As a crime scene investigator, my responsibility is to investigate the double homicide of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The objective is to gather evidence against Orenthal James Simpson for the murder of his wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. The tragic event occurred at approximately 10:15 P.M. on June 12, 1994, at Nicole’s residence located on 875 S. Bundy in Brentwood, California (Linder).
O. J. Simpson, who was married to Nicole, is the primary suspect in the case. We have collected a substantial amount of evidence from his residence, the crime scene, and his interviews. On June 12th, both Nicole and O.J followed their normal routine. They attended their daughter’s dance recital at a nearby Middle School together. Later on, while Nicole and her family had dinner at Mezzaluna restaurant, O.J went back home (Linder). According to Simpson’s account, he stayed at home while his family enjoyed a celebratory dinner and prepared for a trip to Chicago by practicing his golf swing.
According to Simpson, he and a man named Kato Kaelin went to McDonalds before parting ways. They returned around 9:45 P.M., with Simpson preparing to leave for a flight to Chicago at 11:45 P.M. While waiting for his limo driver Allan Park, Simpson claims he was both packing and sleeping. Park stated that between 10:22 and 10:30 P.M., Simpson’s white bronco was not parked near his Rockingham residence.
At 10:40 P. M., 10:43 P. M., and 10:49 P. M., Park claims to have contacted O. J.’s intercom multiple times with no response. Around 10:51, Kaelin reports hearing loud thumps near his room, while Allan Park sees a figure wearing a dark sweat suit, weighing approximately 200 pounds and measuring 6 feet tall, running across the lawn. During our interrogation with Kaelin, he states that this is the same clothing Simpson wore during their trip to McDonald’s (People Vs. Simpson). Shortly after, Simpson leaves his house and travels to Chicago. When questioned, Park reveals that O. J. had a small black bag which he refused to let Park touch (Linder). Witnesses state that around 8:30 P. M., Nicole and her family leave Mezzaluna and go to Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream. While leaving, Nicole’s mother, Juditha, drops her sunglasses unknowingly. Later, she calls the restaurant and offers employee Ronald Goldman to bring them to Nicole’s condo after his work shift ends. Goldman finishes work at approximately 9:45 P. M. and heads to Nicole’s place. According to neighbors, the usually peaceful neighborhood was unusually noisy on the night of the murders.
After speaking with four of Nicole’s neighbors, it was reported that a dog began barking eerily around 9:45 P.M., preventing everyone from getting any sleep that night. The first neighbor questioned, Eva Stein, mentioned that she went to bed at around 10 P.M., but was continuously woken up by the loud and persistent barking. Louis Karpf, Stein’s boyfriend, arrived home around 10:45 P.M. and heard the dog barking heavily. He went outside to locate where the distressed dog was. Another neighbor, Steven Schwab, explained that while taking a late walk at approximately 10:55 P.M., a strange dog started to follow him. Noticing that the dog had blood on its paws and belly, Schwab later brought it to his neighbor Mr. Boztepe at about 11:05 P.M. However, the restless dog kept Mr. and Mrs. Boztepe awake, so they opted to take it for a walk instead. It was during this walk that Nicole Brown Simpson’s anxious and purposeful akita led Mr. and Mrs. Boztepe to her house where the bodies were discovered around midnight (Margolick). This prompted the call to the police and the initiation of evidence collection at the residence.
Given Simpson’s history of domestic violence calls, we urgently needed to speak with him. We contacted him shortly after his arrival at his hotel in Chicago and notified him about the murder of his wife. Surprisingly, Simpson remained calm and composed, showing no curiosity about the specifics or potential culprits. During the interrogation, we asked for an explanation regarding a cut on his hand, to which he clarified it resulted from playing golf and reopening it when he accidentally broke glass in his hotel room (Linder). Upon boarding the first flight back to Los Angeles, we awaited his return at his residence where a thorough investigation took place.
After gathering sufficient evidence, an arrest warrant was obtained for Orenthal James Simpson. Significant evidence that could be used in legal charges against O.J. Simpson was discovered during searches conducted at both his and Nicole Simpson’s residences. The main piece of supporting evidence considered was the history of violence within their household. On October 25th, 1993, a specific incident occurred when Nicole called emergency services via 9-1-1 for help at her residence due to O.J.’s forceful entry and aggressive behavior, which involved shouting and forcefully striking her bedroom door. However, this was not the first instance of domestic violence in their home.
On January 1st, 1989, the police were called to Simpson’s Rockingham address due to a domestic dispute. Nicole alleged that O. J. threatened her, saying “I’ll kill you,” and expressed his desire for her not to sleep in their shared bed anymore.
Following this incident, on May 24th, 1989, O. J. was convicted of spousal abuse and given a sentence of two years probation, 120 hours of community service, and a small fine.
Shortly after the sentencing took place, Nicole and O. J.’s relationship came to an end as they separated (O. J. Simpson Trial). The case involved significant physical evidence such as the discovery of hair matching O.J.Simpson’s on Ronald Goldman.
The crime scene revealed bloody shoeprints, specifically a size 12 pair of Bruno Magli shoes which are extremely rare. There is speculation that O. J. owns a pair of these shoes in the same size, and we hope to obtain them for further examination. Blood discovered near the victims matched Simpson’s blood obtained at the time of his arrest. The source of Simpson’s deep hand cut remains mysterious, as he has failed to provide a credible explanation. Blood evidence was found in Simpson’s bronco, house, and driveway, along with a bloody shoeprint within the bronco. Additionally, O. J.’s socks contained blood that appeared to match Nicole Simpson’s blood. Once of the crucial pieces of evidence we uncovered were a pair of extra large Aris light gloves, which were identical to a pair Nicole had purchased for O. J. in 1990. One glove covered in blood was located at Nicole’s condominium, while the other was found at O. J.’s house. Another perplexing behavior exhibited by Simpson, which will undoubtedly play a significant role in the upcoming trial, was his attempt to evade capture during a police chase. On June 17th, we requested Simpson’s surrender by 10 A.M., but he failed to appear, leading us to his residence for arrest.
Upon our arrival, Simpson was not present. Both Simpson and his friend, A. C. Cowlings, had departed while wearing fake mustaches, carrying a weapon, and possessing over $8,000 in cash. Additionally, Simpson had left a suicide note addressed to “Whom It May Concern”. Eventually, after a police chase, Simpson agreed to return to his residence, which happened to be the location where the pursuit concluded (Linder). Despite the accumulation of various evidence, the aforementioned details stand out as the most incriminating, potentially leading to the prosecution of O. J. Simpson. Similar to most homicide cases, we have multiple suspects; however, the amount of evidence against the other two suspects is significantly inferior when compared to suspect number 1.
Jason Simpson, the son of O. J. Simpson from his first marriage, is our prime suspect. During his interrogation, Jason provided three alibis which created confusion regarding his whereabouts during the time of the murders. At first, he stated that on June 12, he served as a chef in a nearby restaurant until 11 P.M., effectively eliminating him as a suspect since the crime occurred around 10:15 P.M. Subsequently, he was picked up by his girlfriend and they spent the rest of the evening at her residence watching television.
Jason’s girlfriend provided a second alibi, stating that he closed the restaurant at 9:45 P.M. and then left her house at 11 P.M. Later on, Jason offered a third alibi, claiming that he left the restaurant around 10 or 10:30 P.M., drove his girlfriend home, kissed her goodnight, and then went home to watch TV until 3 A.M. (Stowers). Additionally, there are other factors that contribute to Jason being considered a suspect. On June 12th, Nicole initially planned to bring the family for dinner at the restaurant where he worked. However, she changed her mind and opted for Mezzaluna instead due to its proximity and affordability.
Jason, who has a short temper, was embarrassed about wanting to show off his cooking skills to Nicole. He shares the same genetic characteristics as O. J., meaning the blood found at the crime scene could potentially match Jason’s blood just as easily as O. J.’s. During his interrogation, Jason mentioned having an alibi for the time of the murder, backed up by his cooking knife set which matched the wounds caused by the murder weapon. In contrast, there was no evidence linking O. J. to owning a weapon that matched the marks on the bodies.
Significantly, Jason Simpson has a history of failed relationships and suicide attempts and has been diagnosed with age disorder, receiving Depakote treatment for it (Stowers). These factors make him a suspect in Nicole’s murder. Our third suspect lacks evidence against them and was only identified as a possible suspect by O.J Simpson and friends of Nicole and O.J.
It is believed that at the time of the murders, Nicole began associating with individuals involved in drug activities. According to O.J., her alleged friends who were drug dealers might have come looking for them and accidentally killed both Nicole and her friend Ronald. However, we currently lack leads or evidence regarding this possibility.
After extensive investigation, it is clear that the double murder was driven by intense emotions. Nicole’s neck was viciously slashed, almost completely detached from her body, and a portion of her vertebrae went missing due to the relentless stabbing. Ronald Goldman fought back against the attacker and sustained around thirty stab wounds (Linder). The assailant had a personal connection to Nicole, evident in the extreme violence and animosity directed solely at her. While Goldman appeared to be an innocent victim caught in a tragic situation, he too endured a merciless killing.
According to the article “People vs. Simpson” by Ellis, David, Jerome, Richard, and Laswell, Mark from People magazine (10 Oct. 1994: 42-50), it is widely believed that O. J. Simpson had possessive and jealous tendencies towards Nicole and harbored anger towards her before her murder. Based on substantial evidence and testimonies gathered by my fellow investigators and me, we have concluded that O. J. Simpson is the main suspect and likely guilty of the crime. However, the final verdict will ultimately be determined by the courts and jury.
This magazine article provides a chronological summary of the night of the murders, including specific times. It covers information on players, witnesses, lawyers, police, and evidence. It specifically mentions newly available but not fully trusted DNA evidence.
The website from UMCK School of Law presents a detailed account of the O.J. Simpson murder trial in chronological order. It discusses all the evidence and events related to the trial as well as O.J. Simpson’s life before and after it.
In an article from The New York Times by David Margolick, details are given about who discovered the bodies and Nicole’s Akita named Kato’s peculiar behavior. The article sarcastically mentions neighbors testifying to hearing eerie barking from Kato but questions their accuracy since they based their facts and timing on TV shows and the dog’s barking.
Another article by David Margolick in The New York Times notes that Nicole Simpson’s feet were not bloodied, indicating that she died before others.
According to an article from The New York Times, it details the discovery of the bodies and the importance of specific hand movements. It also discusses the order in which the victims died. Investigators concluded that Nicole died first based on the absence of blood on her feet. The article, written by Sara Rimer, is titled “The Simpson Case: The Victim; Nicole Brown Simpson: Slain at the Dawn of a Better Life.” Published on June 23, 1994, it can be accessed online as of February 1, 2012. Interviews with Nicole’s family and friends are included in this news piece, revealing her intentions to move forward from her relationship with O.J., focus on her children, and start anew before tragically losing her life the next day.
This is the book “If I Did It” written by O. J. Simpson and published by Harper Collins Publishers in 2006. However, it was not originally published due to the request of Nicole’s family. The Goldmans acquired the rights to the book and sold it to recover money owed to them by O. J. Simpson. Although the murder scenes described in the middle of the book are said to be “hypothetical”, the rest of the book offers valuable insights into the lives of Nicole Simpson and O.J., both before and after their divorce, revealing O.J’s anger towards his ex-wife.
Carlton Stowers wrote an article titled “O.J Confidential” which was published on Dallas Observer on April 12, 2001. The article can be accessed on February 2, 2012 through a web source.
This article presents evidence regarding another suspect in the case, Jason Simpson. The investigation into the murders was conducted by private investigator Bill Dear, who alleges that O. J. is innocent but is protecting his guilty son, Jason. According to “The Simpson Murder Case: Nicole Simpson’s 911 Calls” published in the Los Angeles Times on June 23, 1994, the excerpts from Nicole Brown Simpson’s October 25, 1993, 9-1-1 call depict her desperate plea for help as O. J. forcefully enters her home and violently pounds on her door.
