Blast suspect hires top defense lawyer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - One of the suspects in the Richmond Hill explosion that killed two and irreparably damaged dozens of houses has hired a high-profile defense attorney, court officials confirm.

Monserrate Shirley, 47, owner of the home where the explosion occurred, has hired Jim Voyles to represent her in court. 

Voyles has previously defended suspects in such high-profile cases as the 2010 Carmel High School hazing case , a string of more than a dozen robberies across central Indiana, a grisly murder by an ex-TV writer and a Medicaid fraud of more than $1 million , and he also has represented Lincoln Plowman , a former City-County Council member convicted of bribery and extortion, and Jay Rosenbaum, one of the last people to see IU student Lauren Spierer  the night she disappeared.

Also charged in the natural gas explosion in November were Shirley's boyfriend, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard. Both of them have been granted public defenders. Shirley was previously represented by attorney Randall Cable, but court officials confirmed Friday that Voyles had filed to represent her in court.

All three face two counts of murder and dozens of counts of arson each. All were being held without bond in Marion County Jail.

Prosecutors say Shirley and Mark and Bob Leonard were scheming to collect insurance money by engineering a natural gas explosion in Shirley's home.

Also on Friday, the state attorney general announced he had filed a petition to suspend Shirley's nursing license. 

“Due to the seriousness of the criminal charges facing Monserrate Shirley, we believe it is in the best interest of the public to suspend her ability to practice nursing,” Attorney General Greg Zoeller said in a news release. “Our office will work with the Marion County prosecutor’s office and await the outcome of the criminal proceedings before determining whether a formal licensing complaint will be filed.”

The State Board of Nursing will consider the petition on Jan. 17.