Two men were caught on surveillance video robbing the clerk at the Shell Station on Memorial Boulevard in Springfield Sunday, but their voices were also recorded.
Two men thought disabling the camera would conceal their identities, and as they walked through the front doors they likely knew they were being recorded. Yet, their poorly cut ski masks could do little to disguise their voices.
"Open up the safe! Open up the safe now, we need everything!" one of the armed suspects could be heard telling the terrified clerk behind the counter.
For two terrifying minutes the clerk did what he could to comply two men.
"I can open my drawer," he said to the men.
The men managed to get away with $46 and were kind enough to spare the clerk his life.
"I don't want your family to be sad for the holidays," the man with the gun can be heard saying.
While security camera footage of a robbery is nothing unusual, audio of the crime in progress could provide authorities with a crucial clue.
"I'm hoping someone will recognize this person's voice and give us a call," said Lt. William Watkins with Springfield police.
Lt. Watkins said it was hard to tell what the suspects looked like but it's clear what they sounded like.
"Even though you couldn’t see their faces, you could recognize the voice," he added.
While the two men thought they may have left no evidence behind, they couldn't see what police have been able to hear.
