Detroit Must Turn Over Kwame Kilpatrick Computer Data

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) - Many have called Norman Yatooma's quest a fishing expedition. Kwame Kilptrick's attorney says he has caught nothing but a red herring.

"The city of Detroit has destroyed evidence. They did it in the murder investigation. They're doing it again in this investigation, and that's a fishing trip worth taking," said Yatooma.

He is the attorney for the family of slain exotic dancer Tamara Greene, the woman rumored to have danced for Kilpatrick at that never proven party at the Manoogian Mansion.

Yatooma says the city destroyed Kilpatrick's computers and e-mails that could have helped solve Greene's murder. The city denies destroying evidence, but cannot find Kilpatrick's computer or many of his e-mails.

However, the latest order from a federal magistrate reveals the existence of two external hard drives the city copied from Kilpatrick's home computer, as well as compact discs with files the city downloaded from Kilpatrick's office computer. All must be turned over to Yatooma within two weeks.

"This is good fish, right? I mean, we're getting hard drives produced. We're getting floppy disks (produced). We're going to get information out of this," Yatooma said.

Kilpatrick attorney Jim Thomas told FOX 2 there is nothing of value on those hard drives or compact discs, but there is a lot the public does not know because the judge has ordered the attorneys not to talk about recent discussions, including FBI reports that they just received.

"The big question still remains -- what's on those hard drives? We haven't heard of anything that's on those hard drives, and I really doubt that whatever is on the hard drives is going to be the smoking gun that's going to crack this case. I don't think so," said FOX 2 Legal Analyst Charlie Langton.