Introduction
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found death outside Brown’s Bundy Drive condo in Los Angeles in the Brentwood area. It is said that Nicole Brown Simpson and the O.J.Simpson divorced two years earlier. Police believed that O.J.Simpson was the murderer due to the evidence, which were both found and collected at the scene. Nicole was found to have defensive hand wounds. He also had several stabbings on his head. The larynx could be seen through a gaping in her neck and there was an incision of a vertebra C3.
Simpsons lawyers during trial the begged for permission so that Simpson could be allowed to get into the court on June 17th 1994 at eleven in the morning. The double murder at that time meant bail could not be allowed as there a possible death penalty if Simpson is convicted of the murder case. After being waited by over 11,000 reporters at the police station, Simpson did not appear. After being waited for a long time by the Los Angeles Police Department, they finally issued all-points bulletin. At 5.00 pm, one of the Simpson’s friends and his lawyer named Robert Kardashian read to the media a rambling letter from Simpson. Simpson through this letter sent greetings to his twenty-four friends. He told the reporters that he did not have anything to Nicole’s murder (Freed, 2007).This letter suggested as though Simpson had committed suicide and this prompted the police to search for him. The reporters joined the police in the search. Robert Shapiro one of the Simpson’s lawyers who was also present during the press briefing agreed that Simpson’s psychiatrist’s interpretation on Simpson’s suicide.
Although the letter sounded as though Simpson had committed suicide, the attorney could not agree with the letter and warned Simpson to surrender. The police started the search and at around 6.20pm, Simpson was spotted riding in a white Bronco, driven by his friend Al Cowlings and the police were notified. After the chase by the police and the reporters, Simpson surrendered to the police after demanding to be allowed to speak his mother. In the Bronco, the police found a change of clothing, $ 800 cash, a passport, family pictures, a gun and a mustache. Although this items were found neither of them was presented in the court as evidence in the case (Freed, 2007).
When Simpson was arraigned in court on June 20th he pleaded not guilty of the two murder cases. The presiding judge as expected ordered Simpson not to be allowed to get out on bail. A grand jury was called in the following day to testify and determine whether to incriminate him for the two murder charges. Two days after the call of jury, the reporters dismissed them due to the excessive life media coverage, which could influence the neutrality of the case. Before dismissal one of the witnesses by the name Jill Shively, testified that he saw Simpson on his Bronco driving from around Nicole’s house during the night of murder. Another witness, Jose Camacho as he was a knife sales man testified that he sold a knife to Simpson, which was similar to the murder weapon three weeks before the day of murder (Freed, 2007). Although these two witnesses presented their evidences, the prosecution did not present them during criminal trial after they give out their stories to the tabloid press at a pay. This made Simpson’s lawyers to refuse the evidence from the prosecution as it was presented in contrast to the witnesses. Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell a superior California court judge after two weeks declared that there was enough evidence for Simpson to go to trial.
The Simpson trial Timeline
June 12th 9:45 pm: Houseguest Brian “Kato” Kaelin and O.J Simpson come back from McDonald’s where they went for dinner 10 minutes ago.
11 pm: O.J goes out to meet up a limo driver to get him to the airfield for his air travel to Chicago.
June 13th 12:10 am: Ronald Brown Goldman and Nicole Simpson are found outside the Simpson’s condo slashed to death.
Noon: O.J gets back to Los Angeles where he undergoes a 3 hours long question in the police headquarters upon handcuffed briefing.
June 17th: O.J arrest and charging is made on two accounts of murder accorded with special circumstances. This occurs after a 60-mile pursuit by the police.
July 1994
July 8th: A ruling of that there was enough ample evidence to warrant a Municipal Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell to arrange a trial for O.J after a preliminary hearing that took 6 days.
July 22nd: The case was assigned to Superior Court Judge Lance Ito upon O.J’s pledge of absolute innocence.
July 27th: The mother to Goldman files a lawsuit against the suspect alleging that the suspect willfully killed her son.
August 1994
August 22nd: The blood samples collected from the scene of death is disclosed to be matching with those of O.J upon a DNA test ordered by the Court.
February 1995
February 1st-2nd: Ronald Shipp, O.J’s friend makes a testimony that O.J leaked to him his dream of killing his ex-wife a night after the killing.
February 3rd, 6th: Nicole’s sister, Denise Brown makes a testimony that O.J was ever abusive to Nicole.
February 7th: The first step for the prosecution estimation of the time of killing is made after Pablo Fenjves (Nicole’s neighbor) makes a testimony of hearing dog barking at Nicole’s condo at 10:15 pm.
March 1995
March 9th-10th, 13th-16th: Detective Mark Fuhrman confirms that for the last 10 years he has never been racial biased.
March 22nd-23rd, 27th-28th: Brian “Kato” Kaelin the houseguest at O.J’s house reveals the condition of O.J after a clash with Nicole. He says that O.J was upset and he last so him at 9:35 on the night of murders.
March 28th: Allan Park the limo driver testifies that the suspect never answered the bell as from 10:40 pm to 11 pm.
May 1995
May 8th-12th, 15th: An incrimination of O.J is made by Robin Cotton a DNA lab director upon production of astronomical odds resulting from examination of blood evidence.
July 1995
July 7th: Judge Lance Ito makes a denial for an innocence immediate verdict of O.J due to lack of evidence.
July 10th: The first defense witness makes an attack against Ronald Shipp’s dream tale, O.J’s oldest daughter (Arnelle Simpson).
July 24th: a forensic toxicologist (Frederic Rieders) who claimed to have found evidence of blood preservatives in the blood presented for evidence presents an implication of police planting the blood evidence.
July 28th: The defense attempt to force screenwriter to hand over the Detective Fuhrman tape is blocked by the North Carolina Judge. The defense argument is on racial behavior of the detective.
August 1995
August 7th: The defense attempt to take the tapes is warranted by the North Carolina court.
August 9th: DNA evidence leaks questioning attempt by the defense is terminated by Ito.
August 15th: The scoffing of Margaret York the police captain (wife to Ito) by Furman in the tapes evoked the prosecutions demand for Ito’s step down and his position taken by another judge.
August 17th: police finger print specialist Gilbert Aguilar claims the absence of O.J’s prints in the 17 sets.
August 18thth: The blockage of York’s testimony about Fuhrman makes Ito stay in the case.
August 22nd-25th, 28th: A forensic expert, Henry Lee, makes a testimony of mismatch of the three shoeprints provided with those of O.J. He further said the police mismanaged evidence.
August 29th: Recorded interviews excerpts of the interview between the Screenwriter and Furman are played in absence of the jury. In casual and calm tone, the Furman 41 times use of the word “Nigger” is evident as a sign of the brutality of the police force.
September 11th: Ito places orders to the prosecution to start disproof; Pictures amounting to five confirming O.J’s use of gloves similar to those found in the crime scene. This is due to the defense refusal of rest while an appeal on Fuhrman was in progress.
September12th : The gloves expert claims 100% certainty of similarity of the gloves.
September 13th : An expert in the States crime lab claims finding Goldman’s blood in O.J’s Branco upon sophisticated DNA tests.
September 14th: Douglas Deedrick, a forensic expert for the prosecution, rebuts the defense contension on the existence of a second pair of shoeprints at the scene of murder.
September 18th: The rebuttal is brought to closure by the prosecution but the reservation of rights for an afterward calling for rebut to new defense testimonies by witnesses.
September 19th: Craig Anthony Fiato is placed by the defense as a replica of Philip Vannatter lies. Simpson makes an application to obtain an exclusive trademark of his name.
September 20th: Ito gives standing to both the prosecution and the defense on the sinking into petty issues.
September 21st: Ito makes the announcement of the inclusion of finding the possibility of Simpson guilt of second order murder in the jury instructions. This was the defense major blow.
September 22nd: Without cross-examination, Simpson upon getting chance to address the jury says he “did not, would not, and could not have committed this crime.”
September 26th: Clark blasts Mark Fuhrman as racist but she cautiously do not place meaning on the implantation of evidence used against Simpson.
September 27th: Christopher Darden makes the termination of prosecution arguments depicting Simpson to have been jealous to his ex-wife. The defense response is taken by Cochran hammering the theme “If it does not fit you must acquit”
September 28th: Cochran makes an invoke of history and finalizes by telling Jurors ``God bless you.'' Barry Scheck makes it clear that the Jurors have no chance of believing on any blood analysis based on DNA tests because of the police tampering and contamination.
September 29th: Darden and Clark wind up the prosecution rebut with a display of a film of the whole thing from the 1989 911 call to photographs of the victims.
4:08 pm: Ito makes clear that the jury should ignore the claim from the defense and the prosecution that “the world is watching” thus turning the case to the Jury.
October 1995
October 2nd: The deliberations of Jury start shortly after 9 am. PT, calls for a break for hearing from the limo driver who picked Simpson up on the night of the killings, and returns a verdict.
October 3rd: Verdict of innocence is declared and finally O.J Simpson is freed.
Facts of the case
The world first learn of the troubles of Simpson after the news broke that her ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman a Mezzaluna Restaurant waiter were stabbed to death. Simpson is angered with his ex-wife and this was evident at the night of the killings. Bloody gloves were recovered within the crime scene.
Prosecution evidence
Crime scene
Simpson injured his finger while performing the murder and thus the blood drops that were found beside the bloody shoes prints leading away from the bodies of the victims and the testing from various forensic laboratories frustrate any leeway of tampering or contamination.
Bloody shoe prints
The bloody shoe prints matched Simpson’s size 12 as the prints exhibited size 12 Bruno Magli shoe. The prosecution made efforts of placing Simpson at the killings scene showing that Bloomingdale’s in New York carried such shoes and Simpson shopped there.
Crime scene airs and fibers
The hairs at the crime scene were analogous to those of Simpson and the fibers on the same cap were like those at Simpson’s carpeting Ford Bronco, Furthermore, dark cotton fibers were found on Goldman.
Bloody gloves
Simpson left glove at her ex-wife’s home during the killings struggle and the rushing. He inadvertently lost the other glove while in the move to hide it.
Bloody Bronco
Small blood spot found near the driver’s outside doorknob of Simpson’s Ford Bronco. Other blood smears were found on the car carpeting and steering wheel. The DNA test confirms genetic markers of Simpson and those of the victims.
Defense evidence
The implantation of evidence by the police is the defense strong evidence, as supported by the presence of preservatives in the blood evidence use. Another evidence use by the defense is the racial behavior of Detective Mark Fuhrman as supported by the tapes recording.
The conclusion
The trial concludes that Simpson is not guilty, as the prosecution has failed to prove his guilt.
Investigate techniques used
Forensic investigation
The investigation was done through forensic investigation and interviews. Forensic investigation sought to get the evidence at the scene of crime. After the murder of Nicole forensic investigation was done. The investigation found the bloody fingerprints on the Nicole Simpsons house ( Freed,2007). Although this evidence was found, it was not collected and secured in the first location. However, Fuhrman recorded it in his notes there was no action taken to secure it. Those who came to investigate later did not know the existences of the evidence. During these investigation techniques, photographing was done in the house.
The forensic science also found DNA evidence. The police in investigated the sample blood from shoe. At first, there were no traces that could imply that Simpson was involved in the murder. This prompted more investigation from the police department ( Dear,2012). The error, which was made by the police, was to carry the blood sample from Simpson for the whole day. This made the blood to give different results. The police scientist Andrea Mazola who was responsible for collecting the blood sample from Simpson to use in comparison with the blood from the scene made this mistake. He carried the blood in the pocket of his coat nearly for the whole day.
Mark Fuhrman found one of the walls mark by the blood. He also found black leather glove containing blood. Although he was not one of the investigators, he recorded the evidence. The glove contained DNA evidence from Brown, Nicole and Simpson. Simpson was asked by the prosecution judge to wear the glove in the court but the glove seemed too tight for Simpson to wear. The prosecution attributed this to the soaking of the glove in blood, which made it to shrink. Although all these evidence was found in the scene of crime, it could present substantial evidence to incriminate Simpson ( Pellowski,2001).
Interrogative techniques
Another investigation technique was the use of interrogation and interviewing of the suspect who in this case is Simpson. Detectives Phil Vannatter and Tom Lang from the L.A.P.D interrogated Simpson..This interrogation took place a day after the murder of Simpson’s ex-wife. A cross extermination could reveal that Simpson was warning the police of excessive questions and their sensitivity on the issue. He could also suggest that he was going to escape from the authority. However, the police were not keen enough to notice this ( Dear,2012).
Analysis of the investigation techniques and their loopholes
The crime investigation of the case had many loopholes. The evidence in the scene is not collected at first as soon as the crime happens. Mark Fuhrman recorded the glove found in the scene and the blood on the wall. When the next investigators came to the scene of crime, they could not trace this evidence. The authority also could not take keen interests on the evidence collected by Mark Fuhrman. They could have taken this from the recorded evidence of Mark Fuhrman. As the police collected evidence to be used in the court, they are not serious enough. This is seen when of the police officers who is responsible for collecting blood from Simpson to be used in comparison with the blood sample from the scene. The police officer makes an error of carrying the blood sample in his pocket for nearly the whole day ( Dear,2012).This later led to incorrect results and thus lack of substantial evidence to incriminate Simpson. This loophole can be corrected when the forensic team goes to the scene of crime as soon the crime takes place. The evidence collected need also to be taken to the laboratory for investigation as soon as possible and the results will be accurate.
The other loophole is seen from the police when interrogating Simpson. They are not keen enough to notice the signs of escaping from the authority or even a sign Simpson involving in the crime. This loophole can be corrected through hiring of well-trained investigation officers. The court’s loophole in investigation is seen when witness are not protected and loose measures to guarantee for protection of evidence ( Pellowski,2001). The loophole can be corrected by introducing strong measures to protect both witnesses and evidence collected.
Debriefing questions-The debriefing questions could include
Is your name O.J.Simpson?
Where were you on the 12th June 1994?
Do you know Nicole Brown and Ron Gold man?
What is the relationship between you and Nicole Brown?
The court prosecution says that you were involved in the murder of Nicole and Gold man. Are you guilt or not guilty?
Theory of crime theory
The murderer goes to Nicole Browns house and finds both Nicole and Brown. Having putting gloves he removes the knife and stabs Brown death. Nicole trying to defend herself meets a knife on her hands and finally at her neck. The murderer moves out of the house after committing the crime. He throws the gloves and runs away.
References
Dear, W. (2012). O.J. is innocent and I can prove it!: The shocking truth about the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. New York, NY: Skyhorse Pub.
Freed, D., & Briggs, R. P. (2007). Killing time: The first full investigation into the unsolved murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. New York: Macmillan, USA.
Pellowski, M. (2001). The O.J. Simpson murder trial: A headline court case. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers.
The O. J. Simpson Trial: The Incriminating Evidence. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/Evidence.html
The OJ Simpson Trial Final Report | Law and Ordnance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://lawandordnance.com/The-OJ-Simpson-Trial-Final-Report.html
