Who Killed Strawberry?

Kwame Kilpatrick went from being the future of Detroit to one of the city's most notable felons. While Kilpatrick is out of prison, he still owes hundreds of thousands dollars. On a new Daily J, WWJ's Zach Clark wonders what it will take for Kilpatrick to clear his debt. (PHOTO: Phillip Faraone/Getty)

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 her down. Could this really be true? Was Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead the monster Montgomery District Attorneys made her out to be? Or, did she snap? Did the pressures in her life become too much to bear? In Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster, KYW Newsradio Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert empties his notebook from nearly a year of covering this chilling, gut wrenching case that left a trail from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Jersey Shore. Be sure to listen to both parts.  Further reading: Horsham mom tells police she strangled son Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead sentenced to life in prison

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 unthinkable. She murdered her 11-year old son. Did DiRienzo-Whitehead suffer a psychotic break? Did she snap? Or, was the 51-year old Horsham resident out for revenge? Was the killing deliberate, as a way to get back at her husband? In Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster, KYW Newsradio Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert empties his notebook from nearly a year of covering this chilling, gut wrenching case that left a trail from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Jersey Shore. Be sure to listen to both parts.  Further reading: Horsham mom tells police she strangled son Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead sentenced to life in prison

In August of 1989, Larry DeLisle drove a station wagon with his wife and four children in it into the Detroit River, killing the kids. On a new Daily J On The Case, WWJ's Christy Strawser and Zach Clark explore whether he had a leg cramp and a deficient car, or if he's a cold-blooded killer. (PHOTO: Fox 2 Detroit/YouTube)

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)

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? Hear the first episode of “Ricochet” on Wednesday, January 24 on the Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders feed. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for free downloads delivered to your phone every week. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris

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) 

 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, Gangster Capitalism, and Relative Unknown.

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.

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. 

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.

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 in the body of a big city.

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 professional hit.

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 fate.

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.

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.

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-ups backfire. How lies can spread like water on hot concrete in directions the liar in the middle of it all ultimately can’t control.

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 first episode drops Thursday, March 9 with new episodes every Thursday. Written, reported and produced by Christy Strawser; Produced and sound engineered by Zach Clark.