200 words 1 intext citation/reference Due 4/13/2024
Dugar
The OJ Simpson case was one of the most widely covered case in the history of the United States and globally. It grabbed media attention so profoundly, replacing the coverage of other programs. In this case, Orenthal James Simpson was implicated as the prime suspect in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman that had happened on the night of June 12, 1994. The two victims were murdered by stabbing outside Brown’s condominium in Los Angeles (West Port Library, 2023). When OJ was asked to turn himself in on June 17, he instead tried to escape and even had a gun to his head which prompted law enforcement officers to pursue him slowly while other people convinced him not to commit suicide but instead turn himself in. The slow chase was televised live and created such a frenzy with an estimated 95 million people watching and Simpson’s fans lining up on the streets in his support (West Port Library, 2023). Eventually, Simpson heeded the calls to abort the suicide and surrender which he did after arriving at his home in Brentwood, California. He was taken into police custody and formally arraigned on June 22, 1994 where he entered a not guilty plea. The trial commenced on January 24, 1995 and the verdict delivered on October 3, 1995.
The forensic evidence (and other forms of evidence) that the prosecution presented in the court linked Simpson to the crime scene. First was blood evidence which was the most extensive of DNA evidence presented in the courtroom. Blood collected at the crime scene, on Simpson’s Bronco, on Simpson’s driveway, and on socks found in Simpson’s house matched the DNA of Simpson and the victims (Law 2). Second forensic evidence was hair evidence. Hairs collected from a cap found at the crime scene were consistent with Simpson’s. Also, hair consistent with Simpson’s was collected on Goldman’s shirt. Third was fiber evidence. Cotton fibers collected from the cap at the crime scene in Bundy were consistent with the carpet from Simpson’s Bronco. Also, cotton fibers found on the glove at Simpson’s residence matched with those of his Bronco’s carpet. Fourth evidence was the gloves. There was a left hand Aris Light glove XL found at the crime scene and a right hand glove of the same make was found at Simpson’s residence. Nicole Brown had bought a pair of Aris Light XL gloves at Bloomingdale’s in 1990. Simpson had been wearing such gloves beginning 1990 until June 1994 (Law 2). Fifth was shoe evidence. The bloody shoe prints at the crime scene were from a Bruno Magli shoe size 12. The Bronco carpet had a bloody shoe impression consistent with a Bruno Magli shoe size 12. Notably, Simpson wore size 12 shoes.
While the evidence heavily pointed to Simpson as the murderer, the defense disputed it. They claimed that the evidence was planted by the police to frame Simpson and that the blood evidence had been contaminated and so could not be trusted. The defense even brought up racism as the motivation for “plot” to frame Simpson since he is black (History, 2021) . In the end, the jury deliberated and returned with a not guilty verdict. OJ Simpson was acquitted. The jury was not convinced “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Simpson committed the murders.
