On June 12, 1994, the bodies of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were found outside Brown's condo. They had been brutally stabbed to death. Nicole Brown had once been married to OJ Simpson, the former NFL star and actor. The two had a documented history of domestic violence. Evidence at the murder scene suggested Simpson was responsible. Rather than turn himself in, Simpson lead police on a slow-speed chase, which began after a letter was read to the press by a friend. While friend Al Cowlings drove the now infamous White Ford Bronco, Simpson allegedly sat in the back with a gun to his head. The chase ended after 50 miles at Simpson's home in Brentwood ("Cornered at his house after he is accused of killing ex-wife and her friend" by Seth Mydans. The New York Times, June 17, 1994).
Murder Charges and The Trial
OJ Simpson was charged with two counts of murder in the first degree. His trial began in Los Angeles on January 25, 1995. The prosecution stated that Simpson had killed his wife in a jealous rage, while Simpson's "Dream Team" of 7 defense lawyers argued that Simpson was the victim of sloppy police work and fraud. After 8 months and 9 days of evidence and unbelievable media frenzy, Simpson was acquitted of all charges.
The Aftermath
Since his acquittal, Simpson's behaviors have forced many to question his character. The families of Brown and Goldman won a civil suit against Simpson in 1997 and a judge ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million. After the civil verdict, Simpson relocated to Florida, where a person’s property cannot be seized for failure to pay debts. Simpson has paid very little money to the victim's families.
Simpson also owes over 1 million dollars to the state of California in unpaid taxes. DirecTV sued him for using equipment to pirate his satellite signal. The February 1998 issue of Esquire featured an interview with Simpson and quoted him saying, “Let’s say I did [murder Nicole Brown]. Even if I did this, it would be because I loved her very much, right?” Furthering the public’s suspicion, Simpson garnered a book deal with ReganBooks in 2006. His book, titled If I Did It outraged the public. The book allegedly describes how Simpson would have committed the murders if he had indeed done it. Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman’s father, was awarded publishing rights to the book to satisfy the civil award he was still owed by Simpson. Goldman published the book under the title If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.
Robbery in Las Vegas
In September of 2007, Simpson was questioned in connection with an armed robbery of sports memorabilia at The Palace-Station Hotel in Las Vegas. He was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault and using a deadly weapon (“OJ Simpson Faces Break-In Charges.” BBC, September 17, 2007). All of Simpson’s co-defendants agreed to a plea deal; Simpson refused. His trial is currently underway in Nevada and Simpson faces life in prison with parole. As of the date of this article, the prosecution and defense have rested and the jury is deliberating.
