VIDEO: Some Defendants In Greene Suit Dropped: $150 Million Lawsuit Against Kilpatrick, City Presses Foward
DETROIT — The one-time aide and lover of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and the city’s ex-police chief have been dropped from a civil suit in the death of stripper Tamara Greene.
Greene family lawyer Norman Yatooma said ex-chief of staff Christine Beatty, ex-Chief Ella Bully-Cummings, and other police were dropped from the federal lawsuit at his request.
“Our endeavors with the dismissals is simply to be able to get to trial while my kid clients are still kids,” said Yatooma. “If the City of Detroit is demonstrated to have covered up the murder investigation, then that’s just what it is. Whether Ella Bully-Cummings or Christine Beatty remain defendants has no impact on whether the City of Detroit covered up a murder investigation.”
Yatooma represents Greene’s three children. She was shot to death in 2003 and is rumored to have performed at a never-proven party at the mayor’s official residence.
It was also rumored that Greene was assaulted at the party by Kilpatrick’s wife, Carlita Kilpatrick, when she walked into the party and saw Greene with Kilpatrick.
Several months later, 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 her boyfriend.
Yatooma alleges that Kilpatrick and high-ranking police members blocked the investigation into Greene’s death.
“A lot of people have answers,” said Greene’s 17-year-old son, Jonathan Bond. “A lot of people have answers and that’s basically what I want, answers.”
Four Michigan State Police investigators have testified at previous hearings that Attorney General Mike Cox interfered with their efforts to investigate the rumored party.
Cox has maintained that he didn’t cover anything up and has not done anyone any favors.
“Every person involved in this investigation has lost their job or feared for their safety, or both,” said Yatooma. “Are we really going to try to suggest it was not covered up? That somebody in authority and control, like Kwame Kilpatrick himself, did not cover this up? Our case is well on its way.”
Kwame Kilpatrick and the City of Detroit remain as defendants in the $150 million wrongful death case.
Yatooma said Tuesday he hopes the case moves faster with fewer defendants. The trial is to start in January.
