11 April 2024 , 20:08
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The infamous black gloves from OJ Simpson’s 1995 double-murder trial are being kept in a lock-up long after the ex-NFL star was acquitted by a jury
The infamous black gloves presented as "evidence" in the double-murder trial of NFL legend OJ Simpson for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman are still being held by police in an evidence lock-up.
That’s according to Fox 11, who were granted special permission from the LA District Attorney’s office to see the glove kept up close in 2018.
One of the most memorable moments of the 1995 trial came when Simpson was asked to try on a pair of "bloody" black gloves, one of which was recovered from the scene, while the other glove was allegedly found behind his guest house.
The gloves were one of the prosecution’s biggest pieces of evidence in the trial of Simpson as the glove found behind the ex-running back’s property purportedly had blood containing genetic markers of himself, Brown, and Goldman.
However, his legal defence argued that the glove was planted by Los Angeles Police Detective Mark Fuhrman, who they claimed was racist and trying to frame Simpson. Prosecutor Christopher Darden made the move for Simpson to try the gloves on during the trial on June 15, 1995.
Simpson proceeded and appeared to struggle to fit the gloves on his hands and his defence attorney, Johnnie Cochran, famously said in his closing statement: "If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit."
Simpson was later acquitted by a jury but he was later found civilly liable for the deaths of Brown and Goldman and was later forced to pay out $33.5 million in damages to the victims’ families. The 1969 NFL Draft first-overall pick by the Buffalo Bills found himself in trouble with the law again in 2008. He was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment on charges of armed robbery.
Simpson was convicted on 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping of two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel, and he was released on parole in 2017 having served a minimum of nine years of his sentence. "I didn’t want to hurt anybody," Simpson said at his sentencing. "I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong."
Following his release, Simpson lived in a gated community in Las Vegas and enjoyed playing golf, while also discussing sports and politics on his social media channels. Simpson died aged 76 after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer, his family revealed.
A statement read : "On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
Simpson’s playing career saw him win the NFL MVP award and Offensive Player of the Year in 1973, as well as five first-team All-Pro selections. He also became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, playing over a decade for the Bills, as well as the San Francisco 49ers.