"48 Hours Mystery:" Show Me the Money

Strapped with Dynamite, a Woman Robs a Bank to Save her Daughter Held Hostage by a Team of Gunmen

(CBS)  A relaxing evening at home quickly turned into a night of terror for bank manager Michelle Renee when three masked gunmen burst into her Vista, Calif., home and took her and her 7-year-old daughter, Breea, hostage. But this was no random break-in.

Michelle, a 35-year-old divorced mother, was the assistant vice president at a local branch of Bank of America... and the gunmen knew exactly who she was and where she worked.

Strapped with dynamite, she was forced to the rob bank where she worked to save her daughter. But was Michelle really the victim, or the mastermind of the crime? "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Susan Spencer reports.

"We had gotten home right around 6:30, the sun was setting, and we were getting ready to go into the house and make homemade pizzas," Michelle Renee explained.

"I was a single mother and my daughter loved when we got to spend time together. We decided to sit down on the couch and play some Game Boy to unwind from the day.

"And then everything was completely shattered in one blink of an eye.

"The backdoor to our house just came crashing in with a sound that is completely indescribable. There were three men all dressed in black and masks, rushing towards us, SWAT style, in a line.

"They grabbed us, threw us to the floor… one man was on my back, guns to my head, and the duct tape started to unroll and rip.

"My daughter was out of sight, couldn't hear her, didn't know what was going on, and I was screaming for our life.

"There's three of them. There's nothing, absolutely nothing I could've done, to protect her.

"I'm Michelle Renee, and I was kidnapped and held hostage along with my 7-year-old daughter.

"We were held for 14 hours ... all night long until the next morning, when it was time to, as they said, "Go to work." That meant to go rob the bank on that day.

"They duct taped dynamite to our backs. And showed us a device that he said was a detonation device.

"He said, 'If you don't do everything perfect, your daughter will blow up first, you will blow up next. So don't screw this up.'

"And then I became a bank robber."

[countrygirl222]

Michelle was simply not involved in any way. If everyone on this site that is making comments to the contrary knew ALL the facts of this case, they would be posting completley different views. But good job CBS for making this LOOK LIKE such a mystery when in fact there is NO so called missing money, the big lie to get the job was a check mark in a box that asked if she graduated high school for a part time drive up posistion(she eventually received her GED and attended college at a university) and was only 16,000 in debt from a very heartbreaking divorce that she herself could not, even after years of trying, fix the financial damage by herself. As for lack of emotion at a dinner...was she still in shock? Was she seeing a therapist for her PTSD symptoms and possibly still numb from it all? Maybe you should ask the therapist who treated Michelle and her daughter for 2.5 years after the crime what condition they were both in for months following this ordeal. Look up acute PTSD and that may give you a hint...and the show never even talked about the retaliaion aspect of the crime, the firebombs that were thrown through peoples houses who testified at Remember people...this is TV land!!! All the facts in an hour is never going to happen.

Before you judge another, take a good long look in the mirror, heal your own life and admit your own mistakes...in fact have those blasted in every newspaper in your hometown after surviving a horrific violent crime causing more trauma then any of you could imagine. Michelle never asked for any of this but decided to make the best of it, learn from all her experiences, discover the gifts in it all, even her past, somehow and inspire and educate others who have gone through horrific challenges in life to do the same. That, all you synics, is what we call courage.

[raydernation]

tomshere - when you had dinner with Michelle were you out on a date with her trying to get invovled with her? Did you get involved with her intimately, or were you denied? You said she didn't show any emotion about the incident, didn't that strike you as a tad odd? Did you get to talk to her daughter as well, if so was she like her mother? Do Michelle appear to be financially stable now? In this new career her being successful would obviously cover the fact she has the rest of the banks loot. Don't you think if she was in on this, which I think she was, one thing that would be made clear is where the loot is going to be split up, with some sort of rendevous or signal given to let the perps know when to come and get their share. Don't you think it odd that they (robbers) gave a figure such as $360,000 which happens to be the amount the armored car brings? Michelle got away with it, she probably met the ringleader at the strip club back in the day. Looked him up and told him about her plan. One other scenario is the cops say they found $90,000 in a safe. Could all of it been there and they split it amongst themselves? But in order to keep three people quiet for that long of a time is hard, wonder if any new cars or other big ticket items popped up from the detectives? The other scenario is the ringleader obviously knows where the money is, and he's not talking, he might as well he's not getting out. Than again, maybe he might, especially if Michelle cracks or slip up like I think she will.

[bygrace101]

Did anyone notice that the $90,000 found with one person is 1/4th of the $360,000, so that would suggest there were four people sharing the money, the three "guys" and Lisa, not Michelle.

[icjunior97]

I saw this when it aired. Some things just stuck wrong with me. First why on earth would you back to your home with that strapped to you still. You would go straight to the police etc? Second, where is the money? Third, if she wants to move pass this, why is she having her life revolved around it. I think there is more to this.

[kcarter44]

if something like this were to happen to me, the first thing i would do is go home and check on my child! michelle had no way of knowing that the robbers had removed the bomb from her daughter's back. that would always be my first priority. then making sure my child was ok then i would go to the police.

[tomshere]

CBS said that Michele's suit with BOA was dismissed. It wasn't, they settled. How's that for fact checking?

I've met Michelle through a friend of mine, one very giving nurturing friend, who helped her in the beginning stages of her new career (professional victim). After loaning money, setting her up with an attorney, etc., was tossed aside once Michelle had some money of her own and better connections, which ironically my friend had set her up with.

Those contacts and others, after dealing with Michelle, reportedly walked away from her too.

After having had dinner with Michelle several years ago, I was struck by her story, which she retold pretty much like did on the show. But what bothered me was her lack of emotion. It was almost like that of a novelist pitching a new book. But I also figured that she'd told the story so many times it was rote by then.

When I saw how she was dealing with my friend and several others, it was as if she had no consciousness, no ability to regret or apologize. It was stunning.

One thing that wasn't espoused in the show, thankfully, was Michelle's "Christianity." She got into a whole holy thing for some time. Maybe now that she's doing so well she doesn't need to mine that "shaft."

The show at least cast appropriate doubts through the investigating officers and things like the fact that she had no duct tape residue, despite being bound all night long.

BOA should have fired whoever hired her. Amazing that someone who's entrusted with cash as a teller, then as a manager, was never checked to discover that all of her background was built on lie after lie. I noticed that she'd smiled when telling that story. She sure hoodwinked them, didn't she.

That smile, that innocence, the sparkly personality, the all-American girlish charm gets me almost every time. I know it did over dinner with her that night. My usual intuition rang a bell, but I removed the clapper. No, I thought, this is a good girl. A poor victim.

Her story empowers cynics. I hope that I can continue to avoid that label; cynic, but at I'll say this, people like her should teach us all to be, at least, open-minded skeptics.

[raydernation]

Wow what a case, classic 48 Hours Mysterys, that being said, I've watched this program for at least 10 years now and have seen hundreds of episodes of some very fascinating cases. This one here is a classic. I agree with one blogger on here the police, the judge, DA all were low rent. And they weren't very bright. Reminds me of another case here in L.A. called The Black Widow done by Dateline NBC though, the widow in question was so smooth she fooled the police and everyone, collected 1.2 million and got away with it for 8 years, until they (police finally) woke up, and got her and the new husband.

In this case evryone overlooked a key crucial part of this case except for Ramirez attorney. Michelle said she was bound and gagged with duct tape and everyone else. Yet there was no marks or tape residue on her anywhere, very keen observation by the defense attorny. And the fact she drove home to be with her daughter with dynamite strapped to her, it didn't make sense. She already had said once they got the money she felt they would kill them all so there wouldn't be any wits. Also these robbers weren't the brightest, Michelle and Ramirez knows where that money is, I guarantee you. I haven't heard of anyone filing bankruptcy twice, thats kinda way out there, Michelle was up on this, trust me she was the puppet master. When you're desperate for money like she was nothing is out of the ordinary anything goes, children be dammed. Shes going to break down and tell all, this new career of hers will be able to allow her to spend that money freely now and Ramirez.

[loveid]

Wow what school did she go to that teaches her all of these tricks? She got away with a perfect crime. We will see bad karma will come around. That?s right she didn't finish school just lied and striped her way through life. I feel sorry for her daughter who is a victim through out all of this. She is beyond evil to put her daughter through all of this and now she turns around and says that her daughter still has night mares. Well what do you think? Now she is making more money by writing her book, doing TV shows and suing Bank of America. Unbelievable.

[albythelake]

It is my observation that, rarely, has one episode encompassed so many utterly distasteful characters in one place. Take the victim: teenage runaway, single mother with NO explanation of where the father is (at least in my recollection of the show),stripper who looks back fondly on a life of lap dances and late NIGHTS while working at a job (in the DAYTIME) she lied to get. Now, a new career as a self-help expert with NO degree, college, high school, or otherwise who looks at the SUPPOSED kidnapping of herself and her daughter as a good career move. The topper is, after lying to advance her career with no qualifications and subsequently ROBBING them, she has no problem SUING her employer. (By the way, Bank of America has to be the dumbest organization in recent memory. I can't imagine anyone thinking their savings are secure with such as slipshod outfit.)

The rest of the cast, the crooks, the cops, the judge, the jury are pretty much all low rent.

It has always amazed me, as a person who has had to work very hard for what he has, how some people, who do not seem to be guided by any moral compass, just seem to excel in life no matter what their previous circumstances. I am distinctly reminded of Stephanie Stearns, who after serving a few years of a sentence that should have been much harsher in connection with the murders on Palmyra Island as described in Vincent Bugliosi's book "And The Sea Will Tell", went on to a six figure income in the telecommunications industry. Not a particularly thorough background check there, either.

[gramto8]

single mother with NO explanation of where the father is
by albythelake October 5, 2009 3:01 PM EDT
_______________________________
From the article:

Michelle, 35, was a divorced, single mother who was raising her daughter, Breea, and working full time as a bank manager.

[lo1411]

Oh,one more thing,are you happy Michelle that you're partly responsible for the mastermind of at least the fake dynamite & the crime to walk free in society so she can plan her next scheme? She pegged Michelle & prosecutors knew they couldn't use the confession to convict her for fear it would damage Michelle's credibility on the stand.Shame on the cops for not pursuing Michelle more. They should of at least arrested her by saying someone came forward & said she was involved. She may have broke for a lighter sentence.Maybe Lisa Ramirez will write a book too, about how she planned a robbery, got the bank manager to help them,took the money & split it between them, admitted she & the white lady(Michelle)was involved & got off scott free.Lifetime movie Michelle? You are a great manipulator! And how much are they paying you for that? Maybe you and Lisa could play yourselves and split the money between you two again.

[lo1411]

This woman has manipulated her way through life ever since she ran away from home.Michelle, you may have fooled the cops but you didn't fool the jury or intellegent people like me who can see through that fake & insincere pokerface.Why the man who left his card in the bank & admitted she was involved doesn't say more is beyond me. But the testimony of the girl who got off is all you need.They threw out her confession because she fingered Michelle in the robery.And she went free because of lack of evidence due to the prosecutor's decision not to use the taped confession to save Michelle's credibility for the other robbers.The jury believed the man who said Michelle was involved in the whole robbery & that's why he was found not guilty of kidnapping her.
Michelle has some of the missing money. She struck a deal with the kidnappers to get a cut of the pie.So stupid when u think about it. Why not just go in and rob the place? Why wait all night with innocent people? Could of went in with guns & did the same thing, but Melissa's idea was so much smoother. Why do this to you're daughter? People who are narcissitic will do anything that will help their bottom line. No conscience. And to top it off, she sues the bank for negligence, confirming even more her maniputlative golddigging ways.Lied to lonely men to get their money stripping, lied to get a job, declares bankrupty twice, & finds a way to get even more money by manipulating the robbers into letting her in on it. " I can make this a smooth in & out robbery if you give me a piece of the pie.And don't worry, I won't point the finger at any of you guys. I promise." Stupid robbers fell for it and they took the fall.Now she's fooling the public with her website & book of her horrendous ordeal.( that initially she wasn't involved but saw an opportunity when the dollar signs went up.)This woman should be in jail.She's laughing all the way to the bank that she helped rob. By the way, did they check her phone records or recent transactions when all this was going on?You are a terrible woman Michelle Renee, if that's your real name. And I believe, dangerous to society.

[lo1411]

This woman has manipulated her way through life ever since she ran away from home.Michelle, you may have fooled the cops but you didn't fool the jury or intellegent people like me who can see through that fake & insincere pokerface.Why the man who left his card in the bank & admitted she was involved doesn't say more is beyond me. But the testimony of the girl who got off is all you need.They threw out her confession because she fingered Michelle in the robery.And she went free because of lack of evidence due to the prosecutor's decision not to use the taped confession to save Michelle's credibility for the other robbers.The jury believed the man who said Michelle was involved in the whole robbery & that's why he was found not guilty of kidnapping her.
Michelle has some of the missing money. She struck a deal with the kidnappers to get a cut of the pie.So stupid when u think about it. Why not just go in and rob the place? Why wait all night with innocent people? Could of went in with guns & did the same thing, but Melissa's idea was so much smoother. Why do this to you're daughter? People who are narcissitic will do anything that will help their bottom line. No conscience. And to top it off, she sues the bank for negligence, confirming even more her maniputlative golddigging ways.Lied to lonely men to get their money stripping, lied to get a job, declares bankrupty twice, & finds a way to get even more money by manipulating the robbers into letting her in on it. " I can make this a smooth in & out robbery if you give me a piece of the pie.And don't worry, I won't point the finger at any of you guys. I promise." Stupid robbers fell for it and they took the fall.Now she's fooling the public with her website & book of her horrendous ordeal.( that initially she wasn't involved but saw an opportunity when the dollar signs went up.)This woman should be in jail.She's laughing all the way to the bank that she helped rob. By the way, did they check her phone records or recent transactions when all this was going on?You are a terrible woman Michelle Renee, if that's your real name. And I believe, dangerous to society.

[loveid]

Absolutely, this woman is a con artist. I can't believe she got away with a perfect crime. She is so calm and compose through her interview poeple. The big question is where is the rest of the money?????

Why did the roberry lied for her and not admit that she was a part of it? She does not have a conscience and is one heck of a manipulater.

[gramto8]

Why wait all night with innocent people?
by lo1411 October 4, 2009 11:02 PM EDT
_______________________________
Number 1.
They waited all night because bank vaults have time locks on them.
Number 2.
The armored truck was bringing the money IN the next morning.

READ the article.

[MalloryDavis]

Intelligent people like you? HA! Acting and spouting like you did here and 'knowing' everything does not make you intelligent hun....

[upchuda]

You act like you know her personally. You were not involved as a juror and the trial and you don't know all of the presented evidence. I wouldn't be so quick to judge.

[erasmus111]

by carolcape October 3, 2009 11:30 PM EDT
I totally believe Michelle.


I don't.

[48hrzfanz]

Welcome back susan spencer. You are my favorite reporter. Now, I just don't get why the judge threw out that gal's confession. They all would've been guilty in the first trial. Where is that money? It's a mystery.

[carolcape]

I totally believe Michelle. What was the first trial all about, I mean it was stupidity that they did not convict those people. Like Michelle said, there was absolutely no connection between her and the accused that said she was having an affair with him. I mean, where was the evidence. I totally believe her. Also, where was that money that was not recovered???The police must have an idea of where it is or they have found it and hid it themselves, who knows, it wouldn't be the first time there was a crooked policeman...???