As the investigation into the alleged hate crime against Jussie Smollett continues, Chicago police are investigating the 36-year-old’s phone records and a bottle found near the scene of the incident.
On Monday, February 11, police officer Christine Calace informed Us Weekly the Chicago Police Department had “received limited and redacted phone records from the victim.”
The following day, however, police officer Michael Carroll told Us that the investigators may require more records from Smollett. “We are very appreciative of the victim’s cooperation. However, the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation as they were limited and heavily redacted,” he said. “Detectives may be following up with the victim to request additional data to corroborate the investigative timeline.”
In another development in the case, a New York Post reporter found a hot sauce bottle while retracing the path the Empire star took around 2 a.m. on January 29. That’s when Smollett was allegedly approached by two attackers who poured a bleach-smelling liquid on him and put a noose around his neck while yelling racist and homophobic slurs.
The Chicago Police Department later confirmed that the bottle was partially filled with a clear liquid that smelled like bleach, but CPD Chief Communications Officer Anthony Guglielmi couldn’t say for certain whether the liquid was used against Smollett.
“It’s unclear if that is related to the incident as it was not discovered during any of the earlier canvasses but we took it for analysis,” Guglielmi said in a statement to Us.
Guglielmi previously told Us in a statement that police “located a surveillance camera that shows potential persons of interest wanted for questioning in reference to the assault and battery” of Smollett. And on Monday, February 6, a source confirmed to Us that the “Hurt People” singer had returned to work on the set of Empire.
With reporting by Marc Lupo
