25 Years Ago, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman Were Found Slain
By Jason Kandel and Wire Services ••
What to Know
Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson, was killed along with her friend Ron Goldman at her home on South Bundy Drive.
O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged, but acquitted of the murders.
The families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman won a civil judgment against O.J. Simpson in a wrongful death lawsuit.
O.J. Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed 25 years ago, on June 12, 1994.
In the days that followed, friends and family gathered outside her Brentwood home, leaving a growing memorial. At the funeral for Brown Simpson, ex-husband O.J. Simpson escorted the former couple's young children into the funeral.
In the days that followed the brutal murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, friends and family gathered outside her Brentwood home, leaving a growing memorial. At the funeral for Brown Simpson, ex-husband O.J. Simpson escorted the former couple’s young children into the funeral.
Simpson was arrested and charged in the killings, but not before he led police on one of the city's most storied pursuits. It wound 60 mile at slow speeds through Los Angeles and Orange counties, captivated viewers on TV and spectators who lined overpasses, many cheering him on with signs reading "Go O.J."
On June 17, 1994, Orenthal "OJ" Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings led police on a 60-mile slow-speed car chase through Los Angeles and Orange Counties, captivating viewers glued to television sets. Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News on Friday, June 17, 1994.
His nearly yearlong televised trial became a national obsession and was known as the "Trial of the Century."
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Key figures in the OJ Simpson murder trial and the events that led up to in include Kato Kaelin, Marcia Clark and Al Cowling's white Ford Bronco.
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Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., Simpson's flamboyant lead attorney, died of brain cancer in 2005 at 68. His refrain to jurors that "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit" sought to underscore that the bloody gloves found at Simpson's home and the crime scene were too small for the football legend when he tried them on in court. After the trial, that line became a national catchphrase. Following the trial Cochran expanded his law firm to 15 states and frequently appeared on television. He also became the inspiration for bombastic lawyer Jackie Chiles on the TV sitcom "Seinfeld."
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Fred Goldman, Ron's father, has relentlessly pursued Simpson through civil courts, maintaining it is the only way to achieve justice for his son. Goldman's family has seized some of Simpson's memorabilia, including his 1968 Heisman Trophy as college football's best player that year. The family has also taken the rights to Simpson's movies, a book he wrote about the killings and other items to satisfy part of the $33.5 million judgment that Simpson refuses to pay. Goldman, 78, lives with his wife, Patti, in Arizona, where both are Realtors.
Ken Branch
Ron Goldman's sister, Kim, was 22 and broke into hysterical sobs when the not guilty verdict was read. These days she counsels troubled teens as executive director of a Southern California-based nonprofit, The Youth Project, and is a speaker to victims' rights group. She has authored several books and on Wednesday -- the 25th anniversary of her sister's death -- begins a 10-episode podcast titled "Confronting: OJ Simpson," in which she says she'll discuss all aspects of the trial. Goldman, now 47, lives in a Southern California suburb with her 15-year-old son.
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Brian "Kato" Kaelin, a struggling actor living in a guest house on Simpson's property, testified he heard a bump during the night of the murders and went outside to find Simpson in the yard, something prosecutors say showed Simpson was sneaking back home after the killings. Mocked on talk shows as America's most famous houseguest, Kaelin has gone on to appear in reality shows, in small parts in TV sitcoms and films, and to launch a clothing line for slackers. In recent years he's been a regular at Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis.
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Chris Darden, the co-prosecutor, was criticized for having Simpson try on the bloody gloves without first ensuring they would fit. He is now a defense attorney himself. He recently represented the man charged with killing hip-hop mogul Nipsey Hussle before withdrawing from the case, saying his family had received death threats. Darden has also taught law, appeared on television as a legal commentator and wrote of his Simpson trial experiences in the book, "In Contempt."
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Lance Ito, who retired in 2015, presided over approximately 500 trials after the one that made him such a household name that "The Tonight Show" briefly featured a comedy segment called "The Dancing Itos," in which Ito lookalikes in judicial robes performed. After the Simpson trial he had to remove his name plate from his courtroom door because people kept stealing it. Ito has never discussed the trial, citing judicial ethics.
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Marcia Clark, the trial's lead prosecutor, quit law after the case, although she has appeared frequently as a TV commentator on high-profile trials over the years and on numerous TV news shows. She was paid $4 million for her Simpson trial memoir, "Without a Doubt," and has gone on to write a series of crime novels.
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Robert Kardashian died of esophageal cancer in 2003 at age 59. He had renewed his law license specifically to defend Simpson, and his longtime friend stayed in Kardashian's home between the time of the murders and his arrest. When Simpson fled authorities in a white Ford Bronco on June 17, 1994, Kardashian read to reporters a rambling message Simpson had left behind as a bizarre, nationally televised, slow-speed freeway chase unfolded. Since his death, Kardashian's fame has been eclipsed by that of ex-wife, Kris, and children, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob, thanks to their reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
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Denise Brown, Nicole Brown Simpson's sister, has remained the family's most outspoken critic of Simpson, although like the Goldman family she refuses to speak his name. The former model has become a victims' rights advocate and a speaker, urging both women and men to leave abusive relationships. She said she has gotten over her anger with God for the killings but has never forgiven Simpson and will not watch any films or documentaries about the killings.
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F. Lee Bailey was the lawyer who played a key role in exposing racist statements made by one of the prosecution's key witnesses, police Detective Mark Fuhrman, undermining Fuhrman's credibility. When he joined the defense team, Bailey already was famous for his role in some of the most high-profile cases of the 20th century, including that of heiress-turned-bank-robber Patricia Hearst. Bailey, now 86, was disbarred in Massachusetts and Florida in the early 2000s for misconduct in handling a client's case. His efforts to be reinstated have been unsuccessful.
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Robert Shapiro, the first member of Simpson's defense team, continues to practice law. In 2005 he founded the Brent Shapiro Foundation to help steer young people from drug and alcohol addiction after his 24-year-old son died of an overdose. He also co-founded LegalZoom.com, a do-it-yourself service for people seeking to file legal documents without the help of attorneys, and RightCounsel.com for people searching for an attorney.
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Two years after Simpson's 1995 acquittal, a civil court jury found him liable for the deaths of his ex-wife and Goldman, and ordered he pay their survivors $33.5 million. He got into a series of minor legal scrapes ranging from a 2001 Florida road-rage incident (he was acquitted) to racing his boat through a protected Florida manatee zone in 2002 (he was fined). His most serious transgression came in 2007, however, when he and five others barged into a Las Vegas hotel room with guns and robbed memorabilia dealers of property that Simpson said was his. He served nine years in a Nevada prison and was paroled in 2017. Now 71, Simpson lives quietly in Las Vegas where he says he plays golf nearly every day with a group of "retired guys." He also poses for selfies with the many people still enamored with his celebrity. Simpson told The Associated Press in a recent interview that he will never discuss the murders again.
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Al Cowlings, a former football teammate of Simpson, was the man behind the wheel during the infamous June 1994 white Ford Bronco chase. Cowlings never spoke to the media about the events, but did open a 900 phone number that allowed the general public could ask questions, but not about the murders or trial. He amassed $1 million from the phone line and is now semi-retired, living in Malibu, the LA Times reported, citing a publicist.
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Gil Garcetti served for more than three decades as a prosecutor in Los Angeles County, eight of which as district attorney. He taught a seminar at Harvard University after leaving office and then served as a consultant on the TV series "The Closer" and "Major Crimes." He's also a photographer. His son, Eric, is Los Angeles' mayor.
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The white Ford Bronco that became legendary was owned by Simpson friend Al Cowlings. It was seized as evidence after the pursuit and sold by Cowlings in December 1995. It showed up on display at events over the years, but remained cloaked in secrecy. Eventually, a deal was struck that landed the automotive relic in a Tennessee museum. The Bronco sits among other infamous vehicles, like cars used by Ted Bundy and John Dillinger.
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Barry Scheck was the lawyer who introduced DNA science to jurors as he attacked police methods of evidence collection to undermine the prosecution's forensic evidence case. He and fellow Simpson lawyer Peter Neufeld co-founded The Innocence Project that uses DNA evidence to exonerate wrongly convicted prisoners. The project has helped overturn hundreds of convictions.
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Philip Vannatter was the case’s lead detective. One of the first detectives to arrive at Simpson’s home after the crime, Vannatter retired from the LAPD shortly after Simpson’s acquittal having served 27 years with the LAPD. He died in 2012 at age 70.
Several fascinating people testified in the trial and his famed "Dream Team" defense and prosecution team gained notoriety that lasted long after the case ended in O.J. Simpson's acquittal.
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Simpson struggled to get the gloves on, in what seemed to be the greatest performance of his less-than-distinguished acting career. In addition, the gambit marked a last hurrah for Bailey, once the best known lawyer in America.
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Simpson hired California attorney Robert Shapiro, who assembled the best “Dream Team” of lawyers and forensics experts money could buy. With the trial airing live on TV, all were ready for their close-up.
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The Dream Team went up against two veteran prosecutors – Marcia Clark, whose changing hairstyle became a mini-sideshow, and Chris Darden, whose lack of hair was one of the trial’s few constants.
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Judge Lance Ito served as ringmaster of the circus dubbed the Trial of the Century. In addition to having his every word scrutinized and criticized by TV talking heads, he was lampooned on “The Tonight Show.”
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LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman discovered the bloody leather glove, a key piece of evidence found at Simpson’s home. As a result, Fuhrman received backlash and was accused of planting the evidence himself. He was later convicted for perjury due to footage of himself repeatedly uttering the n-word. He denied all accusations of this claim. Here, he presents three items found in Simpson's Bronco - a shovel, a large plastic bag, and a towel.
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Director of State Forensics Science Laboratory, Dr. Henry Lee, notified the jury of possible shoe imprints found on the jeans of Ron Goldman, identifying a trail of seven blood stains. The defense attempted to prove that the prints came from a second assailant.
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FBI shoe print analyst, William Bodziak, explained to jurors his theories on certain blood imprints left at the crime scene. He deduced the imprint was caused by a size 12 Bruno Magli shoe, a shoe that Simpson often wore. Bodziak also compared the prints with a 1993 photo of Simpson wearing the same style shoe.
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Department of justice criminalist Renee Montgomery identified specific blood stains on the leather glove. Montgomery explained to the jury the DNA testing procedures she took to form her argument, and made explicit that blood samples of Simpson, Brown, and Goldman were all found on the glove.
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Dream Team attorney F. Lee Bailey dared Darden to make Simpson try on the blood-stained gloves in front of the jury. Darden took the bait.
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Johnnie Cochran uttered perhaps the most famous phrase in modern American jurisprudence: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit." Cochran was referring to the gloves, implying that the they must fit Simpson perfectly in order for the jury to deem him responsible for the crime.
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New York-based Dream Team recruits Barry Scheck (above) and Peter Neufeld attacked the prosecution’s mountain of DNA evidence.
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Nicole's Sister, Denise Brown, wept at the sickening pictures and testimony, which suggested that Simpson beat Nicole.
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Simpson's dear friend, Robert Kardashian became a key asset to the trial. Immediately following the murders, Simpson stayed at Kardashian’s home, and left soon after in his famous white Bronco.
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Brian "Kato" Kaelin lived in the guesthouse of Simpson's Estate. Reporters say Kaelin was the last person to see Simpson prior to the murder claims made by the prosecution. He is therefore considered a significant witness.
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Due to numerous inconsistencies in his story, Kaelin was also classified as an unfavorable, and hostile witness. As a result, his arguments were not taken seriously throughout the trial.
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After a nearly nine-month trial, Simpson was acquitted of all charges on Oct. 3, 1995 – a verdict that split the nation, often along racial lines.
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Ron Goldman’s father, Fred, and his sister, Kim, were among those crushed by the jury’s verdict. They bitterly mocked Simpson’s empty vow to spend his life pursuing the “real killers.”
Simpson was later found liable for the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman and was ordered to pay surviving family members $33.5 million. A Goldman family attorney said the amount Simpson was ordered to pay the victims' families had ballooned to nearly $70 million with interest. Simpson's attorney said that, as far as he knew, his client won't have assets for the victims' families to collect.
Simpson made big headlines again in 2007 after he was taken into custody on charges of robbery and kidnapping.
That September, Simpson, accompanied by five men, confronted two sports memorabilia dealers in this Las Vegas hotel room, claiming on the stand that he had rightful ownership of most of the memorabilia the dealers intended to sell.
O.J. Simpson details the events leading up to a 2007 Las Vegas hotel room raid that led to his robbery and kidnapping conviction. Patrick Healy reports for the NBC4 News at Noon on Wednesday May 15, 2013.
The case also featured a new cast of characters who surrounded the football legend.
In October 2017, he was released from prison after serving nine years for the robbery-kidnapping conviction in Las Vegas.
O.J. Simpson has been released from prison after serving nine of 33 years for an armed robbery and assault in Las Vegas. Patrick Healy reports for the NBC4 News at 9 on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017.
Just this week, he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he was happy and healthy as he lays low living life in Las Vegas. He says he has entered a phase called the "no negative zone." He said neither he nor his children want to look back by talking about June 12, 1994.
