The video featured in this post is part of an ongoing video series featuring myself and Janice Person (@JPLovesCotton) of JanicePerson.com. Please humor us by watching it and showing some comment and share love if you would be so kind.
I am going to take a detour from the usual Career and Lifestyle topics on my blog to discuss an event that to this day still brings a rush of memories. As a new mom at the time, I was just getting adjusted to parenting life when out of the blue, it was announced that Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife of famed NFL Hall of Famer OJ Simpson, was murdered outside of her home along with her friend, Ron Goldman. From the time the murder was announced on June 13, 1994, to the infamous slow speed Bronco chase on various L.A. freeways on June 17th, to the Trial of the Century which resulted in a not guilty verdict for OJ Simpson on October 3, 1995, the world was transfixed—it was the rise and fall of this seemingly all American guy and the backstory of a dream that turned into a chaotic nightmare.
Twenty-one years later, I still have questions, some of which I will probably never get a definitive answer to. Did OJ really murder Nicole and Ron by himself? Was he a part of a bigger conspiracy? Was the glove and blood evidence planted by a racist cop? Did his Dream Team of attorneys know the real truth behind the tabloid fodder?
And more importantly, how are OJ and Nicole’s kids together Sydney and Justin doing now? How do they feel about his father being back in prison for acting thuggish?
Janice and I wanted to begin our Jan Dan Video Series with OJ Simpson, who is still a polarizing figure in American culture. So sit back, relax, and hang out at the water cooler with us as we look back at one of the most prolific crimes of the century.
Take a look at the video below. Feed readers and blog subscribers, if the embed is not visible, click here to view the video:
Where were you when you heard about Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murder? And, do you remember where you were when you found out that OJ was on the run and did you watch as it unfolded live on almost every station at the time? Do you think that OJ was guilty or nah?
I have questions. Do you have answers?
For Janice’s take on The Juice, visit her blog here.
First, good video from y’all. Wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw the topic on Facebook. lol
Second, I never believed OJ was guilty, and in my mind it was confirmed when the glove didn’t fit. True, I was a big OJ fan when I was a child so part of me was predisposed to believe his side of the story. But the more I heard about his background and such, the more I didn’t think he had the intellect to have pulled it off and gotten away and on an airplane without getting any blood on him. The timing was just suspect, and the way he was so easily caught trying to get his stuff back in Las Vegas… he wasn’t a Mensa candidate.
Third, watching the trial was very intriguing. As you said, this was pretty much a first for us. What I really remember thinking was how bad the prosecutors were in court. Darden seemed lost and Clark seemed out of control. Their witnesses were horrible and showed just how bad the police were and the coroner’s office was. I remember this case setting a standard for other lawyers afterwards, and it took LA County a long time to address its substandard lab; lots of people got released from prison after this trial.
Fourth (wow, I’ve turned this into a blog post lol) and last point – it was the true confirmation of the racial divide of the country. I remember statistics showing that around 75% of whites thought he was guilty while around 75% of blacks thought he wasn’t. That was telling and a true representation of the racial divide this country had then and, unfortunately, has continued into today, even if it’s diminished a little bit.
Whew! 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Mitch. I know this topic is a little different from ones I’ve covered before, so I wasn’t sure how my (you) readers would take it. After we recorded this video a few weeks ago, I began looking at documentaries and specials surrounding the case on Netflix and YouTube. While I do think OJ was guilty, the prosecution bungled this case so much. It was their case to lose and they did so. A horrible job.
As for race, after we taped and I was editing the video, I noticed that Janice nor I discussed race which was such a huge issue in this case. For me, it wasn’t about race (and I don’t think it was for Janice either), but looking at all of the footage from back then, there was such a racial divide.
This was indeed the Trial of the Century, and still brings up emotions and punditry 21 years later. I think it always will.