Yates sentenced in school slashing

MONTROSE — As his victims sat quietly in court this afternoon, Michael Yates turned to them and apologized for nearly killing 17-year-old Mallory Haulman.

"I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry," Yates, 14, told Mallory and her younger sister, who watched in horror Nov. 11, 2008, as the older girl collapsed, bleeding in the halls of Montrose High School.

Yates had approached the MHS junior from behind and slashed her throat before walking away.

He was apprehended quickly thereafter, and another youth was also arrested. Assistant District Attorney Jerry Montgomery said at his sentencing hearing this afternoon, that the scars he inflicted will last a lifetime for both the Haulmans and the Montrose community.

Montgomery characterized Yates as a calculating coward whose claim that he'd heard "voices" telling him to attack Mallory — a stranger — was simply a convenient excuse for acting out "evil thoughts" inspired by the Insane Clown Posse, white supremacist groups and gangs Yates admired.

"We as a family feel you are getting better than what you deserve," the Haulmans said in a letter read by a victim's advocate. The letter told of Yates' malicious intent, but also said he had a chance to turn his life around.

"If you are able to complete your sentence, you can put it behind you. Mallory, however, will always have the scar she bears on her neck, from ear-to-ear," the Haulmans said.

Yates pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted murder. Under plea agreement, his 18-year prison sentence is suspended if he successfully completes a seven-year stint in the Department of Corrections Youthful Offender Services program.

For the full story, see tomorrow's Daily Press.