36 texts identified in slain stripper case

DETROIT, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Thirty-six text messages sent on city-issued pagers may be relevant to the 2003 case of a slain Detroit stripper, federal magistrates say.

The two magistrates filed a court report Monday saying their methodical, 19-month review of more than 625,000 texts sent on city pages turned up 36 that could be considered for evidence in a lawsuit sparked by the shooting death of dancer Tamara Greene, The Detroit Free Press reported.

Magistrates Steven Whalen and Judge Michael Hluchaniuk told the U.S. District Court in Detroit that sifting through the messages -- which were collected by prosecutors for a corruption case of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other city officials -- was like looking for needles in a haystack, since the vast majority of the texts were "idle chatter."

Greene's family is suing Kilpatrick, his former top aide Christine Beatty, police executives and others for allegedly derailing a probe into Greene's April 30, 2003, death.

They allege she was dancing at a long-rumored but never-proven party at the mayor's mansion the year before, during which the mayor's wife interrupted and assaulted Greene, the Free Press said.

Greene was gunned down on a Detroit street corner and her case remains unsolved.