The Patrick Kane sexual assault investigation took a bizarre turn on Wednesday when the accuser’s lawyer claimed that the rape kit associated with the case was tampered with.
Attorney Thomas E. Eoannou held up a bag during a press conference that he says was anonymously dropped off at the doorstep of the alleged victim’s mother. Eoannou said the kit had been ripped open and demanded that law enforcement launch an investigation into how it was removed from police custody.
“This evidence bag has been ripped open,” Eoannou told reporters, via TMZ. “The purpose of an evidence bag is to protect the items of evidence from tampering. The bag itself is even critical evidence to the chain of custody. It never leaves law enforcement or the district attorney’s office.
“In my 30 years plus of being both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, I have never seen an evidence bag outside a of police lab, a prosecutor’s office, or a courtroom, let alone find one in the door way of a rape victim’s mother’s home.”
Kane was accused of rape over a month ago, and no charges have been filed. A recent report indicated that DNA evidence did not confirm the alleged victim’s allegation that Kane raped her, though Kane’s DNA was reportedly found under her fingernails and on her shoulders.
While the rape kit being removed from police custody and allegedly tampered with doesn’t prove Kane did anything wrong, it is obviously a major issue. You can read some more details from the investigation here.
Below is a video of Eoannou addressing the media:
