The third suspect to go to trial for the Richmond Hill Explosion may have his case heard by a jury from Madison County.
Gary Thompson supposedly had a change of heart before the actual November 2012 explosion. Investigators say there were two attempts to blow up the home before the one that succeeded – killing Dion and Jennifer Longworth in the process.
SPECIAL SECTION | The Richmond Hill Explosion Trials
During one of those failed attempts, Thompson was allegedly offered $5,000. On his way to set the explosion in motion, however, he apparently got scared.
Now a jury will determine if the evidence will lead to his freedom or conviction.
Thompson's legal team doesn't believe he can get a fair trial in Indianapolis, so his lawyers and Marion County prosecutors have agreed to look for potential jurors from Madison County.
If the court approves that, jurors would be bused to Indianapolis five days a week for at least six weeks of testimony.
The prosecution said it would not be good to move the trial or get jurors from Johnson, Shelby or Hancock counties because, based on 911 calls from the night of the explosion, people in those areas felt the blast.
Other counties that could offer a jury pool include Boone, Hamilton and Hendricks counties. Thompson's trial is set to begin in September in Indianapolis.
