Who Killed Strawberry? - podcast cover

Who Killed Strawberry?

A story about how the mayor of one of America’s largest towns – Detroit -- got connected by rumor to the death of an exotic dancer. Tamara ‘Strawberry’ Greene’s murder remains unsolved.
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Episodes

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster - Part 2

No one wants to believe a mother could actually kill her own son; holding a belt tight around his neck and squeezing until he took his last breath. No, an act this disturbing would defy comprehension, go against every innate parental instinct to protect, care for, and love your child. According to prosecutors, the evidence was conclusive: a suburban Philadelphia mom knowingly and purposefully strangled her 11-year old in an act of retribution. She wanted to get back at her husband for letting he...

Apr 03, 202447 min

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster - Part 1

She was described as a loving, doting mother. From the outside, Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead checked all the right boxes - the suburban mom who would go above and beyond for her only child, including sending him to an elite, pricey private school. From within, the pressure was mounting. Money problems, having to care for an elderly parent with dementia, maintaining a lifestyle beyond her family’s means - all of these factors pushed DiRienzo-Whitehead to the brink, and in April 2023, she did the unthi...

Apr 03, 202449 min

"This is the best person you're going to get and this is what happens?" -- Will Dr. Devon Hoover's brutal murder ever be solved?

Dr. Devon Hoover was one of Detroit's most well-respected doctors who lived in one of the city's most beautiful mansions. All of that came crashing down last spring when he was found brutally murdered inside of his house. On a new Daily J, WWJ's Christy Strawser and Zach Clark dig into the quest for justice for Dr. Hoover. (PHOTO: Ascension Michigan; Eric Seals/USA Today)

Feb 16, 202418 min

Coming soon: Ricochet

Gun violence is a national crisis. In Philadelphia, more than 10,000 people have been shot in the last five years. 2,100 people have died. Every bullet fired has a ripple effect. In this series from Gone Cold, we’ll examine the issues through stories from those affected the most: victims, defendants, law enforcement, medical workers, judges and families, while highlighting unsolved cases. What makes someone pull the trigger? What is the lasting impact? And what, if anything, can make it stop? He...

Jan 19, 20243 min

Tamara Greene has been in the headlines for decades. But will we ever know who killed Strawberry?

In 2003, Tamara Greene, a young mother, was murdered at a stop sign while sitting in her car. One a new Daily J, WWJ's Zach Clark talks to Christy Strawser, the creator of 'Who Killed Strawberry,' and discusses her daughter's now viral claims that she was the target of an orchestrated hit by the former mayor. Will 2024 bring justice for her family? (PHOTO: File/WWJ)

Jan 09, 202415 min

BONUS: The Set Trailer

It’s the crack era.The most violent time in New York City history. The NYPD is fighting a losing battle and instead of protecting the city from drug dealers, some police officers have become them. This is the never-before told, first-person documentary of the biggest police corruption scandal in NYPD history and the investigation that uncovered it all. From Audacy Originals and Zak Levitt, the Emmy, Peabody, and NY Press Club Investigative Journalism Award winning creator of Root of Evil, Gangst...

Jun 14, 20235 min

9: What We Know And What We Can Prove

In order to believe the murder of exotic dancer Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene had ties to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, you have to believe the never-proven Manoogian Mansion party happened. And that covering it up was the motive. In this episode, host, reporter and producer Christy Strawser lays out the evidence for the party and explores whether any of it led to murder. Produced by Zach Clark.

May 04, 202337 min

8: The Lawsuit That Went Nowhere

You would never know from the outside that India -- a wholesome college student with an optimistic viewpoint and loving family -- lost her birth mother in a violent and terrifying way. India is the youngest daughter of Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene. Host, producer and writer Christy Strawser talks to India for the first time and reveals in this episode produced by Zach Clark what went on behind the scenes in the $150 million lawsuit brought by India and Greene's two other children in her death....

Apr 27, 202330 min

7: Strawberry And The Governor's Race

At the intersection of the mystery surrounding Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene the murdered exotic dancer and former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is the state police investigation. Writer, producer and host Christy Strawser uncovers how controversy about the investigation poured gas on the fire of conspiracy theories and spread it to a campaign for the governor’s office. Also produced by Zach Clark.

Apr 20, 202340 min

6: The World's Biggest Small Town

To understand how Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene's life ended, you have to understand where it began. In this episode, host, writer and producer Christy Strawser visits the streets of Detroit with historian Ken Coleman and they hit all the hotspots in the lives of Kwame Kilpatrick and Tamara Greene. The clubs, the neighborhoods, even the houses where the alleged-but-never-proven party happened. You'll meet some characters along the way because as you'll find out, this place is a small town trapped i...

Apr 13, 202349 min

5: Old Theories And New Suspects

In this episode, writer, host and producer Christy Strawser and producer Zach Clark talk to the man police name as the main suspect in Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene's murder. So, 20 years later, why has he never been charged? That's one of the many twists and turns in 'Old Theories And New Suspects.' There's also the mystery of what's missing in the murder file, disappearing case notes, why police higher-ups seemed to want so many updates on the case and whether her murder had the hallmarks of a pr...

Apr 06, 202337 min

4: Where Murder Cases Go To Die

When exotic dancer Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene was shot to death, her case went cold and it has stayed that way for 20 years. But it's not the only case that was cold. In fact, only 11% of homicides were solved at the time of her death In this episode of the true crime podcast Who Killed Strawberry, writer, host and producer Christy Strawser and producer Zach Clark dive into why the case was unsolved from the perspective of police experts and why so many other cases in Detroit suffered the same f...

Mar 30, 202326 min

3: Whistleblowers And Torn Panties

In this episode of the true crime podcast Who Killed Strawberry, writer, host and producer Christy Strawser and producer Zach Clark reveal why police started investigating a connection between the homicide of Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene and a wild party at the mayor's mansion, and then what happened to them once they did. We also reveal new details about the depth of depravity among some cops at the time.

Mar 23, 202335 min

2: The Surprising Ties That Bind Tammy and Kwame

While single mother and exotic dancer Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene and one of America's most celebrated mayors at the time, Kwame Kilpatrick, may not have had anything in common at first glance, the story is more complicated under the surface. Writer, host and producer Christy Strawser and producer Zach Clark delve into how Kwame and Tammy's names became connected and what was going on beneath the surface in both of their lives.

Mar 16, 202331 min

1: The Curse of the Liar

Six months after she allegedly danced at a never-proven party at the Detroit mayor's mansion, Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene was shot to death. Was her death connected to covering up the party? Was it tied to money, a grudge ... or something else. Writer, producer and host Christy Strawser, along with producer Zach Clark, dive into one of Detroit's most notorious cold cases in this 9 episode series, exploring theories and uncovering evidence. It’s a story about the corrosive lure of power. How cover...

Mar 09, 202323 min

Who Killed Strawberry: The Trailer

The murder of Tamara 'Strawberry' Greene, one of Detroit's most notorious cold cases, remains unsolved after 20 years. Writer, host and producer Christy Strawser dives deep into the mystery in a nine-episode podcast that reveals new information, uncovers key witnesses and pieces together for the first time answers to all the major questions about the death of the exotic dancer. Was her death related to a wild party at the mayor's mansion? Was it over money, a grudge ... or something else? The fi...

Mar 06, 20231 min
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