The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murders (51 page)

Helicopters packed with television crews from practically all of the TV networks, crowded the skies as cameramen leaned out trying to get a shot of the fleeing American football star. As the
Bronco pulled off the freeway and headed north to Simpson’s Rockingham estate, the streets were clear of other vehicles, but the pavements thronged with members of the public waving and
cheering, whilst the police maintained a low-key pursuit.

Eventually the Bronco pulled into the driveway of Simpson’s prestigious estate in the Brentwood district, and before the engine had been switched off police officers moved in to conclude
the arrest.

The ensuing trial would run for a record nine months and cost the American taxpayer a staggering 20 million dollars; it would spawn 80 books and be the subject of numerous TV documentaries. It
kept the chat show circuit and the gossip columns busy with spicy titbits for a year, and in what would be the biggest televisual extravaganza the US had ever seen, beating the moon landing, the
arrival of the Beatles and the assassination of President Kennedy, the court case of Simpson would on occasions capture a massive 92 per cent of the American TV viewing public.

O.J. Simpson was a true American hero, a 1968 Heismann Trophy winner as a running back for the LA Lakers, who had gone into acting as well as promoting various brands on television. Married to a
beautiful young wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, with whom he had two children, he was a classic example of the American Dream. But for Simpson the dream had turned into a nightmare when the body of his
ex-wife and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found butchered at her Bundy Avenue address just a few blocks from the home she had once shared with Simpson. To many people the prime suspect was Simpson
himself.

Simpson and Nicole had split up a while before and despite several reconciliations had finally decided to go their separate ways. They had endured a stormy past which had seen the police being
called on a number of occasions to quell scenes of domestic disturbances, which on occasions saw Nicole on the receiving end of Simpson’s fierce temper.

Simpson was known to be possessive where Nicole was concerned, and even though he could have his pick of beautiful ladies he was still concerned about the social life his wife was enjoying, and
had seen off many would-be suitors.

After their initial split Nicole moved to a two-storey town house at 325 South Gretna Green, letting the spare room to her friend Brian “Kato” Kaelin. On 25 October 1993, during one
of the periods when they were attempting a slow reconciliation, Simpson discovered a photograph album containing pictures of Nicole’s previous boyfriends. Enraged he drove round to
Nicole’s house to confront her. Kaelin and Nicole were both downstairs when Simpson kicked the French doors open and stormed into the living room. He ranted for a while, becoming more and
more agitated, at which point Nicole called 911 and asked for police assistance. The operator asked her a number of questions to establish the level of danger she thought she was in. During this
period, when the call was being recorded, the operator could clearly hear Simpson remonstrating in the background and consequently dispatched the police. On arrival they ordered Simpson off the
property, and he left quietly, agreeing to rectify the damage he had caused to the property.

In a previous incident that occurred during New Year 1989, Simpson beat Nicole quite severely, resulting in a judicial notice. He was ordered to undergo therapy by the courts but for Nicole it
was the final straw – he had gone too far, repented too little and Nicole finally filed for divorce during 1992.

There had been many reports of their marital rifts and Simpson’s propensity for spousal abuse. All of this damning detail would become the background to the case that followed. In addition
to the evidence, he had a motive in that he was still jealous of his wife’s liaisons and appeared to have a history of violence towards her. The situation looked as bad as it could get for
Simpson.

However there were events which seemed to contradict this picture of Simpson as a brutal wife beater, often on the verge of anger. Nicole had become friendly with Keith Zlomwitch who she and
Simpson had known previously in Colorado. When Zlomwitch opened a new restaurant in Los Angeles, called Mezzaluna, he and Nicole renewed their friendship and during another period of separation
from Simpson she entertained Zlomwitch at her house. On one of these occasions her husband visited the property and could plainly see, through opened curtains, Nicole and Zlomwitch engaged in oral
sex. Rather than burst in, he chose instead to call on Zlomwitch and tell him he did not think such activity was appropriate given that his children were upstairs at the time. Zlomwitch got the
message and although he and Nicole continued to be friends the romantic involvement ceased.

The details of what happened next are complex, though the prosecution painted a detailed picture and provided a range of evidence to back up their claims, using Simpson’s previous domestic
disruptions as further evidence of a man who could be pushed over the edge and who might well have killed the mother of his children and Ron Goldman. The prosecution claimed the events that
followed and the time lines to be a close representation of the situation prior to, during and after the crimes had been committed, putting Simpson firmly in the frame.

During the week prior to the murders, Simpson had spent time in Buffalo, New York, attending various functions. He was planning to return to Los Angeles that weekend to attend a dance recital by
his daughter Sydney, and later that evening he was due to fly to Chicago, departing LA at 11.45 p.m. In line with these plans he had booked a limousine to collect him from his Rockingham address at
10.45 p.m. The whole family would be there to watch Sydney in her dance recital but Simpson had been told by Nicole that he would not be welcome to sit with them in the auditorium. As
Nicole’s family arrived, they sat directly in front of the stage, while Simpson sat off to one side. A member of the public who had videoed the proceedings caught Simpson on film chatting
cordially to Nicole’s mother, while smiling and being attentive to his children.

Prior to the discord in the Simpson household, Simpson had always maintained a good relationship with Nicole’s mother and family. Nicole had booked a table at the Mezzaluna where she
intended to take the children and family for a meal afterwards. Again, Simpson was not invited so he returned home. At this stage Brian “Kato” Kaelin was staying in the guest quarters
at Simpson’s house, an arrangement he had offered to Kaelin after he thought it unseemly for him to be staying with Nicole whilst he was attempting a reconciliation. At around 2.30 p.m. on
that Sunday, Simpson remarked to Kaelin that his relationship with Nicole was now at an end. He was aware that he was not invited to sit with his family during the recital or indeed take tea with
them afterwards, and Kaelin noted Simpson’s irritation at this gesture of bad will. Nicole and her group of about nine went on to the restaurant, arriving around 6.30 p.m. and enjoyed the
proceedings for the next couple of hours, leaving at around 8.30 p.m.

Leaving the restaurant Nicole took the children to a nearby ice cream parlour and bought them tubs of ice cream, some of which would later be found at the crime scene.

At about 9.45 p.m. Nicole’s mother phoned to say she had left her spectacles in the restaurant and asked if Nicole would collect them. Nicole phoned the restaurant who had by then found
the glasses outside on the pavement, so she asked to speak to Ron Goldman who was working there that night. Goldman said he would call round later with the glasses, after which he was intending to
go on to a venue called the Marina with some friends.

At home Nicole put the children to bed and prepared a bath, whilst quickly tidying up downstairs in preparation to receive Ron Goldman. Back at Simpson’s Rockingham estate, between 6.30
p.m. and 7 p.m. just after the end of the NBA play-offs between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks Kaelin had a brief chat with Simpson, who was still not happy at the way the day out with
his children had been handled. Leaving Simpson simmering he went to his quarters for a relaxing soak in the jacuzzi; he then returned to the main house and once again bumped into Simpson who was
heading out for a McDonald’s hamburger. Kaelin asked if he could tag along, and they both set off in Simpson’s Bentley. They arrived at the drive-through McDonald’s at around 9.25
p.m., collected their food and continued the journey back to the house. Simpson ate his hamburger on the way, while Kaelin decided to eat his when he got home. Arriving back, Simpson appeared
tired, retiring to his private quarters to relax, while Kaelin returned to his rooms to eat his food, calling his friend Rachel Ferrara at around 9.45 p.m. Meanwhile Ron Goldman was about to leave
the Mezzaluna with Nicole’s mother’s glasses – the time, 9.50 p.m.

The details up to this point are accurate and were corroborated by phone records and eyewitness testimony. The next part was largely speculation on the part of the prosecution, supported by some
key witness testimony and information provided by Kaelin and the limousine driver.

It was alleged by the prosecution that instead of retiring to his bedroom to rest, Simpson quickly jumped into his Ford Bronco and drove over to Nicole’s Bundy address, setting off at
around 9.55 p.m., just five minutes after Ron Goldman had left the Mezzaluna restaurant. It was speculated that Simpson arrived at the Bundy address and approached the house at around 10 p.m.
Strangely, Simpson then waited and according to his phone records made a mobile call to a model with whom he had previously had a liaison, Paula Barbiera, at 10.04 p.m., which would be a strange
thing to do for someone on the brink of committing a particularly violent and bloody murder. Simpson, however, did not get through to Paula, instead leaving a message. It was then suggested that he
approached the Bundy address through the main gate, the lock of which had been suspiciously broken in the days prior to the murders. Hearing a knock at the door, Nicole answered, expecting to find
Ron Goldman on the doorstep, but instead found Simpson there. It was alleged that Simpson pulled Nicole out of the door and into the outer porch area to the place where she was finally found,
stabbed and with her throat slashed. With blood everywhere and no doubt panicking, Simpson was planning to exit the murder scene when Ron Goldman showed up to return the glasses. Unluckily, Goldman
would have literally bumped into the murderer on the path, where he too was knifed a number of times and left for dead in a pool of blood. It was then suggested that Simpson once again jumped into
the Bronco and headed home.

As the killer sped away, a neighbour of Nicole’s reported that he heard the continuous barking of a dog. It was this factor and the results of the post-mortem that suggested the murders
happened at around 10.10 p.m., just six minutes after Simpson made the call to Paula Barbiera. Leaving a scene of carnage behind him it was alleged that Simpson then headed home in time for his
trip to Chicago.

Back at the Rockingham estate, Simpson’s limousine driver, Allan Park, had arrived at 10.25 p.m. and decided to wait at the gate as he was a little early. At around 10.40 p.m. he rang the
buzzer for the main house but received no reply. Inside the house, Kaelin, who was on the phone, heard three heavy thumping noises coming from outside. Terminating his call at 10.41 p.m. he headed
outside to investigate the noise. Unable to immediately trace its origin, but seeing the limousine parked on the driveway, he continued to walk around the edge of the house looking for the source
of the noise. At 10.50 p.m., Park called his boss to ask what he should do and was told to continue waiting. At around 10.56 p.m., Park saw the shadowy figure of a 2001b, 6-foot-tall black person
cross the driveway and enter the house. At the same time he noticed Kaelin heading towards him with a flashlight. Kaelin asked Park if Simpson had overslept and also if he had heard the strange
bangs, now wondering if it had been a weak earthquake. A few moments later Park once again buzzed the main house; this time the intercom was answered and the person said he would be out shortly. At
around 11.01 p.m. the house lights were switched on and Simpson emerged from the house and started putting his travel bags onto the porch.

Back at Bundy, Nicole’s neighbour, Louis Karpf, was now concerned about the noise from the dog and decided to go out for a quick look. At 10.55 p.m. he found Nicole’s Akita dog
running around the street barking. On closer inspection the dog’s paws looked to be covered in blood but he could not see any wound on the animal. Whilst trying to calm the dog down, which
was by now in an extremely agitated state, Karpf came across another neighbour, Steven Schwab, who was out walking his dog. They agreed that Steven should take the dog to his neighbour, Sukra
Boztepe, who would be able to look after him. When the dog was at Boztepe’s house it continued to act in such a distressed way that Bozetepe decided to take it out for a walk and see if it
could find its own home. Now 12.10 a.m. on Monday, 13 June, Boztepe followed the dog around to Nicole’s house. As they approached the gate Boztepe could see the obvious shape of a
woman’s body lying by the porch, a river of blood having run down the path to the pavement. Running to another neighbour Boztepe raised the alarm to the police at 12.15 a.m.

Back at Simpson’s estate Kaelin and Parks helped load Simpson’s luggage into the limousine, the time 11.15 p.m. They arrived at LAX at 11.35 p.m. where Simpson was fast tracked
through the terminus, his plane departing the airport just ten minutes later at 11.45 p.m. He finally checked into the O’Hare Plaza Hotel at 4.15 a.m. These events and their timeline were
examined carefully by the prosecution case, however, to further add weight to the supposition, another fact emerged that could be seen to further implicate Simpson. A member of the public claimed
to have seen Simpson’s white Ford Bronco driving without lights and a little erratically at around 10.20 p.m. on the road leading towards his home.