Lawyer for Kane's accuser withdraws from case amid 'misrepresentations' over evidence bag

The lawyer for the accuser in the ongoing sexual assault investigation involving Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane will no longer represent the accuser in the case.

In a news conference Thursday night, attorney Thomas Eoannou said, in light of new information, he has decided to withdraw his representation.

"This afternoon, we met with investigators from the District Attorney's Office in cooperation with their investigations," Eoannou said.

"After conferring with the District Attorney's Office, my office has continued its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding the finding of the evidence bag," he said. "This evening, information was provided to my office which established misrepresentations were made to me about the facts concerning the discovery of the rape evidence bag.

"In keeping with my ethical obligations as an officer of the court, I can no longer represent my client effectively, and am withdrawing effective immediately."

Eoannou told reporters in a news conference Wednesday that the evidence bag was delivered anonymously to the accuser's mother, and that it was opened and tampered with.

One day later, the attorney expressed doubts about the circumstances of how the evidence was delivered to him.

"I no longer have confidence in the manner and means in which that bag came to my office," he said. "This does not in any way reflect upon what occurred in the night in question."

Eoannou said he also had doubts about the account given by the accuser's mother of how the bag arrived at her home.

"I do not believe the way it was explained to me was the manner in which the bag was found," he said. "I have looked into that, and I do not have confidence in that version of the events, and I have an ethical obligation when I have those questions to come forward and indicate that."

Kane's attorney, Paul Cambria, held an impromptu news conference Thursday night in response to Eoannou's statement.

"The integrity of the accusations has been completely undermined, as a result of somebody's efforts ... to obstruct this investigation, to undermine the clear scientific results which were in this case, and to basically fabricate evidence, or the lack of evidence, because the claim was that supposedly evidence was missing," Cambria said.

The attorney again called the accuser's claims, and the actions of her family, into question.

Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita will hold a news conference Friday morning to discuss the alleged evidence tampering.