The OJ Simpson murder case is never far from popular culture. With the 20th anniversary of the killings in 2014, and a new FX miniseries about the murders and trial debuting in 2016, it's worth diving into some creepy OJ Simpson facts. Simpson's behavior before, during, and after the trial is some of the strangest and most compelling in modern history - and much of it was really, really creepy.
For example, Simpson has made numerous attempts to profit from the notoriety he achieved from the murders, even while insisting he didn't commit them. He put his name on a ghost-written confession, wanted to put his first interview on pay-per-view, and tried to cash in with a prank show. Oh, and he threw a giant bash after being acquitted of the double murder over which he was later sued and ultimately found responsible for.
What happened to OJ Simpson? Here are some of the creepiest, most WTF facts about OJ Simpson and the insane trial of the century that swirled around him.
Facts About OJ Simpson That Will Make Your Skin Crawl,
Many Jury Members Thought He Was Guilty
After nine months of testimony, the jury, made up mostly of African American women, took just four hours to find Simpson not guilty. In the months and years to follow, many publicly claimed they personally believed Simpson committed the murders. But the prosecution and LAPD had botched the case to the point where they believed there was reasonable doubt.
A more focused and competent prosecution, along with less-sloppy work by forensics investigators, might have convicted Simpson - as it's clear the jury wanted to.
OJ and Nicole's Kids Were a Few Feet Away When She Died
OJ and Nicole's two children, Sydney (8) and Justin (5), were upstairs in the two story Brentwood condo they lived in with their mother during the attack. Downstairs, just a few feet away, Nicole was being butchered by an assailant.
We Finally Know What OJ Whispered to Robert Shapiro
Just after the jury pronounced him not guilty, OJ leaned over to Robert Shapiro and whispered something in his ear. Now, after a 2016 interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly, we finally know what the just-exonerated suspect said to his high-priced lawyer.
"You were right."
According to Shapiro, he'd told OJ at the very beginning of the trial that he'd be found not guilty, and as it turned out, he was completely correct. Shapiro blamed a narrow prosecution, and in particular, the moment where OJ was asked to try on the glove that didn't fit, for his being found not guilty. And does Shapiro himself think OJ did it?
Apparently, he never thought about it. ""As far as moral justice," Shapiro said, "I haven't discussed it with anyone. Our system of justice is one that's balanced. We hope and pray that innocent people are never convicted. And the price we pay is that sometimes guilty people can and do go free."
OJ Wanted to Do His First Post-Trial Interview on Pay-Per-View
OJ briefly thought of having his first interview post-acquittal take place in a pay-per-view deal, and would have made millions if it had gone through. Fortunately, he couldn't find any sponsors, and the plan fell apart. He ended up doing his first interview on NBC - and neither he nor the network made any money from it.
The Kardashian Sisters Can't Agree On Which Bedroom OJ Tried to Kill Himself In
While it's long been known that OJ threatened to commit suicide at the home of Robert Kardashian, the FX miniseries revealed new details about it - namely, that he sat in Kim's bedroom sobbing, holding a gun, vowing to off himself.
But even in that, the details are fuzzy. Not to mention that the Kardashian sisters are trying to one-up each other. Khloe, Kim's younger sister, told James Corden that while she though the miniseries was great, it got one detail wrong: that OJ threatened to kill himself in her bedroom, not Kim's.
Simpson Got Military Knife Skills Training on a TV Show
A few months before the murders, Simpson filmed a TV movie/backdoor pilot for NBC called Frogmen, about an elite squad of Navy SEALs based in Miami. Simpson starred as the group's leader, and as such, underwent knife combat training. The pilot also had a scene in which Simpson's character held a knife to his daughter's throat, thinking she was an intruder.
It was during the shooting of Frogmen that Simpson went to Ross Cutlery and examined the knife that prosecutors say he used to kill Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The tape of the pilot was admitted as evidence, but never used. It's now in a Warner Brothers vault, and has never been aired.
Simpson Has Pictures of Kim Kardashian in His Prison Cell
Simpson knew Kim's parents, Kris and Robert Kardashian, for years even before his trial. He also seems to have a pretty intense crush on Kim - who is half his age (not to mention married and a mother of two). Sources say OJ, serving a 33 year prison term for a 2008 robbery in Nevada, talks about her constantly, demands silence when her show is on, and has decorated his prison walls with pictures of her from Playboy.
One anonymous source quoted him as once saying "Kim likes black ball players, I am a Hall of Famer - and I still have my Heisman award,” - a dig at ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush, who returned his 2005 award. Whether or not this is true or just tabloid nonsense is anyone's guess.
There are also rumors (let us repeat: just rumors!) that OJ Simpson is the biological father of Khloe Kardashian. Just thinking about even a far-off possibility makes your skin crawl!
OJ Whispered to Nicole's Corpse (and Kissed It) During Her Funeral
Despite the horrific wounds inflicted on her, Nicole Brown Simpson was buried in an open casket wake. Sure enough, OJ came to it. According to multiple witnesses, including testimony from Nicole's mother, he kissed her corpse on the lips, murmured something that sounded like an apology, and might have spent as long as 15 minutes talking to the body.
Someone Found a Knife on OJ's Property - In 1998
On March 4, 2016, the LAPD held a press conference to announce that it was examining a knife that had been found buried on the perimeter of OJ's Brentwood estate. In a shocking twist, the folding buck knife had actually been found by a construction worker in 1998 when the estate was being demolished. But by June, authorities had determined that the knife was not the one used in the murders, since forensic tests (and its small size) ruled it out.
Apparently, the worker gave the knife to an off-duty police officer who was in the area providing security for a film shoot. The officer inexplicably held on to the knife, and it wasn't until earlier in 2016 that the officer retired and told a friend at the LAPD about it, allegedly seeking the case number so he could frame the weapon and add a plaque with the identifying detail. That officer turned around and told his superiors, who demanded the knife be handed over for examination.
The murder weapon in the Simpson case was never found, but Simpson can't be tried again due to double jeopardy laws. Simpson himself is reported to be laughing about the whole thing, quipping to a guard "If the knife is rusted, I can’t be busted.”
Johnnie Cochran Redecorated OJ's House to Look "More Black"
During the seemingly endless trial, jurors were allowed to go to OJ's Rockingham estate. But Simpson lawyer was inexplicably given permission to redecorate it before the tour. Among other things, Cochran took down naked photos of OJ's then-girlfriend and replaced them with stereotypical African art.