Who is Monserrate 'Moncy' Shirley? Netflix's Worst Neighbor Ever revisits 2012 fraud plot and Richmond Hill explosion

Episode 2 of Netflix's Worst Neighbor Ever – ‘The Quiet Before the Storm’ – features the chilling case of Monserrate 'Moncy' Shirley.

Worst Neighbor Ever is streaming on Netflix, and is a spin-off from the creators of Worst Roommate Ever and Worst Ex Ever. The four-episode documentary explores true stories of disputes that triggered harassment, fraud, and violent crime.

Each of the four episodes focuses on one incident, and episode 2 – ‘The Quiet Before the Storm’ – features the case of Monserrate 'Moncy' Shirley.

Who is Monserrate 'Moncy' Shirley?

Monserrate Moncy Shirley is a critical care nurse who moved with her husband and daughter in Richmond Hill in a quiet residential area. Moncy formed good relationships with nearby residents. Around the same time, newlyweds Jennifer and Dion also joined the close-knit community and settled in smoothly.

In 2009, Moncy told her Richmond Hill circle that she had planned to divorce John, and introduced her partner Mark Leonard. Her friends claimed that she changed.

On November 10, 2012, a huge explosion happened in Richmond Hill. Moncy’s house was completely burnt while she was out with Mark, leaving her daughter with a babysitter.

Thirty homes were destroyed, and many more were damaged. Some people were stuck under fallen beams and had to be rescued as buildings burned around them.

Sadly, Jennifer and Dion, who had just gotten married, died. Their bodies were so badly burned that the only way to identify them was using dental records. Twelve other people were hurt.

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People initially thought the blast was an accidental gas explosion, and Moncy’s house might have started it. But when investigators looked at what was left of her home, they started have suspicions.

Even though Moncy and Mark had an alibi for the night of the blast, it later turned out that Mark’s brother, Bob, had been asking people for details about gas explosions, and his DNA was later found at the scene. Eventually, investigators found that Moncy, Mark, and Bob couldn’t explain what had happened.

Investigators realized that the explosion was set up on purpose. It turned out the three of them did it as part of an insurance scam to get a large payout. All three were arrested.

Moncy admitted that she was guilty and that she had helped in the conspiracy. She was sentenced to 50 years of prison.

She told the jurors that she thought Mark and Bob were only going to start a small fire to steal about $ 300000 insurance money. She accused Mark of threatening to harm her and her daughter if she told anyone.