You seem to read quite a bit into the few words in the article. It is quite possible to see something and hear it at the same time. And you are splitting hairs.
It's a quote from the Mom. If she'd seen it, she would have said so, don't you think? Do you think she'll ever forget that horror? If she'd seen it, she would have been saying what she saw. You're claiming splitting hairs because of what the article DOES say.