Jussie Smollett’s case will be heard by a grand jury next week, according to TMZ.
Law enforcement sources tell the outlet that the two brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, who were arrested and subsequently released, are staying in downtown Chicago and are being guarded by the police. This is so they’re unreachable, especially by Smollett.
When the police searched the brothers’ home, they discovered ripped up magazines. Now, investigators are trying to determine if the torn pages are linked to the threatening letter that Smollett received eight days before the purported attack.
TMZ reports that the police asked Smollett if he’d sign complaints against the brothers, and he agreed to. However, when he found out the identities of the men who were in custody that he apparently knew, he said he felt bad for them and decided not to sign.
The authorities believe that the brothers bought the rope used on Smollett’s neck, though there is no surveillance footage at the hardware store to prove it.
According to TMZ, the way the police tracked the brothers was through their movements around Jessie’s apartment building. The two men either left in a cab or Uber, which the cops were able to track. However, on their way home, the men jumped into another vehicle.
But cops became suspicious when Smollett took them to the scene of the crime and pointed out an obscured camera, mentioning he was happy that the attack was caught on video. While cops found that the camera was pointed in the wrong direction, they thought it was odd that he knew where the camera was.
Investigators also didn’t believe the brothers yelled, “This is MAGA country,” because they say “not a single Trump supporter watches ‘Empire.’”
Smollett and his lawyer have denied that the actor may have paid the two brothers who allegedly attacked him to carry out the assault.
