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Richmond Hill: Bob Leonard's defense rests case

Posted at 10:42 AM, Feb 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-19 11:42:44-05

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Attorneys for Bob Leonard, Jr., spent just under 30 minutes Friday on their client's defense before resting their case.

Ted Minch called two witnesses in support of Leonard's case: a former associate named Joseph Armanno; and Phil Pierle, of Indianapolis band The Woomblies.

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Armanno was mentioned earlier in the trial when a former Marion County Inmate, Jeremy Bullock, testified Leonard had confided in him about giving Armanno furniture from 8349 Fieldfare Way to sell.

Armanno said Friday that never happened.

"I learned about the explosion the same way everybody else did," Armanno said. "I didn't have nothing to do with it. I hadn't had contact with Mark or Bob Leonard for years. If I'd known about it, I would have told somebody. I would have tried to talk them out of it."

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Pierle said Leonard had gone to school with his brother, and that he occasionally played with another one of his bands, the Pierle Brothers Band. He told jurors he saw and talked to Leonard at a gig he played at a southside bar the night before the explosion.

"The reason it sticks out in my mind is because the magnitude of what happened here," Pierle said. "I remember seeing him on the news and thinking, 'Man, I saw Bob the night before.'"

With those witnesses, the defense rested its case. Leonard himself did not take the stand.

Jurors were instructed to return to court Tuesday morning to hear closing arguments before they begin their deliberations in the case.

We hosted a Facebook Live to take your Richmond Hill questions earlier. See that here https://business.facebook.com/WRTV6/videos/10153546388039092/

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Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez and Senior Digital Correspondent Jordan Fischer will be in Fort Wayne covering the trial every day. Download the RTV6 app to get the latest live blog posts as the proceedings unfold.

FOLLOW | Rafael Sanchez on Twitter | Jordan Fischer on Twitter

RELATED LINKS | Richmond Hill Special Section |  Mark Ray Leonard convicted on all counts

PREVIOUS | Timeline of events | Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion | Where were you at 11:11 PM?

INTERACTIVE MAP | Residents relive Richmond Hill explosion

 


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