Is Record newspaper covering for liar? or, murderer?

In September, St Augustine Record editor Kathy Nelson, was said to have called Historic City News reader, Clara Waldhari. According to the reader, Nelson threatened to “ban” Waldhari from commenting on future newspaper articles unless she agreed to never again use the words “Jeremy Banks” or “sick dog” or “murderer” in reference to Jeremy Banks.

After that encounter, Waldhari contacted Historic City News to make us aware of her account of what happened during the seven minute and 23 second incoming telephone call on September 9th at 10:59 a.m.

“Nelson told me she’d received a phone call early in the morning, about 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. from Mac McLeod,” Waldhari said, acknowledging that she knew that McLeod was the attorney for St Johns Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Banks. “McLeod was threatening to sue the Record unless Nelson reined in my comments about Banks on the newspaper’s website, Nelson told me.”

Waldhari is among others who believe Banks killed his girlfriend, Michelle O’Connell, on September 2, 2010. Governor Rick Scott signed an executive order last month directing that a Central Florida prosecutor come to St Augustine to investigate the circumstances surrounding what the sheriff has ruled a suicide.

Nelson characterized the New York Times deeply researched story about O’Connell’s death, saying “St. Augustine was a victim of big media parachuting into a small town.” Nelson drew national ridicule for her remarks.

September 17th, Folio Weekly published an account of the Waldhari phone call as well as denials from Nelson’s publisher. “There was no middle-of-the-night phone call,” St Augustine Record publisher Delinda Fogel told Folio. “That is simply not true. It simply did not happen.”

“I have never called or spoken to Kathy Nelson and have no clue as to why or how this allegation could have started or gained any traction,” McLeod reportedly wrote in an email. “Anyone that says I have called her or made any complaints about their postings is either wholly ignorant or duplicitous. I cannot recall the last time I was awake at 2:00 a.m., much less making phone calls.”

After learning that the Record was, in essence, calling her a liar, Waldhari says she stands by what she said.