Attorney Thomas Eoannou announced this evening that he is no longer representing Patrick Kane’s accuser.
Eoannou said on Wednesday that “something seriously has gone amiss.” He claimed that the evidence bag that once contained his now former client’s rape kit had anonymously been delivered to the home of the accuser’s mother.
While stepping away from the case though, Eoannou now says that he no longer has “confidence in the way in which the bag was found,” per TSN’s Frank Seravalli.
“I can’t say what’s true and what’s not true,” Eoannou said. He also feels that “misrepresentations” were made to him about the bag and he has an “ethical obligation” to remove himself from the case. Even still, he does still believe it’s an authentic evidence bag.
Following Eoannou’s statements on Wednesday, Erie County Commissioner of Central Police Services John Glascott said, “All evidence related to this case that was given to Erie County Central Police Services by the Town of Hamburg Police Department is accounted for and remains in its original packaging in the possession of Erie County Central Police Services. This includes the evidence in the rape kit and the packaging itself. This evidence has been analyzed and reports of that analysis sent to the appropriate agencies.”
This afternoon, Erie County district attorney Frank Sedita announced that he will hold a press conference to address the allegations of evidence-tampering. That is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Update: Kane’s attorney, Paul Cambria, believes the integrity of this case has been “completely undermined” and “forever tainted,” per the Buffalo News’ Tim Graham. Due to that, he’s asking Sedita to stop the case.
“I feel that Patrick Kane has been victimized,” Cambria added. “This happening today has been bizarre.”