Hi guys! It has been about a month since the last edition of this column, but I wanted to give you all something interesting to read over spring break. For the first time in this column, we will be covering a person that was accused of a murder, though he was found not guilty. In light of the preparations and trades occurring for the upcoming National Football League (NFL) season, I thought it would be intriguing to cover the trial of Orenthal James (O.J) Simpson, who was once a famous NFL player and considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. Hope you enjoy!
Before:
O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California. At the age of two, Simpson contracted a condition commonly found in children called rickets. Rickets is a condition where that causes softening and weakening in the bones of children, often from a lack of vitamin D. This caused him to become pigeon-toed and bow-legged, and he had to wear a pair of shoes connected by an iron bar until he was five years old.
In 1952, his parents separated and he went to live with his mother, brother, and two sisters in the Black Potrero Hill district in San Francisco. Eight years later, Simpson took a turn for the worst and joined a gang called the Persian Warriors. In high school, he proved to be one of the best players on his football team, though his grades are what stopped him from joining a great college program. Therefore, he went to the City College of San Francisco where he was no match for the other players and soon was admitted to University of Southern California (USC).
While at USC, Simpson became a two-time All American halfback and set National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) records. In 1968, he won the Heisman Trophy, which was awarded to the top player in college football every year. After that, he went pro the following year as a running back for the Buffalo Bills. During his time as a running back, Simpson broke and created many records with the most notable being the first player in NFL history to rush 2,000 yards in one season. In the last season of his career, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he retired from in 1979. In 1983 and 1985, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After retiring, he went into acting and sports broadcasting where he worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and the NFL on National Broadcasting Company (NBC). In 1967, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley and together, they had three children. The couple divorced in 1979 and Simpson met an 18-year old waitress, Nicole Brown, who he met when him and Whitley were still married. Following the divorce, Simpson dated Brown for a number of years and they got married in 1985. Throughout their relationship, Brown-Simpson complained to family and friends that their marriage was abusive and the police were called to their home multiple times.
On New Year’s Day in 1989, Brown-Simpson claimed her husband threatened to kill her and she was found with multiple injuries. Simpson pleaded guilty to spousal battery and he received a fine and hours of community service. The two went on with their lives as a married couple until in 1992 when Brown-Simpson filed for divorce. Later that year, the divorce was finalized and the two went their separate ways.
However, it did not end there when two years later, Brown-Simpson was found stabbed to death alongside her friend, Ron Goldman, in Los Angeles. Simpson was brought in for questioning and almost immediately became a suspect.
After:
The morning after his ex-wife’s death, police went to Simpson’s mansion to inform him of the tragedy. When they arrived, he was not there, having checked into a hotel. The thing that was there though was his Bronco which was stained with blood and contained a bloody glove that matched the other one found near Brown-Simpson’s and Goldman’s bodies. This allowed the police to obtain a search warrant for Simpson’s mansion where they found even more traces of blood. Simpson returned to his house about an hour later, only to find the police searching his residence. He was then taken to the police station where he was questioned.
On June 17, 1994, Simpson was officially charged with the murders and he agreed to surrender to the police. Instead, he took back that agreement and fled the authorities, becoming a fugitive. Soon, he was spotted in his Bronco, with his friend, Al Cowlings, driving with him in the backseat. In the end, he surrendered at his house in Brentwood where he was arrested without the possibility of bail.
A month later on July 22, 1994, Simpson pleaded not guilty to the murders while the prosecution sought life without parole if convicted. The following year on January 24, 1995, the trial began and the motive the prosecution came up with were that he killed them both out of jealousy. Over the next couple of months, the trial persisted and on September 28 that same year, closing arguments were presented. Some key evidence that helped acquit Simpson was that he was with a house-guest, Kato Kaelin, hours before the murders occurred, the crime scene was handled wrong, and that the glove found at his house failed to fit his hands as they were too tight. On October 3, 1995, Simpson was found not guilty of the double homicide with the jury deliberating for less than four hours.
Lots of claims have been made to who actually killed Brown-Simpson and Goldman, though the most recent says it was a serial killer who is on death row.
In the 1990s, this case was everywhere and had increasing prominence due to the nature of the crime and the fact that an extremely well-known person was believed to have done it. It was commonly referred to as the “Trial of the Century” because of its relevance. Simpson died last year on April 10 in Las Vegas due to prostate cancer.
Sources:
Pak, Eudie. “O.J. Simpson’s Trial for Murder: A Timeline of the “Trial of the Century.”” Biography, 11 April 2024, https://www.biography.com/crime/a433800160/oj-simpson-trial-timeline. Accessed 17 March 2025.
Piccotti, Tyler. “O.J. Simpson.” Biography, 17 April 2024, https://www.biography.com/crime/oj-simpson. Accessed 17 March 2025.
