Like a lot of Americans, I was incredibly fascinated by the O.J. Simpson murder case 20+ years ago. I was 14-years-old at the time, grew up in uber-white suburbia West Omaha, was glued to the television set during the Bronco "chase," yet was ignorant on criminal justice, on race relations (African-Americans and the LAPD in particular), on pretty much everything. I remember when the verdict was announced, I was in 8th grade, sitting in study hall, was glued to the TV, yet felt unaffected when I heard the ruling. Unlike most people, I had yet to form an opinion on whether or not Simpson was guilty of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Over 20 years later and I've still yet to form a solid opinion on the matter. As a matter of fact, I'm more uncertain now than ever before.
Upon first learning of the verdict, while most white Americans contended O.J. Simpson was guilty and most African-Americans believed otherwise, I had no firm belief one way or the other. I imagine, like many of the jurors must have felt, there were some potential signs of Simpson's guilt, yet I had reasonable doubt, and due to that, couldn't rule him as being guilty.
With Simpson serving time in prison for unrelated charges and so much time having lapsed since his murder trial, I placed the matter at the very back of my mind until recently. After reading glowing reviews of the new FX show, The People V. O.J. Simpson, I decided to give it a gander, and five minutes into the first episode, I became hooked. Oddly enough, not long after the show's premiere, word got out about a knife which was found buried on/near Simpson's former residence, yes, 20+ years after the fact. While the 24-hour news media reported this story like it was bound to ultimately prove Simpson's guilt, most law experts disagreed, saying the size of the knife differed from the one used in the attacks; that, given the passage of time, fingerprints would be of no value; and due to the double-jeopardy law, there would be no way for the knife to result in Simpson being found guilty of the same crime he was tried for 21 years ago. In other words, unless blood of Nicole Brown Simpson and/or Ron Goldman are found on the knife, it'll be more worthless than a mechanical pencil at a knife fight.
Perhaps one day we'll learn the whole truth regarding the O.J. Simpson murder case, but for the time being, I think it's difficult to fully conclude one way or the other, and I'll just have to accept this as one of those unsolved mysteries which may forever be such.
Upon first learning of the verdict, while most white Americans contended O.J. Simpson was guilty and most African-Americans believed otherwise, I had no firm belief one way or the other. I imagine, like many of the jurors must have felt, there were some potential signs of Simpson's guilt, yet I had reasonable doubt, and due to that, couldn't rule him as being guilty.
With Simpson serving time in prison for unrelated charges and so much time having lapsed since his murder trial, I placed the matter at the very back of my mind until recently. After reading glowing reviews of the new FX show, The People V. O.J. Simpson, I decided to give it a gander, and five minutes into the first episode, I became hooked. Oddly enough, not long after the show's premiere, word got out about a knife which was found buried on/near Simpson's former residence, yes, 20+ years after the fact. While the 24-hour news media reported this story like it was bound to ultimately prove Simpson's guilt, most law experts disagreed, saying the size of the knife differed from the one used in the attacks; that, given the passage of time, fingerprints would be of no value; and due to the double-jeopardy law, there would be no way for the knife to result in Simpson being found guilty of the same crime he was tried for 21 years ago. In other words, unless blood of Nicole Brown Simpson and/or Ron Goldman are found on the knife, it'll be more worthless than a mechanical pencil at a knife fight.
Perhaps one day we'll learn the whole truth regarding the O.J. Simpson murder case, but for the time being, I think it's difficult to fully conclude one way or the other, and I'll just have to accept this as one of those unsolved mysteries which may forever be such.
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