Credit: Netflix

Worst Neighbor Ever on Netflix serves a gritty reminder that real danger lurks too close to home, usually when you’re least expecting.

The four-episode docu-series is packed with four real-life cases that are bound to make your eyeballs pop out of the socket, and the second episode, titled Midwest Meltdown, covers the story of Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley and Mark Leonard, which completely sounds stranger than fiction.

Moncy Shirley, who is one of the subjects of Worst Neighbor Ever, was a professional critical care nurse who moved into the quaint neighbourhood of Richmond Hill in southeast Indianapolis with her daughter, Brooke and then-husband John, roughly around the same time newlyweds Jennifer and Dion relocated there. While Moncy was a social butterfly who got on well with everyone around, her reputation didn’t last when she announced her divorce from John in 2009.

As many acquaintances began distancing themselves, citing a display of “loose morals,” Moncy introduced everyone to her new partner, Mark Leonard, in 2011. What concerned the neighbours more than the tag of Moncy’s new boyfriend was the ankle tag. In fact, Moncy’s former friends claim in the documentary that Mark’s arrival “changed” her.

As is revealed in Worst Neighbor Ever, Mark was actually a con man who had previously scammed multiple women, including Joanne, who appears in the true-crime documentary. But what followed his entry in Moncy’s life goes beyond his history of frauds.

On November 10th, 2012, a huge explosion took place at Richmond Hill, destroying approximately 30 houses, including Moncy’s, and severely damaging many more. At the time of the explosion, Mark was out with Moncy while her daughter was under the care of a babysitter elsewhere.

People were dangerously stuck under fallen roofs, requiring extreme intervention from firefighters. Despite the prompt attempts at rescue, unfortunately, newlyweds Jennifer and Dion lost their lives in the explosion, with 12 others heavily injured.

Although the explosion came across as an accidental gas blast, which was sourced from Moncy’s house, investigators raised eyebrows when the search started at her brazen home. They explained in the documentary that despite the scale of the explosion, it should have left remnants of household items such as a television and clothing. However, they weren’t found, suggesting that they had been moved beforehand.

What was also removed was the step-down valve regulating the quantity of gas coming into the home. Investigators also discovered a canister in the residuals of a microwave that was believed to be the source of the explosion, alongside evidence of a suspicious white van lurking around the property during the day of the incident.

Despite going to extreme lengths of creating alibis, Mark’s brother, Bob, confirmed the suspicion, with his DNA later found at the scene. It turned out the trio had tried exploding the house thrice, failing twice previously.

Shirley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and is currently serving a 50-year sentence. Meanwhile, Mark was found guilty of 53 counts, receiving two consecutive life sentences plus 75 years. He died of natural causes in prison in 2018.