Gossip webloid MTOnews published a video that shows shadowy figures pursuing Jenkins as she staggered around the lower level of the hotel.
Though comical and obviously deceptive, the altered video only added fuel to the online conspiracy theories.
Observes say they are not convinced that the woman stumbling around the hotel was not Kenneka Jenkins.
But video uploaded by one of the people at the party shows Jenkins in the elevator on the same night she died, wearing the same denim outfit as the woman seen in the video.
The Rosemont Village mayor blamed social media for crazy conspiracy theories that hampers the investigation.
Mayor Brad Stephens said the online conspiracy frenzy is slowing down the investigation into Jenkins’ death.
“It’s unfortunate that some of that stuff is convoluting the investigation because all those leads have got to be followed up on,” Stephens told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.
“As I’m sure you’ve seen, there’s a lot of different speculation out there, so [police] are doing their best to come to a quick resolution, obviously. I think everybody wants to know what happened.”
Police have so far interviewed 25 people. 12 of the 25 people were present in the hotel room where Jenkins participated in underage drinking and smoking weed with friends.
The conspiracy theorists argue that the surveillance footage does not show Jenkins walking into the hotel freezer, as Chicago community activist Andrew Holmes claimed last week.
Holmes initially said police allowed him to review the video and he saw Jenkins open two doors and enter the freezer. But he backtracked on Saturday, saying he misspoke and he did not see her enter the freezer.
Holmes said he toured the freezer and he described opening one door which led to another door into the cold storage section of the freezer. He said the cold storage was “pitch black” once the door closed.
In her drunken state, Jenkins probably could not find the light switch or the door handle to let herself out. She likely froze to death.
Martin now says Holmes does not speak for her family.
“He came out of the blue and acting like he was a friend,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “But he calls me this morning and says, ‘Oh the hotel is not making any money. I think you need to go online and stop the protest’,” she said.
