Richmond Hill Explosion - update

I recall watching the Richmond Hill debacle unfold as I was finishing up law school and wondering whether I, or someone I know, would wind up representing anyone associated with it. For those who don't recall, this was the house on the south side that blew up and essentially leveled all of the surrounding houses and damaged the rest of the neighborhood.

I also recall working in Ft. Wayne while the trial was going on . . . it got venue'd out of Marion County due to the press coverage. Anyway, the Indiana Lawyer updated today as follows:

Mark Leonard, the man convicted in the massive 2012 Indianapolis house explosion that killed two in the Richmond Hill subdivision, has died at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Correction confirmed Tuesday. He was 48.

Leonard and his brother, Bob, were convicted on a slew of charges after they caused a natural gas explosion at the home of Monserrate Shirley, Leonard’s girlfriend. The explosion killed Shirley’s neighbors, Jennifer and Dion Longworth, and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes in the neighborhood on Indianapolis’ far south side.

Bob and Mark Leonard each were sentenced to life without parole. Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

story continues below

Earlier this month, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Mark Leonard would not appear before them again after denying transfer to his challenge of one of his numerous felony convictions.

I take no satisfaction in untimely deaths of anyone, be they Mark Leonard or Jeffrey Dahmer. It is for that reason that I disagree with the death penalty. 

Mr. Leonard, methinks you were not given sufficient earthly penalty, but I am neither a judge nor the Almighty. I suspect you have bigger questions you have to answer now. Best of luck, and my God have mercy on you as I hope he has mercy on all of us.