Nicole Brown Simpson by Kasey Kennedy

      

         Who really killed Nicole Brown Simpson?  On June 12, 1994, the thirty-five year old model was “brutally murdered,” outside of her L.A. home,  along with her friend Ron Goldman (“Nicole Brown Simpson” 1).  Simpson’s ex-husband, O.J. Simpson, was immediately the number one suspect for these murders, but was later found not guilty (1).  Since then, several conspiracy theories have emerged: O.J. hired Glen Rogers,  a serial killer, to murder Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, O.J.’s son, Jason Simpson,  murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, or O.J. murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Let’s take a look at Nicole Brown Simpson and the conspiracy theories surrounding her death, and the likelihood of O.J. Simpson being the murderer.  

         To many people, Nicole Brown Simpson was a party girl, but to those who truly knew her she was family centered and determined to make her marriage work.  Many people saw Simpson as the “... party girl who had wild affairs throughout her marriage…” (“Nicole Brown Simpson…” 1).  Rayce Newman, a confessed former-drug dealer, claimed to have seen Simpson dancing at clubs and being interested in “coke” and “good-looking guys” ( 1).  When interviewing with Elle magazine Tanya Brown, Simpson’s younger sister, makes this statement about how others views of Nicole Simpson might have been “misguided”:

In the real-life trial that followed, and the media crush surrounding it, Ron Goldman would all but disappear. Nicole Brown Simpson, when she was mentioned at all, would all too often emerge only as a character shaped by the needs of her husband's defense team—the slut, the gold digger, the cokehead, the bitch—while the domestic violence she suffered for years at her husband's hands all but disappeared from public view. By the time the trial was over, it was difficult even for those rare spectators who wanted to know who the real Nicole was to find out what she had been like, or to separate fact from slander. (Marshall)

To many people, the “party girl” image could have been the only descriptions they knew about Nicole Simpson.  However, to those who truly knew Simpson, they had a very different opinion of her.

    Nicole Brown Simpson was very family centered and determined to make her marriage work.  Simpson’s sister Tanya also describes her as being “...very hands-on,” in the matter of her children (Marshall 1).  Simpson had nannies, but they were there incase she needed the help (1).  She always put her kids first, above everything else, including herself; and she was set on putting her family in the best situation she could (1).  Nicole Simpson struggled greatly with the abuse and neglect she faced from O.J., and many believed she was crazy for staying with him, but to Simpson, she stayed with O.J. for her family (1).  Tanya Brown makes this statement to Elle magazine, on how Simpson was trying to make her marriage work, while caring for her children:

She always put her kids first. Always put her kids first. Some people may come back to me and say, "Well, no, she didn't, because she allowed the abuse to go on." You know what? Unless you understand the dynamics of domestic violence, she was putting her kids first. She was trying to create an environment of love and hope and healing, trying to make things work, but we don't know what we don't know. Twenty years ago we didn't have this conversation. We didn't know what domestic violence was. (Marshall)

Nicole Simpson was “... nuts about the guy” (1).  Tanya Brown says that even on the night that Simpson was killed, she told her mother “He will always be my soulmate” (1).  She wanted their marriage to work not only for her sake, but for the sake of her children.

        Three conspiracy theories, surrounding the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman have surfaced.  Two of these conspiracy theories suggest that the murderer was not O.J. Simpson, but was a serial killer or his son.  The final conspiracy theory suggests that O.J. Simpson was the killer.  Though, no matter who the killer was in these conspiracy theories, they all in some way involved O.J. Simpson.   

       The first conspiracy theory suggests that O.J. Simpson hired Glen Rogers, a serial killer, to murder Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Glen Rogers apparently told his family that O.J. Simpson had hired him to steal a pair of earrings from Nicole Simpson’s apartment and to kill her “if she got in the way” (Jones 1).  Rogers did claim to have killed Nicole Simpson, but he also claimed to have killed seventy other people, a claim which Rogers later recanted (1).  However, none of these claims can be proven true.  As the Wrap Staff stated in their article, the claim of O.J. Simpson hiring Rogers to steal and possibly murder Nicole Simpson is “...double hearsay — an alleged quote of an alleged quote — and would likely be considered too unreliable to be admitted in a courtroom,” therefore making this claim unreliable and unsubstantial (“O.J. Innocent?...” 1).  In a documentary about Rogers himself, there is no evidence provided on how O.J. Simpson and Glen Rogers might have known each other, or why Simpson would trust Rogers enough with such a task (1).  If Rogers did recant his claims of killing seventy other people, it can be called into question not only the certainty of those claims, but also the claim of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman (1).  

        The second conspiracy theory suggests that Jason Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s son, murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Jason Simpson had set up a family dinner, that Nicole Simpson evidently skipped out on, which then caused him to murder her in a “jealous rage” (Jones 1).  O.J. then later arrived to try and help his son cover up the murder (1).  According to Private Investigator Bill Dear, Jason Simpson was under probation, during the time of the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman for “...attacking a former employer with a knife. Two months earlier he violently assaulted Jennifer Green, his then girlfriend. On another occasion, he attacked a former girlfriend and sliced off her hair with a knife” (“OJ Simpson- A…” 1).  Writings that Dear found in Jason Simpson’s personal diaries seem to be the writings of “... a man tormented of obsessive feelings of violence” (1).  Jason Simpson’s anger would become so great, that he would go into “fits” of rage (1).  Nevertheless, these elements do not stand to reason when they are put to the test.  As it states in The Unredacted article, “Multiple witnesses report seeing Simpson near the vicinity of the crime scene around the time of the murders, but none reported seeing Jason”; therefore, if the witnesses had seen O.J., they would have seen Jason Simpson (1).  Jason Simpson checked himself into a mental hospital, because he was apparently so terrified of what he might do while in these “violent rages” (1).  If Jason Simpson was aware of these “rages” and knew to be cautious of this behavior, why would he choose to act on his rage against Nicole Simpson, and murder her?  Although many believed Jason Simpson was the murderer, the “facts” of this conspiracy do not make sense.  

        The final conspiracy theory suggests that O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Having the police immediately suspecting O.J. of the murders, the way he reacted to being arrested, and the evidence found all pointed to him being the killer; however, with a trial lasting over eight months, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty.  Then why are so many American’s still discussing this murder case? Because of the likelihood of O.J. Simpson being the murderer and the incriminating evidence surrounding this case.  When O.J. became aware that he was going to be arrested he “took off in his white Ford Bronco,” leaving a suicide note behind and entering into a “slow speed chase” with twenty police cars (“OJ Simpson- A…” 1).  Instead of staying and trying to prove his innocence, O.J.’s actions seemed to prove his guilt-ridden mind.  The evidence all seems to point to O.J.  Bloody footprints, that matched O.J. Simpson’s rare size twelve Bruno Magli shoes, were found at the crime scene (1).  O.J. did try to deny owning these pair of shoes, however, investigators were able to uncover photos of him wearing these exact shoes (1).  There were also multiple witnesses that claimed to see O.J. at the crime scene during the time of the murders (1).

A survey of twenty people exhibited that 100% of people agree with the most likely option of O.J. Simpson being the murderer.  In a recent discovery Mike Gilbert, O.J. Simpson’s former agent, claims that Simpson confessed to killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman (Spargo 1).  According to the Daily Mail article, Gilbert makes these claims about his conversation with Simpson:

He was looking around the backyard, reliving all the different events that happened there. And I just asked him: "What happened June 12th [the day Nicole was murdered]? said Gilbert.‘And he asked me what I thought happened. And I said: "I always thought you probably did it." I said: "I know what you told AC [Al Cowlings], that you went there but you just went to see what was going on, you didn't take a knife."' That is when Gilbert claims Simpson made his confession. 'He shook his head and he said: "Yeah." And he said: " If she wouldn't have opened the door with a knife she'd probably still be alive."' (Spargo)

Gilbert then goes on to state that he believes O.J. went to Nicole Simpson’s house with the intent on killing her, because “... of how she made him feel ... rejected ... like she didn't need him” (1).  Yet, all of this evidence did not seem “fit” enough to the jury to charge O.J. Simpson with the murder.  Even with all of the substantial evidence the prosecutors had, the jury ruled in favor of the defense, who used the technical mistakes made by the forensics team to “...suggest contamination of the crime scene…” (Price 1).  With this case remaining “unsolved,” Nicole Simpson’s family is left to wonder who the “true” killer is.  

Conclusion

    On June 12, 1994, the thirty-five year old model, Nicole Brown Simpson, was “brutally murdered” outside of her L.A. home, along with her friend Ron Goldman (“Nicole Brown Simpson” 1).  Since then, several conspiracy theories have emerged: O.J. hired Glen Rogers,  a serial killer, to murder Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, O.J.’s son, Jason Simpson,  murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, or O.J. murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Despite the fact of having solid evidence that points to O.J. Simpson as the murderer, this twenty-two year old case remains “unsolved.”

Kasey Kennedy

Composition 1

November 23, 2016

Projects 1-4

Works Cited

Jones, Nate. “See the Four Most Popular O.J. Simpson Conspiracy&Nbsp;Theories.”PEOPLE.com, 23 Sept. 2016, people.com/crime/see-the-four-most-popular-o-j-simpson-conspiracy-theories/.

Marshall, Sarah. “This Is the Nicole Brown Simpson You Won't See On FX's New Drama.”ELLE, 14 Oct. 2016, www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/interviews/a33954/nicole-brown-simpsons-sister-remembers-the-real-nicole/.

“Nicole Brown Simpson.” Bio.com, A&E Networks Television, www.biography.com/people/nicole-brown-simpson-21254807.

“Nicole Brown Simpson Was Involved In Drug-Fueled Parties & Steamy Affairs Before Death.” Radar Online, 3 June 2016, radaronline.com/celebrity-news/oj-simpson-nicole-brown-murder-party-sex-affairs/.

“O.J. Innocent? The Many Flaws With ID’s New Theory of the Simpson-Goldman Murders.”TheWrap, 20 Nov. 2012, www.thewrap.com/oj-innocent-many-flaws-ids-new-theory-simpson-goldman-murders-66011/.

“OJ Simpson - A Killer in the Family.” Theunredacted.com, 19 Nov. 2016, theunredacted.com/oj-simpson-a-killer-in-the-family/.

Price, Lydia. “O.J. Simpson Murder Trial&Nbsp;Explained.” PEOPLE.com, 1 Feb. 2016, people.com/crime/o-j-simpson-murder-trial-explained/.

Spargo, Chris. “'If She Did Not Answer the Door with a Knife She Would Still Be Alive': OJ Simpson's Agent Claims Football Star Made Chilling Murder Confession and Admitted to Stabbing Nicole Brown to Death .” Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 20 June 2016, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3648762/OJ-Simpson-s-agent-claims-football-star-chilling-murder-confession-admitted-stabbing-Nicole-Brown-death.html.