T
here’s no denying it
- the world is true-
crime obsessed.
Whether it be a
podcast, a television
series or novel, the retelling of
horrendous real-life crimes are
now wildly popular. Twenty-
five years ago, embattled NFL
star OJ Simpson – originally
nicknamed ‘The Juice’ – was
known for his athletic prowess
on the football field. That is,
until, one night in 1994.
THE MURDERS
JUNE 12, 1994
OJ Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole
Simpson Brown, 35, was found
murdered on June 12 outside her
LA home, alongside her 25-year-
old friend Ron Goldman. The
blonde actress had been stabbed
12 times and Ron tragically
suffered a similar fate. Ron,
a waiter, had visited Nicole’s
condo earlier that night to
25 YEARS
crime
special
A quarter of a century on,
OJ Simpson, now 71, is
back in the spotlight after
creating a Twitter page.
OJ Simpson’s infamous
Bronco chase was
watched by millions
around the world.
OJ SIMPSON
return a pair of glasses her
mother had left at the restaurant
where he worked. That simple
act of kindness turned out to be
a fatal decision.
OJ: NUMBER-ONE
SUSPECT
JUNE 13
On the night of Nicole and
Ron’s deaths, police visited OJ’s
Rockingham mansion to inform
him of his ex-wife’s horrific
slaying. Instead, they saw no
sign of OJ and discovered his
blood-stained Bronco and a
bloody glove that matched one
found near Ron. The following
day, June 13, OJ Simpson
returned to his LA home,
where he was cuffed by LA
police and questioned for hours.
THE BRONCO CHASE
JUNE 17
While he was cooperative with
police at first, OJ fled his home
after being served arrest
warrants on June 17 for the
murders of Nicole and Ron.
In an elaborate and sensational
attempt to elude capture, OJ
took off in his white Bronco
– with teammate and friend
Al Cowlings in the driver’s seat
- sparking one of the most
famous car chases in history.
OJ held a gun to his head as the
Bronco wove in and out of traffic
on an LA highway. Millions of
eyes were trained on that car and
crowds of people gathered on the
side of the road to watch police
attempt to stop the pair. The
chase went on for a whopping
hour-and-a-half, across 96km,
before OJ returned home and
handed himself into police.
OJ PLEADS
NOT GUILTY
JULY 22
On July 22, 1994, OJ plead
“absolutely, 100 per cent not
guilty” to the double homicide
charges of the murders of
Nicole and Ron. The presiding
judge ordered OJ to be held
without bail. Later, in
September, prosecution decided
not to seek a death penalty
and instead sought a life
sentence. OJ’s lifelong friend
Robert Kardashian – the
late father of Kim, Kourtney
and Khloé and Rob Kardashian
- agreed to work as a volunteer
assistant on the legal team,
alongside Simpson’s defence
Real crimes
that inspired
a TV series
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