Show Me the Money
October 3, 2009 7:45 PM
A mother and her 7-year-old daughter are taken hostage, strapped with dynamite and forced to rob a bank. Susan Spencer reports.
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See all 39 CommentsThe biggest question is how did she make those 3 men who were involved to get 3 life sentences each and had nothing to say. That is what I would like to know. Why CBS didn't interview Ramirez, and 3 men that are in jail now and a former roommate. At least some modicum of truth could be find out. She did stripping for 9 years and said she loved it a lot. I mean 9 years folks. Normally a normal person with at least some shred of morals left would try to get out out of that environment ASAP.
No college degree of any kind, high school drop out, not even GED. Immigrants arriving in this country and get Ph D, get educated that's for sure. What did she do after this "traumatic experience." Well she decided to sue the bank (who are thieves themselves only on a larger scale), then she was so traumatized that she wrote a book about the experience and writing another one plus turned to a public speaking (another scam) to help those in "need".
This is so far the worst episode on CBS - 48 hours and the most insulting to the viewer.
1 -Starting with the first comment ? it seems you might have missed part of the program. Michelle?s roommate and daughter already had their ?bombs? ripped off their backs when Michelle returned home ? it was obvious at that point that the one on Michelle?s back could also be taken off.
2 ? Where?s the drama? mystery if they had actually asked Michelle about her financial problems ? it doesn?t mean she ?mismanaged? her finances ? no one knows the circumstances that led to this ? hundreds of thousands of Americans file for bankruptcy ? have they all mismanaged their finances? Terrible circumstances arise such as health issues, child care, or inheriting a spouse?s debt ? in light of the economic crisis today ? it?s obvious there are many factors that result in financial ruin.
3 - Michelle came forward IMMEDIATELY with information about those involved ? there was no hesitation? no change of story ? I believe she was telling the truth from start to finish. The bank robbers were idiots, plain and simple - it wasn?t just the eyes that gave him away, in her book she mentions also recognizing his voice ? voice recognition is often used to build evidence, to convict cases. I assume the program director edited that detail out for the same obvious reason?the show has to live up to its name 48 hours -?Mystery.? How many cases never make it to court because witnesses are too fearful to testify? The only reason these thugs are behind bars is because of Michelle?s courageous determination to get these societal menaces off the streets and locked up where they will never again be able to harm her daughter..
4 ? ?It was my idea?? ? why didn?t they prosecute Ramirez? how unbelievable is that??? ? even Ramirez?s lawyer seems to be laughing at the prosecutors about this one!
5 ? Michelle was always open and forthcoming about her past ? she should not be judged for that. After enduring years of abuse she turned her life around and became a successful bank manager and caring and loving mother. Congressmen, pastors, judges, presidents... have committed terrible offenses and inflicted serious harm, including murderous acts - but sadly many continue to gain public support, are re-elected, paid millions in bonuses? - yet people want to offer their scorn and judgment because Michelle has a "checkered" past?
Michelle is obviously very intelligent and trustworthy, otherwise she would not have been promoted as she was ? yes, she lied on her application about an entry level job ? but she proved her competence, reliability, honesty and commitment for over 12 years working at that bank ? do you really think she would be stupid enough to be involved with these idiots or to risk her job, or the safety of her lovely daughter to be involved in a heist at her own bank? ? I don?t think so.
6 ? what happened to the money??? Are you kidding me??? The robbers were gang members ? drug users? it took months to capture the last guy ? where do you think the $$ went??? Up his nose? to Ramirez? another family member?buried in someone?s backyard?
7 ? Why sue Bank of America(BOA)??? Google the facts of this case ? the bank had no surveillance cameras despite knowing other banks had recently been robbed using identical MOs ? BOA should have informed Michelle and other bank managers about this so they could take necessary precautions. It?s obvious the robbers knew there wasn?t surveillance when they entered the bank the day they took Michelle, her daughter and roommate hostage ? BOA should be held responsible for not disclosing this important information.
8 ? Why write a book??? SO OTHERS WILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!! ?To reach out to other survivors ? to build a support network for people dealing with post traumatic stress disorder... people need to know they are not alone? to encourage people to seek help. Too many trauma victims -whether veterans, victims of sexual assault, survivors of terror attacks, hostages? become isolated, live in constant fear? wind up with serious psychological disorders ? some eventually hurt themselves or loved ones... I think Michelle is very brave and should be commended for going public, for committing her life to reaching out and empowering others and for being such a loving mother.
As for putting everything in the past for her daughters sake ? her daughter is also an amazing young woman who has started a nonprofit to support youth affected by trauma. Give her courageous daughter more credit!
The criminals may have used the money to pay a debt to a bigger criminal or they may have squandered it all over the place.
Many people both criminal and non-criminal do not know how to manage money.
This case is not about someone being a stripper, nor about bankruptcy. It is about who robbed the bank.
The biggest disappointment is knowing that when we are judged by our "peers" we are likely to have people on the jury who are irrational, motivated by suspicions rather than facts, and who are not committed to justice based on the evidence, as well as sorting out only the true facts for their decision.
The lady on the phone or walkie-talkie might have gotten 20 years if I had been involved with her trial, cannot say for sure without actually hearing all the evidence.
As for those who were convicted, I would like to see them stay in prison for life, although their privileges there might be increased somewhat for explaining more details of ther lives, the involvements of other criminals, the details of past crimes, where the money went and so on.
However, one must bear in mind at all times the reliability of the stories of imprisoned criminals. Sentences should not be reduced for such testimony.
And criminals, I have noticed, like to muddy the waters quite often, and to involve totally innocent people as well as those against whom they have a grudge in the results of their messy lives.
Let God handle those who slip through the cracks. We should not be going on witch hunts that endanger the lives and reputations of the potentially innocent.
Our Constitution wisely provides that we are "innocent until PROVEN guilty."
The lawyers have made a mess of truth and rightness because they don't seem to be capable of thinking logically based upon the facts, as scientists do.
And they like to make too many deals. I particularly dislike most of the deals the lawyers make with criminals.
Sometimes there is sloppy or inadequate police work. But often the police work is all good and the court result is all messed up anyway because of the way lawyers and prosecutors work, as well as the courts and judges.
All of these areas need continuing improvement.
We all need to work continuously on improvements. This is best done by addressing problem areas with effective solutions. Prioritizing and working on the biggest problems first.
The bank lady's true peers -- from the bank -- think she is innocent. Who are we (who do not know the lady) to say otherwise?
I am happy to see that she has exerted her powers to do well with her life after all of this. We all have to recover often from the actions of others -- Africa and many other countries have it far worse.
One of the worst of all is when an innocent person goes to prison, especially if it is for life.
The results here are not too horribly messed up. As I look at USA history we have had a continuous slow improvement. We need to continue working on that.
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