Observations And Analysis: A Brief Biography Of O. J. Simpson

Orenthal James Simpson, better known as “O.J.” Simpson was a man whose talents spoke for themselves. As a successful African American male, Simpson became somewhat of a hero for the African American community (“The O.J. Verdict: Observations and Analysis”). At the time of his retirement in 1979, Simpson was the NFL’s number two rusher of all time and a man adored by the people of the United States. Everyone knew him: ‘‘Juice’ Simpson was famous-famous, your-mom-knew-who-he-was famous.”(Bonesteel). Reaching this level of success on the football field placed Simpson in a media frenzy as his every move was followed by paparazzi. Despite the admiration that the nation had for Simpson, there was more to this public figure than met the eye. It is

Simpson’s life. On this infamous Sunday morning, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, a waiter at the restaurant Brown and her family ate at the night before, were found dead outside of Brown-Simpson’s condominium in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California (Simpson). The two were brutally murdered: “ both were stabbed multiple times, and Brown-Simpson was nearly decapitated” (Bonesteel). When the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the crime scene they discovered that “nearly all evidence pointed to Simpson’s guilt” and he was charged with the double homicide (Bonesteel, “O.J. Simpson Trial Transcript”). The evidence against Simpson was found using groundbreaking DNA recovery research. At the crime scene, police recovered three different people’s blood: Nicole Brown, Ronald Goldman, and O.J. Simpson (“O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession”). Another troubling tie to Simpson was a single leather glove found outside the condo saturated in blood. The glove’s pair was later found when police searched Simpson’s home and belongings (“O.J. Simpson Trial Transcript”). Things were not looking bright for Simpson as his violent personality was finally being brought to

However, when the case reached the courtroom there seemed to be minimal focus placed on the actions of O.J. Simpson on June 12, 1994. The trial was deliberately turned into a charade for the entire country to witness; there has never been a spectacle such as the Simpson trial before, and there has not been one since. The defense turned the murder trial into a race riot portraying the lead detective at the crime scene, Mark Fuhrman, as a racist and discrediting the evidence by suggesting he planted it to frame an innocent black man (Bonesteel). The defense did a brilliant job of distracting the jury from the evidence against O.J. and bringing their attention to the racist failures of the LAPD. The spectacle the defense created in the courtroom would not have been necessary unless there was something Simpson was trying to hide regarding his actions on that infamous Sunday morning in