Investigators: Witness credibility questioned

Detroit 9WXYZ) - The Action News Investigators have learned the man who claims he was at the rumored Manoogian Mansion party -- and saw Attorney General Mike Cox there -- has a history of mental illness.

It made big headlines this week when Wilson Kay Jr. said in the slain-stripper lawsuit that Mike Cox was at the rumored party.

But the timing of Kay’s claim raised eyebrows, coming just one week before the primary election.

Now Action News Investigator Heather Catallo has learned there are serious concerns about Kay’s mental health – and her investigation exposes a history of making unfounded allegations.

It was the bombshell leak that caused a stir… an affidavit from 33-year-old Wilson Kay Jr. claiming he saw Attorney General Mike Cox get a lap dance at a party inside the Manoogian Mansion back in 2002. Kay also stated in his affidavit that he saw Kwame Kilpatrick at the party and that Carlita Kilpatrick used a table leg to beat exotic dancer Tamara Greene.

But questions about Kay’s credibility quickly started to mount:

He has a criminal past, including 5 felonies, and 1 misdemeanor.
Claims were made that Kay was receiving threats, and feared for his life… and that’s why he failed to show up for his scheduled deposition in the lawsuit that Greene’s family has filed against the city and the former mayor.

Now, Action News has obtained these court records that show: a judge ordered Mr. Kay to be hospitalized and treated for mental illness for up to 90 days in 2000.

According to the records, a mental health worker petitioned the court to hospitalize him because he was “paranoid” and “suspicious,” thinking his food was being poisoned. He also was refusing “to take [his] seizure medication.”

Records show a doctor from a Detroit mental hospital diagnosed Kay with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and referenced psychotic behavior.

Action News has also obtained these Detroit Board of Police Commission records.

On 3 different occasions between 2002 and 2004, Wilson Kay Jr. complained that officers had assaulted and threatened him. The Office of the Chief Investigator looked into the complaints – but all of Kay’s allegations were ruled “unfounded.” In two of the cases, records show Kay waited an entire year to come forward with his allegations… just like he waited 7 years to come forward about the alleged Manoogian Mansion party.

Police Commission Investigators stated that during his interview, Kay said he wanted the officers who allegedly beat him to “get taken care of,” and that “he wants the officers to pay for his hospital bills and wants some money.”

Investigators also said “Mr. Kay contradicted himself several times” during his interview. They also said, “His answers were erratic and confusing due to the fact that he was mixing dates and events to the point that he was not sure of the event, the complaint or the agency or institution.”

Channel 7 legal analyst Tom Cranmer says all of that hurts Kay’s credibility as a witness in the lawsuit.

“If a witness who is critical to a case has his or her credibility undermined or called into question, which means that their believability is called into question, then that can seriously damage the case,” said Cranmer.

Attorney Norman Yatooma – who represents Greene’s family -- says Kay’s story has been consistent for months, and that he truly fears for his life.

Yatooma says the timing of Wilson’s testimony has nothing to do with the election – it’s simply related to the deposition schedule in the Greene case. Yatooma says Mr. Kay is not lying and he’s not crazy, and Yatooma says since Kay signed an affidavit, he could face a felony if he’s found to be lying.

As for Mike Cox, his spokesman released a statement to Action News: “Everyone sees this for what it is: desperate, last-minute attacks with no credibility. Everyday it becomes clearer these are simply lies intended to affect an election.