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In the next six weeks, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry will make a pivotal decision — whether to seek the death penalty against three people charged with murder in the Richmond Hills explosion.

It’s not a chore he takes lightly.

“We will be taking an in-depth look into the case itself, but also the profiles of those charged,” Curry said. “The decision will be based on facts and not public opinion or notoriety.”

If Curry decides to seek the death penalty, it will be only the second time he will have done so in two years as prosecutor. He could also decide to seek life in prison without the possibility of parole, something he has done twice.

Authorities last week charged Monserrate Shirley, 47; her boyfriend, Mark Leonard, 43; and his half-brother Robert “Bob” Leonard Jr., 54, each with two counts of murder in connection with the Nov. 10 explosion.

The blast in Shirley’s home killed her neighbors, Jennifer Longworth, 36, and her husband, John “Dion” Longworth, 34, and destroyed nearly three dozen homes.

Shirley and Mark Leonard also face charges of conspiracy to commit murder. All three are also charged with 12 counts of arson causing injury, a Class A felony; and 33 counts of arson causing property damage, a Class B felony.

In the next two weeks Curry will meet with a five member “death penalty review” committee in his office to examine the case. The panel consists of deputy prosecutors and managers in the prosecutor’s office.

The review will take 30 days, and Curry will make the final decision, which he hopes to do before a court hearing Feb. 12.

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Source: Indystar