Lawyer: Greene Case Tapes Disappear
POSTED: Sunday, November 8, 2009
UPDATED: 6:42 pm EST November 8,
2009
DETROIT -- Local 4 has learned that evidence tapes in the Tamara Greene case disappeared during the initial investigation into her death.
Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Mark Krebs testified in a recent deposition that evidence, including 30 tapes that had contained 911 calls, disappeared while he and other officers were investigating Greene's death.
Greene, a dancer known as Strawberry, was rumored to have been at a never-proven party thrown at a Manoogian Mansion by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in 2002.
On April 30, 2003, Greene was in a car with her boyfriend on Detroit's west side when a gunman opened fire on their vehicle, killing Greene and wounding the boyfriend.
Kilpatrick has denied that such a party took place.
Cox in 2003 investigated and said he found no evidence that a party had occurred, calling the event an "urban legend."
Sources said Kreb's never-disclosed testimony included the statements that he was not allowed to take dozens of evidence tapes out of the Detroit Police Department's headquarters.
"Thirty-six 911 tapes are sealed in a box. Officer Krebs is taking those things with him from DPD, pursuant to subpoena. He stopped at the elevator, calls the attorney general's office and the attorney general's office tells him to leave the tapes there ... come back for them tomorrow," said attorney Norman Yatooma, who is representing Greene's family in a lawsuit against Detroit. "The next day, of course, those 36 tapes become six tapes."
Yatooma is representing Greene's family in a $150 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city . Yatooma's lawsuit claims Kilpatrick and high-ranking police obstructed the investigation into Greene's unsolved slaying.
Krebs has also said it was Cox who shut down the investigation. Cox denies the claim and recently agreed to be deposed by Yatooma. A date for the deposition has not been announced.
Part 1: Attorney General Cox On Kilpatrick
Part 2: Attorney General Cox On KilpatrickDetroit police reopened Greene's homicide case file in early October.
The decision to reopen the case follows a Local 4 Defender investigation that uncovered a team of new police officers who, in sworn statements, said they were shut down when they tried to follow up on leads.
Previous Stories: - October 30, 2009: AG Cox To Be Deposed In Greene Case
- October 22, 2009: Officer: Greene's Case Was Stalled
- October 22, 2009: Detective Testifies In Greene Suit
- October 16, 2009: Cops File Motion To Prevent Testifying
- October 1, 2009: Authorities Reopen Tamara Greene Case
- September 25, 2009: Urban Legend -- Or Is It More?
- September 25, 2009: Defenders: Tamara Greene Investigation
- August 13, 2009: Lawyers See Stripper's Homicide File
- July 9, 2009: Son Of Tamara Greene Deposed
- February 15, 2009: Lawyer Won't See Texts In Greene Case
- January 21, 2009: Motion Filed To See Texts In Greene Case
- December 18, 2008: Mayor's Office Says Texts In Greene Case Are Private
- October 21, 2008: Released: Witness List In Slain Dancer Lawsuit
- September 14, 2008: Greene's Attorney Closer To Obtaining Text Messages
- September 12, 2008: Judge Orders City Release More Text Messages
- August 21, 2008: EMS Apologizes To Green's Family For Not Coming Forward
- May 14, 2008: Yatooma Says Greene Case Takes Step In Right Direction
- May 5, 2008: Greene's Other Children Join Brother In Lawsuit
- April 15, 2008: Judge Denies City's Request To Halt Greene Lawsuit
- April 10, 2008: City Accused Of Stalling Murder Investigation
- March 27, 2008: City Gets New Lawyer in Greene Case
- March 26, 2008: City Lawyer Off Tamara Greene Case
- March 26, 2008: Greene Lawyer 1 Step Closer To Text Messages
- March 20, 2008: Yatooma: City Council Lawyer Playing Both Fields
- March 20, 2008: Greene's Pastor: She Knew People Were Out To Kill Her
- March 18, 2008: Greene Case Could Lead To More Investigations
- March 14, 2008: Magistrate To Review Text Messages In Slain Stripper Case
- March 11, 2008: Crime Stoppers Says It Handled Greene Tip Properly
- March 11, 2008: Witness: Stripper Claimed Mayor's Wife Assaulted Her
- March 6, 2008: Chief Denounces Claim Police Killed Tamara Greene
- March 6, 2008: Bowman: Police Killed Tamara Greene
- February 19, 2008: Crimestoppers To Aid In Green Murder Investigation
- February 12, 2008: 18,000 City Officials' Records Subpoenaed
- February 9, 2008: Text Messages Of City Officials Sought In Greene Lawsuit
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