Shocking revelations come to light in Netflix's ‘American Manhunt: OJ Simpson’

Where were you during the OJ Simpson car chase in Los Angeles? The OJ Simpson criminal trial was considered the tragedy of the century during the mid-1990s. American Manhunt: OJ Simpson goes back to the days of OJ Simpson, who was tried for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her boyfriend, Ronald Goldman.

Simpson built a persona over the years since the start of his football career at USC. He was later drafted by the Buffalo Bills and then played for the San Francisco 49ers before he moved into a career in acting and broadcasting.

He thrived in his charm and character, which had caught the attention of so many people around the world. The car chase and the trial were the highest in TV ratings at the time when his controversies took notice from the public.

American Manhunt: OJ Simpson is a new Netflix must-watch

The documentary showcased in-depth shocking revelations not only about OJ Simpson but many problems with racial relations in the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department. Simpson assembled a dream team of lawyers that included, most notably, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Carl Douglas, Barry Scheck, and Alan Dershowitz.

Marcia Clark and Chris Darden were the main prosecutors on the Simpson case under then-Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti, father of former LA mayor, Eric Garcetti.

Background

Simpson and Brown Simpson first met when she was a waitress at The Daisy in Beverly Hills, California. She was 18 years-old at the time while he was 30 and was still married to his first wife, Marguerite. They had two children together while he had one daughter from his previous marriage.

The Simpson marriage had an ongoing series of problems that involved domestic abuse and irreconcilable differences. They lived in the LA Westside suburb of Brentwood where the murders had taken place in 1994. Brown Simpson started a relationship with Goldman prior to their murders. They were both stabbed at night. Simpson had publicly denied any involvement in the murder.

After the murder of Brown Simpson and Goldman, a woman called 911 to report that a murder occurred after finding a series of blood in the walkway while walking her dog at night.

While police conducted the search, LAPD searched the premises on 875 S. Bundy Dr, Brown Simpson’s property where the murder took place, and at Simpson’s residence on N. Rockingham Dr. Then-Detective Mark Fuhrman of the West LA division had conducted the investigation of the Simpson Case.

Left and right-hand gloves of the same pair were found at the Brown Simpson and Simpson residences that were a complete match in texture and pattern. There was blood found on the white Ford Bronco on the fender underneath the handle and inside the vehicle.

During that time, racial tensions were high as Simpson was propped as a poster child for the African American community. Brown Simpson was a white woman.

The LA District Attorney’s office charged him with the murder of his ex-wife and her boyfriend based on the findings of the evidence. Simpson had gone missing for a few days as he was expected to be arraigned at the LAPD station.

He was found on the 5 freeway in Orange County, California, just 50 miles south of Los Angeles, riding in the white Ford Bronco being driven by his longtime friend, Al Cowlings. The infamous car chase became the most viewed including the interruption of sporting events that was seen all around the world. Simpson was arrested at his home after the car chase.

The Lawyers & Prosecutors

At the time of the hearing, Simpson pleaded not guilty. Shapiro declared a speedy trial that would later put pressure on the prosecution to corroborate the evidence against the former football star. 

Clark and Darden faced an intense amount of pressure to persuade the jury of the evidence reasons for the murders and the motives. Darden had worked for the District Attorney’s office for over 15 years with a high record of convicting defendants after replacing William Hodgman, who had to step down from the case over health issues.

Clark had faced a tremendous amount of media scrutiny and sexism over her appearance. She was known for her intense approach amongst her peers.

Cochran was a former prosecutor for the LA District Attorney’s office and was known to battle discrimination against the African American community in Los Angeles as a defense and civil rights attorney. He had criticized the ethics of the LAPD for its policing ethics including their handling of the arrest of Rodney King over racial profiling.

Shapiro was the mastermind building the dream of the lawyers and paving the way for Simpson’s defense team to discredit the prosecution’s case against his client.

It was found that Shapiro and Cochran had often collided during the case over the use of race in the murder trial. Shapiro said in an interview after the trial that race was not a tactic he agreed with and described them as loose cannons on the issue.

Trial of the Century

The OJ Simpson trial was the most watched by millions of viewers as the case unfolded with over 50 witnesses from both the prosecution and the defense that lasted over eight months.

Fuhrman was thought to be the biggest asset for the prosecution to bring the case for murder against in the discovery of the evidence at the scene of the crime. He found blood on the gates, and the pair of gloves separated as one glove was found in the Simpson & Brown Simpson properties.

Witnesses also included DNA experts, friends of Simpson & Brown Simpson, bystanders, and members of the LAPD including the detectives. 

The articles about Fuhrman tainted the prosecution’s case and the credibility of the prosecution’s case. It was found that there was evidence presented to the media in an article by The New Yorker that he had made derogatory comments using a racist word targeting African American suspects.

The former LAPD detective was a liability for both the prosecution and the police department. Fuhrman was familiar with the 911 calls as an LAPD officer responding to Brown Simpson’s calls for domestic violence and abuse. Simpson’s defense attorney discredited Fuhrman after denying using a racist word and tampering with the evidence in both Brentwood properties, claiming it to be racially motivated.

Tapes of Fuhrman were heard in recordings with racial slurs in an interview. He was called to testify for a second where he pleaded the Fifth. The LA District Attorney indicted him for perjury and found him guilty. He retired from the police force before the LAPD's high chain of command was on the verge of firing him.

The defense also discredited LAPD criminologist Dennis Fung, who had no formal training or experience with high-profile cases. Fung was under scrutiny for not following proper protocol in handling the evidence at the crime scene. There are videos pointing out that he didn’t wear a glove on the crime scene and moving around evidence.

Darden later presented the original gloves in court that were found on the crime scene, which he baited Simpson to try them on. Simpson wore latex gloves underneath when he tried them on, resulting in not being able to fit. The prosecution later pointed out that the gloves were the same one that Simpson wore in a video clip where he was commenting on a football game.

Years later, after the trial, Shapiro admitted to trying on the murder gloves as he measured the thickness of the fingers in order to prove they didn’t fit, and Simpson’s hands were too wide. 

The prosecution could not present the murder weapon because it was not found on the scene by LAPD officers at the time of arrival. Both Clark and Darden failed to corroborate the alignment of the timelines on the night of the murders putting pressure on the jury at the time of deliberations.

Simpson’s defense attorneys used the race card in order to discredit not only the prosecution but the LAPD. Both Cochran and Bailey used it as an emotion as one of the factors to persuade the jury including the liability of Fuhrman for the prosecution. 

In closing arguments, Cochran used the evidence against Simpson with the famous words, “If the gloves don’t fit, you must acquit.” After deliberations, the jury acquitted Simpson of all his murder counts.

Aftermath

Both Darden and Clark had resigned from the LA District Attorney’s office as a result of the Simpson acquittal. The meddling of the evidence from the crime lab units and Fuhrman’s testimony contributed to their downfall allowing Simpson to walk.

Darden now owns his own criminal defense law practice in Los Angeles. Clark wrote a book about the trial and is now a media correspondent and producer. Cochran would later continue his work in criminal law for other prominent celebrities including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Michael Jackson. He died in 2005 after complications with a brain tumor.

Shapiro moved away from criminal cases and now practices civil litigation. He founded LegalZoom.com, a legal technologies company for business setups. He previously represented the Menendez brothers prior to the OJ Simpson trial. 

Fuhrman never set foot in a career in law enforcement again. He admitted to his racial slurs, but it was more than probable to admit of being a racist. He didn’t say he was one, according to the documentary.

Simpson didn’t receive any benefit in the aftermath of the trial. He lost his reputation and trust among friends both in Hollywood and high society.

The late football star was then sued by the Goldman and Brown families in a civil lawsuit where it was found he was liable for the deaths of his ex-wife and her boyfriend.  The families were awarded a $33 million judgment.

Before moving out of his Brentwood home, Simpson told his agent, “Had Nicole not opened the door with a knife, she would have been alive today.” It was more than probable that he admitted physical responsibility for the murders. He later moved to Miami, Florida.

In media interviews including Fox News, Simpson continued to deny the allegations of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman. Goldman’s father, Fred, continues to be outspoken about the late actor.

Simpson was later arrested in Las Vegas in an attempt to steal his memorabilia. He was found guilty and sentenced to 33 years in prison, where he served nine years. He was then eligible for parole but remained in Las Vegas for the rest of his life. He died on April 10, 2024, at his home in Las Vegas after complications with cancer at the age of 76.

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