What happened to OJ Simpson? ‘Dateline: Secrets Uncovered’ sheds light on ex-NFL player's arrest for alleged murder
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On June 12, 1994, OJ Simpson was charged with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was subsequently arrested after a widely televised incident in which he attempted to flee from the police in his friend's car.
The internationally publicized murder trial spanned from January to October 1995 and heightened racial tensions in the US He was acquitted on October 3 of the same year.
Three years later, Simpson was found liable for the murders in a civil suit brought by the victims' families, although he paid only a fraction of the $33.5 million judgment. In 2007, he was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. He was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment with a minimum of nine years without parole.
Simpson served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in rural Nevada until being paroled and released in 2017. He was released from parole in 2021 and lived in freedom until his death at age 76 from prostate cancer in 2024.
Who was O.J. Simpson?
OJ Simpson, born on July 9, 1947, was a prominent American football player and actor.
Over his 11-season career in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Buffalo Bills, he earned acclaim as one of the finest running backs in NFL history. However, his athletic achievements were eclipsed by his notorious trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994.
He achieved several historic milestones during his football career. Notably, he became the first NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, earning him the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Simpson also holds the record for the single-season yards-per-game average at 143.1.
Following his retirement from football with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979, Simpson transitioned into acting in film and television, pursued a career as a sports broadcaster, and served as a spokesperson for various products and companies, including Hertz. His contributions to the sport were recognized with inductions into multiple football halls of fame.
What happened between OJ Simpson and his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson?
Nicole Brown and OJ Simpson first crossed paths in 1977 when she was 18 years old and working as a waitress at the Daisy, a private club in Beverly Hills.
Despite Simpson being married at the time, they began dating. Simpson initiated divorce proceedings with his first wife in March 1979. Eventually, Simpson and Brown tied the knot on February 2, 1985.
In 1985, they welcomed their first child, daughter Sydney, followed by the birth of their son Justin in 1988. Unfortunately, their marriage was marred by allegations of domestic abuse, with Brown Simpson frequently calling the police following incidents of abuse inflicted by him.
In 1992, Nicole Brown Simpson finally filed for divorce from OJ Simpson citing "irreconcilable differences."
Despite the divorce, Simpson continued to subject Brown to abuse. Tragically, on June 12, 1994, Brown was murdered outside her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, along with her friend, waiter Ron Goldman.
What happened on the night of June 12, 1994, when Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death?
The night of June 12, 1994, marked a tragic event in American history when Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman were brutally stabbed to death outside her residence in Los Angeles.
After attending her daughter's dance recital, which was also attended by her ex-husband O.J. Simpson, Brown joined friends and family for dinner at the Brentwood restaurant Mezzaluna, where her friend Ron Goldman was employed as a waiter. Brown’s mother inadvertently leaves her eyeglasses behind at the restaurant, prompting Goldman to offer to swing by Brown’s house to return them.
The shocking murders and the subsequent arrest of the former NFL star sparked a chain of events that captivated the nation, leading to a high-profile legal saga and media frenzy unprecedented in its scale and intensity.
When was OJ Simpson arrested and what charges were pressed against him during the 'The People v. OJ Simpson' trial?
On June 17, 1994, OJ Simpson found himself at the center of a gripping and highly publicized event. Charged with the murders of his ex-wife and her friend, Simpson initially pledged to surrender to authorities. However, he instead became a fugitive, fleeing from impending arrest.
As law enforcement closed in that day, Simpson slipped out of Robert Kardashian's home. Accompanied by his friend Al "A.C." Cowlings, Simpson embarked on a dramatic escape, riding a white Ford Bronco.
The ensuing chase, spanning approximately 60 miles, captivated viewers nationwide as it unfolded live on television. Helicopters trailed the Bronco, while fans lined the freeways, showing their support for Simpson.
The pursuit, which famously interrupted the broadcast of the NBA finals, drew an estimated audience of 95 million people. Eventually, the police caught up with Simpson at his residence, shortly before 9 pm He was promptly arrested and incarcerated without bail.
Prosecutor Marcia Clark during the 'The People v. OJ Simpson' trial argued that he killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson 'out of jealousy and hate'
On September 9, 1994, the prosecution made the decision not to pursue the death penalty in the case against OJ Simpson. Instead, they sought a sentence of life without parole if he was convicted.
On January 24, 1995, the prosecution delivered its opening statement. Lead prosecutor Marcia Clark presented a compelling narrative, asserting that O.J. Simpson committed the murders out of jealousy and an inability to accept rejection. This marked the beginning of the prosecution's case, setting the stage for the trial's intense legal battle.
In their opening statements, prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden during the 'The People v. OJ Simpson' trial delivered impassioned arguments to the jury.
Marcia asserted, "He killed her out of jealousy. He killed her because he couldn’t have her," implying a motive rooted in Simpson's emotions and desire to control the situation.
Nicole Brown Simpson's sister-in-law, Denise Brown also took the stand and testified tearfully about OJ Simpson's abuse towards his ex-wife.
'Dateline: Secrets Uncovered' Season 12 airs new episodes every Wednesday at 8 pm ET on NBC and is available for streaming on Peacock the following day.