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| “ | I'm absolutely, 100 percent, not guilty. | ” |
— Simpson
| ||
Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson was an American former running back and actor who, in 1994, was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of her, Ronald Lyle Goldman. The resultant court case was dubbed "the Trial of the Century", and brought to the highly controversial acquittal of O.J. He was eventually retried in 2007, on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. He was released on parole in 2017 and was freed from that in 2021 and lived free until his death in 2024.
Background[]
Simpson was born and raised in the Portrero neighborhood of San Francisco, California, by his mother, Eunice Durden. Eunice and her husband, Jimmy Simpson (a chef, bank custodian, and well-known drag queen) separated in 1952. Jimmy later announced his homosexuality and, eventually, died of AIDS. As a child, Orenthal developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five, giving him a bowlegged stance. During his teenage years, he joined a street gang named "the Persian Warriors", and ended up incarcerated at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center. It was after a meeting with Baseball star Willie Mays that Simpson was persuaded to reform, enrolling at the Galileo High School, where he played for the football team.
Football and Acting Career, Family Life[]
College Football Career[]
Simpson enrolled at City College of San Francisco in 1965, where he played both as a running back and defensive back. After, other colleges sought Simpson as a transfer student for football. At the University of Southern California, which he chose to attend after deciding to stay out of the Military, he led the nation both in 1967 and 1968. Most notably, he provided the final score during the 1967's Victory Bell rivalry game between the UCLA and the UCA, regarded by most as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century. As a senior in 1968, Simpson was awarded the Heisman Trophy for his athletic performances.
Professional Football Career[]
The 1969 National Football League Draft was held by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills. They took Simpson, who demanded what was then the largest contract in professional sports history: $650.000 over five years. Eventually, Buffalo Bills' owner Ralph Wilson agreed to pay Simpson, when the latter threatened to become an actor and skip professional football. Although struggling in his first three years, after 1971 he became the centerpiece of the Bills offense. In 1972, O.J. rushed for over 1.000 yards for the first time in his career, and, the next year, became the first player to break the 2,000 yard rushing mark. For his performances, he was awarded two times. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973. In 1976, Simpson had the best game of his career during that season's Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. Before the 1978 season, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown San Francisco 49ers for two seasons. His final NFL game was in 1979, against the Atlanta Falcons. When he retired, he gained 11.236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list. He was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1985. He played six Pro Bowls in total.
Acting Career[]
Even before his retirement from the NFL, Simpson embarked on a film career, playing parts in both films and television mini-series. His filmography included: Roots, The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One and The Naked Gun trilogy. From 1975, he appeared in advertisements with the Hertz rental car company, in whose commercials he was depicted running through airports, serving as an embodiment of speed. In 1979, he also started his own production company, Orenthal Productions. Besides his acting career, he worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC. He also appeared on Saturday Night Live.
Family Life[]
O.J. got married for the first time in 1967, fathering three children. Ten years later, he met and engaged a relationship with Nicole Brown, a waitress. In 1979, he divorced from his first wife, Marguerite Whitely, and, in 1985, married Nicole, with whom he had two children. Simpson was a cheater and was abusive towards her, to the point Nicole called 9-1-1 several times to report him. In 1989, when brought before a judge, Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse. Nicole filed for divorce in 1992, citing irreconcilable differences. In 1993, they attempted to reconcile but, as Simpson kept battering her, they eventually split up a second time. Reportedly, after their divorce O.J. developed a morbid obsession with Nicole, secretly stalking her, and watching her having sex with other men.
Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman[]
TBA
Arrest and Trials[]
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Further Crimes and Release[]
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Modus Operandi[]
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Profile[]
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Known Victims[]
- June 12, 1994: 875 South Bundy Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles:
- Nicole Brown Simpson (previously battered and stalked repeatedly; nearly decapitated, then stabbed several times in the neck and scalp)
- Ronald Lyle Goldman (stabbed to death)
On Criminal Minds[]
- Season One
- "A Real Rain" - The O.J. Simpson murder case was mentioned by Hotch as an example of trial in which the defendant was acquitted, even though there were strong evidence against him. It was cited, along with other similar cases, in order to convince Marvin Doyle, a vigilante and the episode's unsub, to surrender himself.
- Season Six
- "25 to Life" - While not directly mentioned or referenced in the episode, Simpson appears to be an inspiration for the episode's unsub, James Stanworth - Both cases involve the violent home invasion murder of the wife of the prime suspect and another victim present at the scene, the husband was taken to trial, eventually acquitted of murder (though Donald Sanderson had to have his conviction overturned first for that to happen), and suspicion was afterwards placed on a serial killer near the scene of the crime when it took place (Stanworth was indeed guilty all along of the murders, while there is inconclusive blame placed away from Simpson on serial killer Glen Edward Rogers). Also, Stanworth and Simpson shared about the same reported temperaments with people they knew.
- Season Eleven
- "Entropy" -
Notes[]
TBA