GUILTY IL - Actor Jussie Smollett allegedly attacked in hate crime, Jan 2019 #6 *GUILTY*

[katydid23]

There are a couple of things that are going to make it hard to accept Jussie's version of the story. He is saying that his friends betrayed him and attacked him on the street in the middle of the night as he was walking to get a sandwich.

How is the defense going to explain how the brothers knew where JS was going to be at 2 am? Is he going to say he told them that he was going to be walking to she store at that time?

It is also going to be hard to explain WHY these guys would do this, to their cash cow. The defense is saying he paid the bros 3500 for weight training. And he got one of them acting work in the show.

WHY would they want to attack someone who was doing so much for them when they were barely making it?

And of course, the other glitch---how is he going to explain that he said they were white MAGA guys?

 

[mickey2942]

Jussie Smollett performs in LA and tells the crowd he wants to clarify a few things | CNN

Jussie Smollett sold out concert tickets in Los Angeles after attack.

 

[Gardenista]

The part where his defense said Jussie didn't like attention had me rolling my eyes soooo hard. Wonder if they'll have his publicist testify to that

 

[shotgun09]

Jason Meisner
@jmetr22b
·
28m
The first witness for the prosecution in the #JussieSmollett case is Chicago police Detective Michael Theis, one of the leading investigators of the purported hate crime.

"Theis was asked if the police did a "rush to judgement" in the Smollett investigation, as alleged by his attorneys. "No, absolutely not," he testified. He says police put over 3,000 man hours into the investigation. He was initially in charge of hunting down surveillance video"

"Theis says he worked long hours, sometimes 36 or 48 hours in a row, through the Polar Vortex, to investigate the hate crime allegations by Smollett. At least 1,500 hours of video reviewed."
"Theis: "We were trying to determine what had happened and why it had happened." And what was Smollett considered? Theis: "He was a victim." He was not a suspect? Theis: "No."

"Theis: "We determined that the alleged hate crime was actually a staged event and that it did not occur." It was a hoax? "Yes." And who orchestrated this hoax? "Mr. Jussie Smollett."

"Theis was just shown this photo of the Osundairo brothers, whom he identified as the two people Smollett recruited to attack him. Smollett had initially said his attackers may have been white. Are they white? Theis: "No" Are you sure? Theis: "Yes"

 

[EGirl]

The audacity!

"Theis, by the way, is currently being counter-sued by Jussie Smollett in U.S. District Court for alleged malicious prosecution. That suit (which the jury will not hear about) is on hold while the criminal case plays out." Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b)

 

[shotgun09]

Jason Meisner
@jmetr22b
·
1h
Theis is taking the jury through a compilation video taken from a series of police and surveillance cameras. It shows 2 people walking near where Smollett was attacked. Theis said when they saw one was wearing a red hat, "We got excited. We thought we're on the right track here."
Jason Meisner
@jmetr22b
·
1h
Theis is explaining the detective work they did to track the cab the attackers took back to the Lakeview neighborhood. They canvassed the surrounding blocks and found videos showing the brothers walking for blocks in subzero weather at 2 a.m.

"We were getting excited at this point. We felt that we had to two individuals we were looking for," Theis said. Not only id they fit the description, they paid cash for the cab and walked for nearly a mile back home. "That told us they were trying to hide their movements."

'Theis on why CPD put so much effort into the #Smollett case: "This was horrible. I mean the crime was a hate crime, but a horrible hate crime. There was a noose, there was bleach. It was ... international news. Everyone wanted to know what happened, from the mayor on down."

Theis says the "aha" moment for them was when Uber subpoena showed the name of the person who'd ordered a ride share on the night of the attack matching the area where they'd tracked the suspects: It was Olabinjo Osundairo. "Everything started to tied together," he says.

 

[shotgun09]

Jason Meisner
@jmetr22b
·
35m
We are back after a short break. Theis is testifying about #JussieSmollett’s Good Morning America interview, which aired on national TV after the Osundairo brothers had been arrested. Jurors are watching the GMA interview now...

"Theis says it was a significant moment for police when Smollett told Robin Robert’s there was no doubt in his mind that the two people seen in the surveillance video were his attackers. The brothers, who lawyered up, then agreed to tell police what happened."

"Theis says Abel Osundairo was struggling because of his friendship with Jussie, but in the end, the detective believed what he said was the truth. The brothers were released after giving statements. “It was determined we didn’t have enough evidence to hold them any longer.”

"Next step was to corroborate or shoot down everything the brothers said, Theis testified. Like Abel’s cell phone records showing Smollett indeed texted him at 9:34 a.m. on Jan. 25 saying “Might need your help on the low.” Cell phone tower pings show they later met at Cinespace."

"By the way, Smollett says the help “on the low” was a request for some herbal supplements available in Nigeria. He says the $3,500 check he gave them was for nutrition/work out planning, trying to get in shape for an upcoming video shoot."

"Jurors watched surveillance footage seemingly corroborating the Osundairos’ story of how #JussieSmollett picked them up in an alley on Jan. 25 and circled the block while they talked about the plan. Similar corroboration was found for the alleged Jan. 27 “dry run,” Theis says "

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Thank you @shotgun09 for the twitter feed updates!

 

[katydid23]

So what is the defense going to say about the drive around town in the Mercedes? They have to come up with a reasonable explanation for what they were doing. It might be tricky because they have been saying he hired them to help train him. How is driving around NYC in the Mercedes doing that?

I am looking forward to hear the explanation. I guess they will say he was making a hand off for the Nigerian supplements?

I also get the feeling that the defense is going to say that he and one of the bros were in a relationship---and the attack was because of a break up or something along those lines?

 

[mickey2942]

So what is the defense going to say about the drive around town in the Mercedes? They have to come up with a reasonable explanation for what they were doing. It might be tricky because they have been saying he hired them to help train him. How is driving around NYC in the Mercedes doing that?

I am looking forward to hear the explanation. I guess they will say he was making a hand off for the Nigerian supplements?

I also get the feeling that the defense is going to say that he and one of the bros were in a relationship---and the attack was because of a break up or something along those lines?

But, how does it get from two black guys, to two white men? Smollett had to have heard them speaking, and would have known the Nigerian accent, based on what Smollett states they said to him. He was very specific on the verbiage.

 

[katydid23]

Replying to
@jmetr22b
They paid the bill at the beauty store with a $100 bill they say Smollett gave to them for hoax supplies, Theis testifies.



Theis now holding up a length of rope he purchased at the same Crafty Beaver to match it to the one around Smollett’s neck. It cost $3.50. Rope being passed around to the jury.


@jmetr22b
·
57m

Now showing Jussie Smollett’s Instagram messages with Bola Osundairo on the night of the attack. Smollett’s plane was delayed for hours in NYC. When he finally landed, there was another texts, then a phone call, and the brothers mobilized downtown, Theis says.

Jason Meisner


My understanding is it was just a red hat. Smollett said they yelled “MAGA” at him.

 

[katydid23]

Theis’ direct testimony is almost over. Hopefully Judge Linn calls lunch soon because they keep mentioning Smollett’s Subway sandwich and attention is waning.


Replying to
@jmetr22b
Theis is ending by showing jurors a series of photos of the area where the attack took place. One of them is of the Chicago Burger Company restaurant near Smollett’s building. I mention this because...burgers.



Theis ends with a text Smollett sent to Abel on Feb. 14, 2019, while the brothers were in custody: “Brother I love you. I stand with you. I know 100 percent you and your brother did nothing wrong. Please hit me when they let you go. I stand behind you fully”


Replying to
@jmetr22b
Smollett called it a “statement” but Theis testified that Smollett never made any statements that he’s aware of.

Prosecutor: To this day has Mr. Smollett ever come clean about this hate crime? Theis: “Not that I’m aware of.” And that’s lunch, folks.

 

[katydid23]

There are a couple of things that are going to make it hard to accept Jussie's version of the story. He is saying that his friends betrayed him and attacked him on the street in the middle of the night as he was walking to get a sandwich.

How is the defense going to explain how the brothers knew where JS was going to be at 2 am? Is he going to say he told them that he was going to be walking to she store at that time?

OK, we just got the answer to that^^^ question...

"Now showing Jussie Smollett’s Instagram messages with Bola Osundairo on the night of the attack. Smollett’s plane was delayed for hours in NYC. When he finally landed, there was another texts, then a phone call, and the brothers mobilized downtown, Theis says."
Jason Meisner



SO the defense will likely say that Bola texted JS to sneakily get info about where he was going to be when he landed?

 

[khaki]

Thank you so much to everyone posting the tweets. I noticed @CharlieDeMar from CBS Chicago news is posting tweets too. Sorry I am unable to post them here but just wanted to let others know.

https://twitter.com/CharlieDeMar?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

 

[katydid23]

Thank you so much to everyone posting the tweets. I noticed @CharlieDeMar from CBS Chicago news is posting tweets too. Sorry I am unable to post them here but just wanted to let others know.

https://twitter.com/CharlieDeMar?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Charlie De Mar
@CharlieDeMar
·
Side by side images of Smollett are shown right after attack. When he enters his apartment, the rope is just draped loosely around his neck. When police arrive, the rope is wrapped tighter around Smollett's neck. Detective said that told him that it may have been tightened.


@CharlieDeMar
·
Jury now watching portions of national interview Jussie did. CPD says that was big because Jussie had no doubt the image of the persons of interest were his attackers and were already in police custody.
@cbschicago

@CharlieDeMar

Detective Theis: Brothers are interviewed short time later and they come clean about the plan to stage attack.


@CharlieDeMar
·
Theis: Talking about interview with brothers. They mentioned the threatening letter sent to studio where Empire films and he felt the network didn't take it seriously--and that is why he wanted to stage attack. #JussieSmolletttrial #jussiesmolett

 

[al66pine]

The Brothers' Accent?

... Smollett had to have heard them speaking, and would have known the Nigerian accent ...

@mickey2942 sbm for focus
Yes, excellent point. How pronounced is the accent? Did a quick search for vid clips w either or both of them speaking. No luck. Anyone? Thx in adv.

 

[katydid23]

I think it is going to be hard to convince the jury that JS didnt recognise his attackers.

 

[katydid23]

[URL='https://twitter.com/crepeau']Megan Crepeau[/URL]


I'm back in the courtroom after a lunch break in the Jussie Smollett trial. We're expecting Det. Michael Theis, one of the lead detectives on the Smollett investigation, to be cross-examined.

 

[Kristin Esq.]

But, how does it get from two black guys, to two white men? Smollett had to have heard them speaking, and would have known the Nigerian accent, based on what Smollett states they said to him. He was very specific on the verbiage.

Part of me thinks that JS wanted something to happen within the MAGA movement; maybe he was trying to show they were all racists or something like that. I don't think he "didn't hear them" I think he purposefully said it was two white men with MAGA hats on. moo.

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Megan Crepeau


I'm back in the courtroom after a lunch break in the Jussie Smollett trial. We're expecting Det. Michael Theis, one of the lead detectives on the Smollett investigation, to be cross-examined.

Can't wait to see what the defense attorneys have to ask.