Worst Neighbour Ever on Netflix: Why did Monserrate 'Moncy' Shirley kill her neighbours in Richmond Hill Explosion and where is she now?
Was it all for money?
Worst Neighbour Ever is the latest in the franchise from Netflix, and the second episode focuses on a community-shattering crime known locally as the Richmond Hill Explosion, and the involvement of Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley.
In the instalment – entitled Midwest Meltdown — we meet the residents of the “social neighbourhood” Richmond Hill in Indiana, in which the residents were “all best friends”.
This included Puerto Rico-born Monserrate Shirley, affectionately called Moncy by her friends and family. She was a “foundational part of the tight-knit community”, and beloved by many.
However, that all changed after she divorced her husband John. When her new boyfriend Mark Leonard moved into her home, eyebrows were raised, not least because of his criminal record. Understandably, Moncy’s closest friends grew increasingly concerned. And they had good reason to be.
In November 2012, Moncy’s house exploded, killing two neighbours Jennifer and Dion. Dozens of others were injured, while the blaze destroyed up to 30 homes. Shockingly Moncy was behind the explosion, and culpable for the deaths… But what went so wrong?
The second instalment of Worst Neighbour Ever delves into the shocking true story of Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley and her crimes.
What was the Richmond Hill Explosion?
Richard Hill was known as a close community, where the neighbours were “best friends” and often spent evenings together. The gated community, found in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis, Indiana, suffered a devastating loss on November 10, 2012 when the home of resident Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley exploded. The explosion resulted in the deaths of next-door neighbours John “Dion” Longworth and his wife Jennifer.
Seven other neighbours were also injured, while the explosion caused $4 million in property damage. Thirty-three homes were damaged beyond repair and had to be demolished. Police believed the blast was an accident at first, but it soon began to look like foul play.
In fact, the natural gas explosion was intentionally set at 8349 Fieldfare Way, to collect $300,000 of insurance money. Moncy, her boyfriend Mark Leonard, and three others were eventually found responsible. They filled the house with natural gas and then used the spark from a microwave, which could be set in advance, to trigger the explosion.
While it’s evident that Moncy and Mark did not intend to kill anyone, their sinister insurance scam went horribly wrong.
Worst Neighbour Ever’s Monserrate Moncy Shirley: What did she do and why?
Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley was a nurse, and popular member of the community. That is until she met her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, who moved in with her.
After the explosion, they told authorities they had been away for a weekend, having arranged for Shirley’s 12-year-old daughter to stay with friends, as well as arranging boarding for Moncy’s adored cat, Snowball. Crucially, investigators found that personal insurance on the home had recently been increased to $300,000.
Investigators also discovered that Mark Leonard had been linked to a number of allegations of insurance fraud and other scams in the past.
Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his half-brother Bob Leonard were initially charged with two counts of murder and arson in the deaths of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. A fourth person, Gary Thompson, was charged in January 2015 on the same charges. In April 2015, a fifth man, Glenn Hults, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson.
Although Mark Leonard was considered the “mastermind” behind the explosion, Moncy’s neighbours were struck dumb by her involvement, calling her attacks “personal”.
Where is she now?
Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the Richmond Hill Explosion. Judge Sheila Carlisle presided over the case, while Moncy’s neighbours faced her on court. It was an opportunity for them to weigh in on what they thought the appropriate sentence was. All who asked for a specific sentence said they thought she deserved the maximum allowed by law.
Brookley Longworth, the sister of Dion Longworth, said: “I don’t think she should ever hold her daughter again.”
Unlike the two other primary co-conspirators in the case – Shirley’s former boyfriend Mark Ray Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard Jr. – Shirley avoided the possibility of life without parole thanks to a plea deal.
In that deal, Shirley agreed to testify against her co-conspirators and to provide information about the insurance fraud scheme. Investigators say the plan was to destroy Shirley’s home in the Richmond Hill neighborhood in order to collect a $300,000 insurance policy.
In exchange, prosecutors allowed Shirley to plead guilty to just two charges of conspiracy to commit arson. She faced a sentencing range from a suspended 20-year sentence to 50 years behind bars.
Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley remains in jail, but will not spend the rest of her life in prison. She did accept responsibility and she did cooperate with the prosecution. Moncy was 47 years old when she was arrested in late 2012, and is now 66. She could be out in 2032 at the age of 72.
None of this would have happened without Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley
Judge Carlisle said: “But for Monserrate Shirley, none of this would have happened. But for you letting Mark Leonard into your home, and for you increasing that insurance policy. But for you arranging the alibi, and for taking care of your daughter and your cat. You obviously knew the dangers of that plan, otherwise you wouldn’t have sent Brook away. You took care of your loved one, your cat and some treasures from your home, but you didn’t take care of your neighbours.”
She continued: “You were a mum. You were a nurse. You were a neighbour, and you were a friend. And in each of those categories, you betrayed your trust.”
Meanwhile, Mark Leonard was found guilty on all 53 counts, including murder and felony murder charges. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years without parole. However, he died on January 30, 2018, at an Indianapolis hospital, aged 48, of natural causes. Bob Leonard was convicted on all 51 counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit arson, on February 24, 2016. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole, as well as 70 years from other charges, on March 18, 2016.
Moncy’s statement in court
Before Judge Sheila Carlisle handed down her sentence, Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley expressed the remorse she feels after the Richmond Hill Explosion.
She said: “First, I want everyone to know how deeply I am sorry about this horrific tragedy. This is something that will be in my heart forever. I am sorry for causing so much pain, I never thought in my mind it would be like that. I am so sorry for keeping silent after this tragedy, I was scared for my life and for my daughter.
“On the night of November 10, 2012, two innocent people’s lives were taken. Two innocent, beautiful people. This is something that will be with me for the rest of my life. I do not have the words to express how sorry I am.”
Shirley then spoke directly to the Longworth and Buxton families. She said: “We should go first before our children. It is a pain I wish I could take from your heart. My friends, my neighbours who trusted me in my community. I let everyone down. Every day I ask myself why I didn’t stop this. Why didn’t I reach out? But I was scared.”
She concluded: “I wish I could take all of this back. You don’t know how much pain I live with every day of my life.”
Read more: New documentaries and true crime on TV and streaming in June 2026
