Unanswered Questions About Nicole Brown Simpson's Murder
On April 10, 2024, Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson died at the age of 76. In February, it was reported that Simpson had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was receiving chemotherapy to treat the condition. Simpson's family shared news of his death on X, writing, "On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer." The post continued, "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren." However, not everyone was so kind, and Caitlyn Jenner didn't hold back about Simpson's death, writing on X, "Good Riddance."
Simpson regularly made headlines after his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were found murdered on June 12, 1994. Despite being found not guilty of the killings, questions persisted regarding their deaths, especially as Brown Simpson's autopsy report was so disturbing. In the years since, Goldman and Brown Simpson's families have had many questions about the murders, particularly when it comes to Simpson's potential involvement. Join us as we explore the biggest unanswered questions about Nicole Brown Simpson's murder, from unexpected evidence to conflicting stories and high-speed car chases.
Why wasn't the bloody fingerprint collected as evidence?
While a plethora of questions still surrounds Nicole Brown Simpson's murder, one of them revolves around a potentially incriminating bloody fingerprint. After arriving at the scene of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, Detective Mark Fuhrman discovered that a fingerprint had been left in blood on a door handle. However, for some unknown reason, the crucial piece of evidence was never collected and subsequently disappeared altogether during the investigation.
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey (via the National Enquirer), Fuhrman said, "There's a thumbprint right on the brass turnstile," revealing his theory that the culprit was bleeding after being injured during the murders. Unfortunately, the forensics team somehow overlooked Fuhrman's description of the bloody thumbprint in his report, and they didn't collect the handle. Elaborating on the grievous error to Winfrey, Fuhrman said, "They brought over a locksmith to change the locks." He continued, "That locksmith actually took that lock off, saw the bloody fingerprint, figured it had already been processed." As a result, the fingerprint was disposed of when a new lock was fitted, meaning that no one was able to confirm or deny who the bloody mark belonged to.
Meanwhile, a fingerprint expert who took the stand at O.J. Simpson's trial explained that none of the prints that were collected at the murder scene belonged to the football player.
Why did O.J. Simpson change his story about the cut on his hand?
Another baffling detail relating to Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman's murders relates to an injury O.J. Simpson was found to have on his left hand immediately after the crime occurred. While speaking to police officers, Simpson alleged that he accidentally caused the injuries while attempting to get to the airport, saying (via the Los Angeles Times), "I was rushing to get out of my house." However, the former NFL player swiftly changed his story while speaking during a deposition before his trial, claiming instead that a piece of broken glass had caused the cut.
Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist who spoke at Simpson's trial, examined the injuries and drew his own conclusions regarding what may have been the cause. "These are not caused by glass," he told the courtroom. Spitz also ruled out the use of a knife, and instead shared his belief that Simpson may have acquired the cuts during a violent altercation, such as the events that took place when Brown Simpson and Goldman were killed. "These are fingernail marks," Spitz told the courtroom. Unfortunately, we'll never know the truth.
Why didn't Nicole Brown Simpson's dog scare off the murderer?
Nicole Brown Simpson's Akita dog Tako played an unexpected role in his owner's body being discovered after her devastating murder on June 12, 1994. During O.J. Simpson's murder trial, Sukru Boztepe, who was one of Brown Simpson's neighbors at the time of her death, revealed how they were alerted to the murder scene by Tako. "The dog looked at the right side of the street," Boztepe explained (via The Washington Post). "I saw a lady laying down ... There was a lot of blood." Although Boztepe didn't realize there was a second body next to Brown Simpson, they were able to call 911 thanks to Tako's signaling.
During the trial, it was also revealed that two separate neighbors found Tako on the street that evening, with both noticing blood on the Akita's paws. Neighbor Steven Schwab said at trial (via Time), "It would howl at every house we passed. It would stop and bark down the path." Meanwhile, yet another neighbor reported hearing dogs barking outside, which allowed police to determine that the crime likely took place between 10:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Without Tako, Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman's bodies may not have been found until much later. However, it remains a mystery why Tako seemingly didn't attack the murderer, or whether there was some reason as to why the dog wasn't alerted to the violence against its owner until it was too late.
Why did O.J. flee with incriminating evidence in the white Bronco?
On June 17, 1994, O.J. Simpson was charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. What happened next should have been straightforward, with Simpson required to turn himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department that morning. However, he was quickly declared a fugitive after disappearing with fellow football player and Simpson's close friend Al "A.C." Cowlings. Initial searches were fruitless, and police only discovered Simpson's location after he placed a call from a cell phone inside Cowlings' white Ford Bronco. Cowlings and Simpson soon found the California Highway Patrol on their trail for what would become known as one of the most dramatic car chases in television history. But why did Simpson decide to run away if he didn't carry out the murders?
As well as raising suspicion by running from the law, Simpson's motives were further called into question after he finally left the Ford Bronco later that night. A number of strange things were discovered inside the vehicle, including a gun, Simpson's passport, and items typically used as disguises, such as a detachable mustache and goatee. Simpson's friend Cowlings was also in possession of thousands of dollars in cash, which only added to the theory that the "1st & Ten" actor was attempting to evade law enforcement. But would a truly innocent person go to such lengths to avoid turning themselves in to police?
Did the leather gloves belong to O.J.?
A pair of leather gloves became one of the most famous pieces of evidence presented during O.J. Simpson's trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Curiously, the gloves were located in separate locations after the murders, with the left glove being found outside Brown Simpson's house, and the right glove being located outside Simpson's house. The gloves also appeared to link Simpson to the murders in other ways, with fibers from Goldman's clothing somehow finding themselves on to both gloves. However, when Simpson tried to put the gloves on during his much-publicized trial, he was unable to make them fit. So, did the gloves belong to the former NFL star or not?
Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, made suggestions as to why the gloves didn't fit during an appearance on "20/20" (via ABC News), "He had latex gloves on. He was trying on a glove that had been soaked in blood." The prosecution called an expert to the stand who suggested that leather gloves would shrink if soaked in blood or any liquid, which could explain why Simpson could no longer put them on. Meanwhile, Deputy District Attorney Christopher A. Darden alleged that Simpson may have forgone his anti-inflammatory medication, which would cause his hands to swell when his arthritis flared up, via the Los Angeles Times. This theory was seemingly disproven, but that didn't stop onlookers from questioning why Simpson couldn't get the gloves on during trial.
Why was evidence contaminated at the scene?
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman's violent murders caused a media furor, which was only ignited further when it became clear that evidence may not have been handled properly by the police force. One of the most grievous incidents of evidence mishandling occurred when police officers allegedly placed a blanket on top of Brown Simpson before evidence could be securely collected from her body. As a result, crucial evidence may have been lost and the murder scene could have been compromised. To add to the incompetence, some pieces of evidence weren't adequately secured by officers. Without a proper chain of evidence, it was impossible to rely on some items that could have provided answers regarding who killed Brown Simpson and Goldman.
To make matters worse, the police collected a blood sample from O.J. Simpson, which they hoped to compare to blood found at the crime scene. However, some of the blood sample mysteriously disappeared from its vial, leading to accusations that the police may have planted Simpson's blood at the crime scene. This theory was only emboldened by the fact that the blood sample wasn't immediately committed to evidence, meaning there was a window of time during which someone theoretically could have used it illicitly.
Did Nicole's murder mirror a TV pilot recorded by O.J.?
One of the most bizarre aspects of the investigation into O.J. Simpson following the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman involved a Warner Bros. and NBC pilot named "Frogmen." Made in 1994, the feature-length pilot followed John "Bullfrog" Burke, the leader of an undercover group of Navy SEALS who used a Malibu dive shop as their cover. While the TV movie never aired, Simpson's involvement in the project led investigators to question whether Brown Simpson's death may have been inspired by a scene from "Frogmen."
Simpson's character Burke was required to use a knife, and investigators looked into whether the former football player had been given any fight training for the role, via the Los Angeles Times. During one scene in particular, Burke apparently held his daughter at knifepoint, which some speculated may have been what happened to Brown Simpson before she was killed. However, "Frogmen" was never used as evidence during Simpson's trial, as its significance was ultimately unclear. Still, it remains horrifying that an unseen TV pilot may potentially have inspired a devastating crime, but we'll likely never know if that was the case or not.
Was Nicole the victim of a pattern of domestic abuse?
There were dark secrets in Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson's relationship, including longstanding allegations of domestic abuse against the football player. In diary entries discovered after Brown Simpson's death, it was alleged that Simpson had violently attacked his wife on multiple occasions. "Threw me on the floor, hit me, kicked me," Brown Simpson wrote in one diary entry, via The Sun. "We went to the hotel where he continued to beat me for hours and I continued crawling for the door." Brown Simpson also alleged that Simpson had threatened her with a gun. These diary entries were securely hidden in a safety deposit box, alongside correspondence from Simpson apologizing for his actions, seemingly confirming Brown Simpson's account of events.
Prior to marrying Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson was married to Marguerite Whitley, whom he'd met in high school. The pair wed in 1967, before finalizing their divorce in 1979. Although Whitley denied that Simpson abused her in any way during their relationship, she did make some interesting comments about her ex-husband. "He was a beast," she told Look magazine in 1968 (via The Seattle Times). "He was pretty horrible. If there were other fellows who wanted to talk to girls, he'd make them stay away. He'd been a terrible person, right on the edge of trouble." Simpson's past begs many questions about his alleged treatment of Brown Simpson, including whether her death was the result of continuing domestic abuse.
What happened to the murder weapon?
One of the most infuriating questions regarding the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman involves the absence of a murder weapon. "The weapon was without question a large, serrated ... 15-inch knife," it was reported by WLS after the murders, via ABC News. However, investigators failed to locate a knife, despite using satellites to search for metal in the locale of the murders and around places O.J. Simpson was known to have been.
In July 1994, it was reported that Simpson had actually purchased a brand new 15-inch Stiletto knife from Ross Cutlery in Los Angeles just six weeks prior to his ex-wife's murder. However, that alleged knife was tested prior to Simpson's trial, and there was apparently no evidence it had been used to kill anyone.
Robert Kardashian, father of Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney Kardashian and a close friend of Simpson, was also dragged into the search for the murder weapon. Photographs taken of Robert the day after the murders showed him leaving Simpson's house with a Louis Vuitton garment bag, which it was soon speculated may have contained potential evidence, such as a murder weapon. But when the bag was eventually turned over to police, it contained nothing at all. Ron Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, expressed his dismay at Robert's alleged involvement in Simpson's affairs, telling the Daily Mail, "That evidence would have convicted 'the killer.'"
Did ice cream reveal a missed detail about the time of the murders?
The tragic murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman have continued to haunt the true crime community, especially as there seem to be so many unexplored details from the night in question. One unexpected piece of evidence that was highlighted by the Los Angeles Times in 1995 involved a carton of Ben & Jerry's ice cream found inside Brown Simpson's home on the night she died. The ice cream had already been taken out of the freezer, but it apparently hadn't completely melted to liquid, leading Simpson's legal team to question what time the murders took place. According to the publication, the lawyers suggested that, as the ice cream hadn't melted, Simpson couldn't have committed the murders as he had an alibi at 11 p.m., which would have eliminated him as a suspect. However, the speed at which the product would melt isn't cut and dried.
According to the newspaper, Ben & Jerry's flavor developer Michael Spinelli told the Associated Press, "You can't really look at ice cream as though it's an ice cube." Instead, Spinelli suggested that a carton of ice cream may take more than an hour to melt, and might be influenced by factors such as ingredients and flavor. As a result, there was no surefire way to know what time the ice cream was taken out of the freezer, but it's certainly a detail that has left many wondering.
Why did O.J. lose a civil trial if he didn't commit Nicole's murder?
On October 3, 1995, O.J. Simpson's trial concluded, with the former athlete being found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. However, in 1997, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman's families brought a civil lawsuit against Simpson and won after the jury found the former football player liable for the murders. Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the two families, which he reportedly failed to pay in its totality during his lifetime.
According to the Daily Mail, the Goldman family's lawyer revealed that as Simpson hadn't paid for more than two decades, a debt of approximately $100 million had accumulated. Speaking to the Associated Press, Ronald's dad Fred Goldman said, "The money is not the issue, it never has been." He continued, "It's making certain that one man, the man who murdered my son and Nicole, is held responsible by a court of law."
In spite of being found not guilty in the criminal trial brought against him, O.J. Simpson's civil judgment showed that there was enough evidence for a jury to consider him culpable for the murders. While he always maintained his innocence, the outcome of the civil lawsuit certainly added credence to the idea that he may have killed his ex-wife and her friend.
Why did O.J. make a 'hypothetical' confession about Nicole's murder?
After repeatedly claiming his innocence in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, O.J. Simpson decided to give an interview and write a book discussing how he would have carried out the crime. During 2006 interview "O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?" on Fox (via People), the NFL star said, "This is very difficult for me to do this. It was very difficult for me because it's hypothetical." In the truly chilling two-hour special, Simpson detailed what may have happened that night, saying, "In the hypothetical, I put on the cap and gloves ... I always kept a knife in the car for the crazies and stuff because you can't travel with a gun." His explicit, yet so-called "hypothetical," confession only added to media speculation regarding the former actor's involvement in the brutal crime.
Simpson had also been commissioned to write a book called "If I Did It" with a ghostwriter by Rupert Murdoch's company News Corporation in 2006. However, due to some understandable backlash, the book was canceled and a reported 400,000 already printed copies of the volume were pulped. In a surprising turn of events, Goldman's family was awarded rights to the unpublished book in 2007, and they subsequently published the book under the new title, "If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer." If Simpson truly wasn't involved in the murders, why would he make a "hypothetical" confession?