Mark Leonard seeks new trial venue

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Mark Leonard, a suspect in the Richmond Hill explosion , has filed a motion for a change of venue, the Marion County Prosecutor's office reports.

Tuesday, Leonard filed the motion for a change of venue with the Marion County Prosecutor's office. Leonard and his attorney believe he wouldn't be able to get a fair trial in Marion County or any nearby counties due to the amount of publicity in the case.

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Wednesday, the prosecutor's office filed a response to the motion. According to court documents, the state believes Leonard's motion should be denied at this time.

Furthermore, the state notes that there have been a number of cases where the defendant received significant  publicity and still received a fair trial. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Denise Robinson notes various Indiana cases where all jury members were able to disregard the media publicity and make a decision based purely on evidence.

Leonard's motion comes one week after Monserrate Shirley, another suspect in the south side explosion, filed a motion for a change of venue for the same reasons.

Leonard and Shirley were charged after the explosion that killed their two neighbors and destroyed dozens of homes in the Richmond Hill neighborhood. Investigators said Shirley, Leonard and Leonard's brother Bob intentionally set a gas explosion in their home for insurance money.