Tamara Greene, a 27-year-old Detroit native and a single mother of three, was murdered in a drive-by shooting in April 2003.
Initially, investigators believed that Tamara was just another innocent victim in the wrong place at the wrong time.
However, rumors soon began circulating that Tamara had performed at a party at the Manoogian Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of Detroit.
At the time, Tamara was working as an exotic dancer and was known on stage by the name “Strawberry”.
As homicide detectives began looking into the possibility of the mayor’s involvement, each was quickly removed from the case. This fueled further speculation about cover-ups and corruption among some of the most powerful figures in Detroit.
Background
Tamara Greene was born on May 11th, 1976, in Detroit, Michigan. She and her younger sister were raised by a single mother, who had no financial support from their father.
Growing up, Tamara’s family struggled financially, especially after her mother began experiencing health issues and was unable to work.
As a teenager, Tamara attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School and was a popular cheerleader. While still in school, she became pregnant and soon found herself working as a dancer at clubs and private parties.
Her talent for entertaining made her incredibly popular, and Tamara was soon known around Detroit as “Strawberry”.
Despite being in her teens, Tamara danced at two clubs while taking care of her newborn baby with the help of a female friend. Over the years, Tamara established herself as a successful exotic dancer, which earned her plenty of money. She owned an apartment and often bought expensive gifts for her loved ones.
By the early 2000s, Tamara was a respected dancer with loyal clients who were willing to pay extra to see her perform.
In 2003, the single mother of three was ready to begin a new chapter by opening a clothing store specifically for exotic dancers. She had already rented a space and was in the process of ordering merchandise. The store opening was set for May of that year.
The shooting
On April 30th, 2003, at approximately 3:40 AM, Tamara and her boyfriend, Eric Mitchell, were in a parked car near the intersection of Roselawn and West Outer Drive when another vehicle pulled up beside them. The driver opened fire, shooting multiple rounds at both of them.
Tragically, Tamara died at the scene, while Eric managed to duck under the dashboard in time and then ran into a nearby yard. He was hit multiple times but chose to hide in a shed until the paramedics arrived. Witnesses reported seeing a white vehicle fleeing the scene.
Eric’s friends and associates came forward with the information that he was involved in a dispute with another drug dealer regarding missing drugs, and they had exchanged shots on the highway prior to April 30th.
Tamara’s autopsy revealed her cause of death was three gunshot wounds: one above her ear, another through her neck, and one to her chest. The coroner also noted that she had bruises around her eyes that had been inflicted prior to the shooting.
Just hours after the incident, the word around the Detroit Police Department was that Tamara Greene was connected to the rumored party at the Manoogian Mansion, the residence of the then-mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick.
The Manoogian Mansion party
On January 1st, 2002, Kwame Kilpatrick was sworn in as the mayor of Detroit. He was only 31 years old at the time, making him the youngest mayor in the city’s history. He was from a prominent Detroit family, and his mother, Carolyn Kilpatrick, served in the Michigan House of Representatives.
Kwame Kilpatrick was often referred to as the “Hip-Hop Mayor”. He was viewed by many as a fresh face who would finally bring prosperity back to Detroit and save the city that was facing population decline, high unemployment rates, and infrastructure problems.
In the fall of 2002, rumors about a wild private party at the Manoogian Mansion began circulating. Local journalists attempted to investigate and uncover the real story, but all they could find were bits and pieces of information.
The rumor said that a group of exotic dancers was invited to the Manoogian Mansion in September 2002, where multiple influential individuals and members of Kilpatrick’s inner circle were present.
At one point, Carlita Kilpatrick, the mayor’s wife, returned home unexpectedly and saw an exotic dancer with her husband. Carlita grabbed a baseball bat and physically assaulted the dancer.
The Mayor’s Executive Protection Unit escorted the dancers out of the mansion. One of the dancers, who identified herself as Tammy Greene, called 911 from a payphone.
She reported that she had been beaten up and was freezing outside because she had left her coat at the Manoogian Mansion. She was taken to the hospital, but there was no record of her ever being admitted.
The exotic dancer in question was never officially identified, but the information regarding the party was allegedly leaked by members of the Executive Protection Unit who were in charge of the mayor’s security.
Days after the murder of Tamara Greene, several anonymous callers contacted the Detroit Police Department, identifying Tamara as the dancer who had been assaulted by the mayor’s wife.
The theories
The theory surrounding the circumstances of Tamara Green’s death starts with the ballistics. The investigation revealed that the weapon used in the shooting was a .40 caliber Glock pistol.
In 2003, this same model and caliber was issued to the Detroit Police Department. Therefore, the possibility that a police officer could’ve been hired to murder Tamara wasn’t out of the question.
But what was the reason for the killing? Those who believe the mayor was behind the shooting allege that Tamara wanted to report the physical assault that happened in September 2002.
Filing such a report would expose the dark side of Mayor Kilpatrick, who portrayed himself as a devoted husband and father to his three children. The confirmation that the Manoogian Mansion was used for wild parties could severely damage his reputation and jeopardize his position.
Homicide detectives working on Tamara’s case discovered a large deposit in her bank account, raising suspicion that someone may have tried to bribe her. It was delivered anonymously, but when they tried to ask the mayor about it, he shut down completely.
In the aftermath of Tamara’s murder, police allegedly tried to cover up their involvement. The first homicide detective assigned to the case later claimed her case files kept disappearing mysteriously, including computer files and floppy disks.
The then-Detroit police chief was unusually interested in the investigation, requesting frequent updates. It is also important to mention that every detective who started asking tricky questions regarding the murder was removed from the case.
In 2005, Tamara’s family filed a $150 million lawsuit against the city of Detroit, alleging that city officials, along with the Detroit Police Department, deliberately obstructed the investigation to protect Mayor Kilpatrick. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in 2011.
The suspected shooter
At the time of the murder, some police officers working on the case suspected that the shooter was Darrett King, an associate of Eric Mitchell, who allegedly physically attacked Tamara a couple of weeks before the shooting. Both Eric and Darrett were known dealers.
Darrett is left-handed, which matched the forensic findings from the crime scene analysis. Additionally, he drove a while car. Eric himself believed Darrett was behind the shooting and expressed this to the investigators while he was in the hospital.
When questioned by police, Darrett denied any involvement in Tamara’s murder. He is currently serving time for unrelated charges.
Mayor Kilpatrick behind bars
In March 2008, during Kilpatrick’s second term as the mayor of Detroit, the Wayne County Prosecutor indicted him and his former Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty, on 12 counts, including obstruction of justice, perjury, and misconduct in office.
These charges were a result of Kilpatrick’s false testimony under oath about his relationship with Christine Beatty. He claimed the two were never involved in any type of relationship, but text messages revealing otherwise surfaced soon after.
In October 2008, he was sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay $1 million to the city. After his release, Kilpatrick relocated to Texas. Meanwhile, the former mayor was being investigated for multiple crimes committed before his resignation in September 2008.
In March 2013, he was found guilty of 24 felony counts in federal court, including racketeering, bribery, extortion, and tax crimes. In October of the same year, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison. On January 20th, 2021, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence, and he was released after serving just seven years.
Aftermath
In 2018, Greene’s family attorney offered a reward of $100,000 for information learning to an arrest.
In 2024, the murder of Tamara went viral on TikTok thanks to a video posted by her daughter, Ashly Jackson. In the video, Ashly claimed that her mother was killed by the Detroit police because of an affair with the former mayor.
Ashly mentioned that she worked in the same industry as her mother and met people who had known Tamara back in the day. According to these individuals, Tamara was frequently seen around the then-major despite Kilpatrick’s repeated denial of ever meeting her.
With everything that came to light after 2008 concerning the former mayor, it’s not surprising that many people still believe he was responsible for Tamara’s murder.
However, his involvement was never proven in the criminal court. Also, it was never confirmed that a party at the Manoogian Mansion took place in September 2002.
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