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Indiana Supreme Court to hear Bob Leonard’s appeal in Richmond Hill case

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) —  The Richmond Hill explosion case will be back in court on Thursday morning.

Attorneys for Bob Leonard will ask the Indiana Supreme Court to overturn his convictions connected to the deadly explosion.

Last year, a jury convicted Leonard of 51 charges including murder, arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Leonard is serving two life without parole sentences, plus an additional 70 years. Leonard’s attorneys and the state agree the 2012 explosion was part of a plot to collect insurance money. The blast killed Dion and Jennifer Longworth and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes.

According to court documents, Leonard’s attorneys are appealing the convictions based on four points:

  • The state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Leonard knowingly killed the Longworths.
  • The trial court should have given the jury a reckless homicide option.
  • Indiana’s life without parole “sentencing scheme” is unconstitutional.
  • The state failed to present sufficient evidence that Leonard burned or mutilated Dion Longworth when he was alive.

In court documents, the attorneys argue Leonard was part of a “bumbling crew” who did not know what they were doing. Leonard’s attorneys argue he and the other conspirators planned for a small explosion.

“The State, like many in Central Indiana were at the time of the incident, is blinded by the magnitude of the explosion,” attorneys said in court documents. “It is easy to look at the devastation and to Monday-morning quarterback the perpetrators.”

On the other side,  the state argues Leonard knew there was a high probability that the the explosion would be deadly.

“It was highly probable under these circumstances — where the complete explosion of a large residence was deliberately planned and executed — that the immediate neighbors in close proximity would be killed by either the explosion itself of the resulting massive fire,” the state argued in court documents.

Leonard’s appeal claims the jury should have been given the option of reckless homicide because Leonard did not intend to kill anyone.

“This case was about attempting to commit an arson, but in so doing, botching the job so badly that a neighborhood exploded,” attorneys said in court documents.

The state argues that the trial court acted properly. The state writes “[Leonard] took multiple, deliberate steps and two prior attempts to detonate the Shirley residence over the course of several days, including educating himself on home explosions and consulting with a gas company employee. All of [Leonard’s] actions showed his awareness of a high probability that deaths would result from the explosion/fire.”

Leonard’s appeal also claimed the state’s life without parole “sentencing scheme” is unconstitutional. The state pointed out that several other defendants have used the same argument, and the court has “repeatedly stated that this claim is without merit.”

Finally, the appeal argues the state did not present evidence that Leonard burned or mutilated Dion Longworth. Therefore, the attorneys argue that should not have been factored into the sentencing. The state said even without that aggravating circumstance, life without parole could have been a sentencing option.

The hearing is set for 9 a.m. and is expected to last 40 minutes. 24-Hour News 8 will have a crew in the courtroom.

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