Documents Name Tamara Greene's Killer
Attorneys for the city of Detroit say the 2003 slaying of stripper Tamara Greene resulted from a drug war and was not connected to a rumored wild party involving ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick at the Manoogian Mansion.
While City of Detroit attorneys seek to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of Greene;s family, new documents reveal more details about the case including the possible killer.
The document which was obtained by the Detroit Free Press says police investigators believe Greene was killed in a drug dispute. The documents are now sealed.
The Free Press reports the documents says Greene was killed because of the feud between Darrett King and Eric Mitchell. Mitchell was a passenger in Greene's car when she was shot to death in 2003 outside her Detroit home.
The documents say King shot Greene while aiming for Mitchell.
Greene was rumored to have performed at a never-proven 2002 wild party at the mayor's official Manoogian Mansion residence.
The documents also say contrary to speculation and information from other sources "the facts and evidence provide no ...nexus between the existence of a party at the Manoogian Mansion and Tamara Greene's death," according to the Free Press.
The city had wanted to file a sealed request to dismiss the suit, saying police know who killed Greene but want to protect the legal case and keep an informant's identity secret.
Judge Gerald Rosen refused that motion on Tuesday.
The lawsuit accuses ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other city officials of stifling the police investigation into Greene's death.
The attorney for Greene's family, Norm Yatooma, isn't buying the latest revelations.
"They don't have the murderer, if they did the City of Detroit would evidence that," Yatooma said. "When you have a murderer do you write about it in a pleading, or do you arrest, charge and prosecute the murderer."
Yatooma is upset that the city filed crucial details about the case with the court Wednesday that were read by the Free Press before being quickly sealed, and is now asking for sanctions against Detroit.
WWJ and Fox 2 Legal Analyst Charlie Langton said Yatooma's push for sanctions probably won't succeed.
"This is a civil case, that Tamara Greene is brings, accusing the city of not even investigating. And, so far, based on whatt the city filed, it doesn't look good for Norman Yatooma and the family of Tamara Greene," Langton said.
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© MMX WWJ Radio, All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to his report.
