The Federal Bureau of Investigation has made public a trove of documents related to the high-profile 1994 murder case involving former football star O.J. Simpson. The release, which comes two months after Simpson’s death at age 76, marks the first time the complete set of 475 pages has been accessible to the general public.
The documents, some of which feature redacted information, shed light on the FBI’s meticulous efforts to gather and analyze evidence in the aftermath of the brutal killings of Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife, and her friend Ron Goldman. Of particular interest are several pages detailing the bureau’s focus on Bruno Magli shoes, specifically the rare Lorenzo and Lyon styles. [Hyperlink: Investigators discovered a shoeprint from a Bruno Magli shoe at the crime scene in Brentwood, prompting FBI agents to travel to Italy to examine replicas of the footwear in an attempt to establish a link to Simpson.]
Despite the FBI’s extensive work, the jury in Simpson’s criminal trial ultimately found the evidence unconvincing. The defense team successfully argued that the evidence had been mishandled and raised allegations of racism among members of the Los Angeles Police Department. As a result, Simpson was acquitted of the double homicide charges.
The newly released files also contain information about the collection and testing of various pieces of evidence, including clothing swatches and fibers retrieved from the white Ford Bronco that Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings were in during the notorious police chase on June 17, 1994, which culminated in Simpson’s arrest.
Although Simpson was found not guilty in the criminal trial, a civil trial in Santa Monica in 1997 found him liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages. It is widely believed that a significant portion of this judgment remains unpaid.
