Indianapolis man convicted of murder in home explosion, An Indianapolis man was bedevilled of murder, arson and allowance artifice on Wednesday for his role in a 2012 abode access that dead two neighbors and devastated a subdivision in the southern allotment of the city.
A arctic Indiana board begin Bob Leonard, 57, accusable on all 51 counts he faced. Prosecutors said surveillance video, attestant affidavit and DNA affirmation accepted he was complex in the artifice with his bisected brother and others to use accustomed gas and a bake to draft up the abode for $300,000 in insurance.
The adjudicator afterwards disqualified that aggravating factors were acceptable for Leonard to face a best book of activity in bastille afterwards parole. His sentencing audition is set for March 18.
"It closes one added section in the tragedy. It helps with putting the daydream abaft us some," said John Longworth, whose son and daughter-in-law lived next aperture and were dead in the explosion.
Longworth said he was admiring Leonard wouldn't be able to aching anyone else. He said the adjudication was a relief, but "there's annihilation for us to be blessed about. It's all sad."
Defense advocate Ted Minch said the "enormity" of the access and the case adjoin his applicant had been a concern.
"I anticipate what we were consistently anxious about, and we approved to acquaint the board this, that it's just the abomination of the case. And can you get above the abomination of the case, the bulk of destruction, the death, the description that you apprehend — it's like a war zone? That was consistently our concern, and I don't anticipate we were anytime able to affected that," Minch told reporters.The adjudication came seven months afterwards Leonard's bisected brother, Mark Leonard, was bedevilled of getting the administrator abaft the Nov. 10, 2012, access that aswell damaged or destroyed added than 80 homes. He was bedevilled in August to two activity sentences, forth with 75 years in prison.
The home was endemic by his adherent at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified beforehand this ages that Bob Leonard was brought into the artifice afterwards a aboriginal attack to bake down her abode bootless in October 2012. Prosecutors adduce the suspects planned to abort the abode by bushing it with accustomed gas. A bake allegedly set to alpha on a timer sparked the blast.
The access destroyed the home and the abode next door, killing Jennifer and John "Dion" Longworth.
Shirley told jurors that if she asked Bob Leonard about the access that dead her next-door neighbors, he replied: "Oh, well, they died. You were in it. You talk, we talk."
Prosecutors presented 16 canicule of affidavit during Bob Leonard's added than month-long balloon in Fort Wayne, area the balloon was confused because of top publicity of the case in Indianapolis. Mark Leonard's balloon was captivated in South Bend.
Bob Leonard didn't affirm in his defense, and his attorneys declared just two assemblage who were on the angle for about a bisected hour. Jurors began apperception Tuesday.
Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said she was animated to see the adjudication for the victims.
"There's not a lot of celebration, just added of a acceptance that amends was served in this case," she said.
Shirley, who testified adjoin both men, has pleaded accusable to two cabal charges. She faces 20 years to 50 years in bastille if sentenced.
Her cooperation aswell led to accuse adjoin two declared co-conspirators, Glenn Hults and Gary Thompson, who face a collective June trial. Thompson faces two counts of annihilation and 47 arson-related counts, while Hults faces a allegation of cabal to accomplish arson.
John Longworth said he was searching advanced to the final balloon in the case.
"They've absolutely aching our family," he said. "It's easier now to anticipate of Dion and Jennifer, and smile sometimes because you bethink something that they did. At ancestors gatherings, we'll allocution about things that they did and laugh."
A arctic Indiana board begin Bob Leonard, 57, accusable on all 51 counts he faced. Prosecutors said surveillance video, attestant affidavit and DNA affirmation accepted he was complex in the artifice with his bisected brother and others to use accustomed gas and a bake to draft up the abode for $300,000 in insurance.
The adjudicator afterwards disqualified that aggravating factors were acceptable for Leonard to face a best book of activity in bastille afterwards parole. His sentencing audition is set for March 18.
"It closes one added section in the tragedy. It helps with putting the daydream abaft us some," said John Longworth, whose son and daughter-in-law lived next aperture and were dead in the explosion.
Longworth said he was admiring Leonard wouldn't be able to aching anyone else. He said the adjudication was a relief, but "there's annihilation for us to be blessed about. It's all sad."
Defense advocate Ted Minch said the "enormity" of the access and the case adjoin his applicant had been a concern.
"I anticipate what we were consistently anxious about, and we approved to acquaint the board this, that it's just the abomination of the case. And can you get above the abomination of the case, the bulk of destruction, the death, the description that you apprehend — it's like a war zone? That was consistently our concern, and I don't anticipate we were anytime able to affected that," Minch told reporters.The adjudication came seven months afterwards Leonard's bisected brother, Mark Leonard, was bedevilled of getting the administrator abaft the Nov. 10, 2012, access that aswell damaged or destroyed added than 80 homes. He was bedevilled in August to two activity sentences, forth with 75 years in prison.
The home was endemic by his adherent at the time, Monserrate Shirley, who testified beforehand this ages that Bob Leonard was brought into the artifice afterwards a aboriginal attack to bake down her abode bootless in October 2012. Prosecutors adduce the suspects planned to abort the abode by bushing it with accustomed gas. A bake allegedly set to alpha on a timer sparked the blast.
The access destroyed the home and the abode next door, killing Jennifer and John "Dion" Longworth.
Shirley told jurors that if she asked Bob Leonard about the access that dead her next-door neighbors, he replied: "Oh, well, they died. You were in it. You talk, we talk."
Prosecutors presented 16 canicule of affidavit during Bob Leonard's added than month-long balloon in Fort Wayne, area the balloon was confused because of top publicity of the case in Indianapolis. Mark Leonard's balloon was captivated in South Bend.
Bob Leonard didn't affirm in his defense, and his attorneys declared just two assemblage who were on the angle for about a bisected hour. Jurors began apperception Tuesday.
Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said she was animated to see the adjudication for the victims.
"There's not a lot of celebration, just added of a acceptance that amends was served in this case," she said.
Shirley, who testified adjoin both men, has pleaded accusable to two cabal charges. She faces 20 years to 50 years in bastille if sentenced.
Her cooperation aswell led to accuse adjoin two declared co-conspirators, Glenn Hults and Gary Thompson, who face a collective June trial. Thompson faces two counts of annihilation and 47 arson-related counts, while Hults faces a allegation of cabal to accomplish arson.
John Longworth said he was searching advanced to the final balloon in the case.
"They've absolutely aching our family," he said. "It's easier now to anticipate of Dion and Jennifer, and smile sometimes because you bethink something that they did. At ancestors gatherings, we'll allocution about things that they did and laugh."
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