Case against Jussie Smollett focuses on how 'hoax' unraveled

Prosecutors will continue presenting their case against Jussie Smollett on charges he staged a fake assault on himself, prompting a massive Chicago police investigation

CHICAGO -- Prosecutors' case against Jussie Smollett has focused on how Chicago police say they determined that what they initially believed was a horrific hate crime was actually a fake assault staged by the ex-"Empire" actor with help from two brothers.

Testimony will continue Wednesday in the trial, which is expected to last about a week.

A lead investigator in the case, Michael Theis, said Tuesday that the brothers — who worked with Smollett on the Chicago set of “Empire” — detailed for police how the actor orchestrated the hoax. They said Smollett told them via text message to meet him “on the low,” paid for supplies including a clothesline later fashioned into a noose and took them for a “dry run” prior to the January 2019 alleged attack.

Theis, who now is assistant director for research and development for the Chicago Police Department, said roughly two dozen detectives clocked some 3,000 hours on the investigation, rebutting a defense attorney's statement that they rushed to judgment. He said police were excited when they were able to track the movements of two suspected attackers using surveillance video and cellphone and records from ride-sharing services.