Lawyer for Patrick Kane accuser withdraws from case on ethical grounds

Lawyer Thomas J. Eoannou, who was representing the woman accusing Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane of sexual assault, withdrew from the case in a hastily called press conference on Thursday night.

Eoannou’s decision came one day after he dropped a bombshell: That a rape kit from the investigation, torn open and empty, was found jammed in the doorway of the alleged victim’s mother’s home. He said the discovery called into question the evidence in the case, and alleged that DNA findings could have been tampered with if the chain of custody with the kit had been broken.

On Thursday night, Eoannou said he was no longer confident in the story he was told when the mother delivered the bag to him.

"I no longer have the confidence in the manner and means in which that bag came to my office,” he said. “I looked into it, and I decided to withdraw."

Eoannou said he was confident that the evidence bag was in fact a rape kit and was in fact from the Patrick Kane case. He just lacked the confidence that the events he laid out one day earlier were truthful.

“The manner in which it was presented to me, in which I received it, I’m uncomfortable, and thus I do not believe the version of events is accurate. I called this press conference to let everyone know my concerns and that I’m withdrawing from the case,” he said.

Eoannou refused to go into details about why his confidence in the rape kit story he spun one day earlier was suddenly shaken.

After his press conference on Wednesday, there was immediate pushback from Kane’s attorney – who claimed the DNA evidence in the case is sound – and from local authorities.

“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,” Erie County Commissioner of Central Police Services John Glascott told the Buffalo News. “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.”

One day later, Eoannou opted to leave the case, although he said he did not discuss this decision with his client.

“I have an ethical responsibility to withdraw from the case, and I wished them the best of luck,” he said. “The representations that were made to me were not accurate, and because I have no confidence in the story that was told to me I’m withdrawing as their lawyer.”

Kane's lawyer, Paul Cambria, told the Buffalo News that this turn of events shows the women's claims are fabricated.

When asked if the alleged victim’s account of the events of Aug. 2, the date on which she said Kane sexually assaulted her in his Buffalo area home, should also be called into question, Eoannou said “not at all.”

“One has nothing to do with the other," he said. "One has something to do with someone other than my client.”

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