased Christmas items for this younger girl. Nobody actually is aware of that story. That’s the kind of residents and the kind of Hoosier hospitality that I’ve by no means skilled in 30 years of public security.

WEATHERS: The neighborhood simply received so shut after the explosion. Throughout COVID, once we had been all isolating in our personal houses, we had cabin fever and all of us began sitting in our driveways with a radio on and we’d seize some beers or wine or no matter and firepits, and we’d all sit in our personal driveways and all speak to one another that manner. 

SÁNCHEZ: For a minimum of a few years after the explosion, I’d have Thanksgiving with one of many households. To me, the households of Richmond Hill grew to become an prolonged household to me.

GARZA: What I keep in mind about these days is the household and the mother and father of Jennifer and Dion Longworth, and never with the ability to do something to ease their ache. They got here to the scene very often. They needed to gather sure issues that had been particular to them that reminded them of their children. At instances, they might cry. I’d maintain them. Generally you simply can’t discover the phrases.

For extra tales by the residents of Richmond Hill from our April 2013 challenge, click on right here.