In the hubbub of yesterday's storm, I never got around to posting links of the audio recorded by WBTA of the court proceedings Tuesday when Michael J. Wells received a 12.5 year sentence for his part in the mid-June M&T bank robbery in Elba.
WBTA received permission from Judge Robert Noonan to record the victim's statements, but the full audio was not available until late yesterday morning.
Interestingly, I just received a phone call from an M&T press relations representative expressing concern that the media had reported the victims' statements, "making them relive" the events, and released their names. That's ironic because Theresa Claybourn used her statement to specifically criticize her former employer for the company's indifference to what she did that day and what she's been through as a result of that very traumatic event.
I've spoke with Theresa yesterday and know she WANTS people to hear what she had to say. Both Claybourn and Patty Hackett specifically OK'd the recordings. If either one of them had objected, it's likely that Judge Noonan would not have authorized the recording.
Here are the links to the mp3 files.
Theresa Claybourn
Patty Hackett
That is powerful, POWERFUL
That is powerful, POWERFUL revelation of how this type of crime impacts people. The response by M&T Bank is just typical of the corporate environment.