Why O.j. Simpson Should Have Been Found Guilty: Analysis Of Arguments

Johnnie Cochran once said, “if the glove doesn't fit you must acquit”. This quote means that if the glove did not fit he cannot be convicted for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. OJ Simpson was an American football playe, but he was widely known for a double homicide murder trial that included his ex-wife and one of her friends. OJ married Nicole in February of 1985, and they were together until October of 1992. OJ abused Nicole, and she made numerous reports about the abuse but nobody came to her rescue. She even had pictures of the aftermath hidden away in a lock box as evidence if something serious were to ever happen. Simpson was later acquitted of the murders even though there was an abundance of evidence proving his guilt in court. Orenthal James Simpson should have been found guilty for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

A leading indicator that Simpson was involved in the double-homicide was the DNA evidence. The investigators were able to locate OJ Simpson’s blood at the crime scene. OJ’s blood was found near Nicole’s body. Many charts were constructed and multiple photos were taken to show the DNA evidence to link OJ to the scene. For example, “The Ford Bronco that was owned by OJ Simpson had traces of Nicole’s blood on the handle and on the steering wheel” . The house on Bundy, the street Nicole lived on, had traces of OJ Simpson’s blood on the back gate. In addition to the DNA found on the gate and near the bodies, there was also DNA that belonged to the victims found on OJ Simpson's property. Simpson also had a gash on his hand that he had claimed to have gotten while golfing. Further proving that Simpson was present at the crime scene. There are also multiple documents that place him there.

Simpson made himself a suspect right at the beginning of the investigation, because he never asked how Nicole had died when the police had informed him of her death. He also made himself look guilty when he decided to set out with a disguise, a passport, and a gun instead of surrendering himself to the police as promised. “Although he originally promised to surrender to authorities, Simpson flees and becomes a fugitive” (Pak 1). He had fled and made multiple requests to the LAPD despite running away. One of the requests was seeing his mother. OJ made himself not only look guilty, but unstable during this act. He fled from the police in hopes to escape the crime he had committed. He and his friend Allen Cowlings, or “AC”, set out on a fleeing rampage. OJ was involved in a 60 mile high speed chase (Pak 1). Despite his plan to escape, he was eventually caught. He made himself look even more unstable by holding a gun to his head and threatening to kill himself while in the back seat of the famous Ford Bronco.

Mr. Simpson had an unclear police statement. He used phrases such as “Something like that” and “Around there somewhere” to compile his statement. “It ended about 6:30, quarter to 7:00, something like that, you know, in the ballpark, right in that area” (“OJS statement to…” 1). This quote proves that OJ was not sure of the times or his whereabouts. A theory about Simpson’s statements was that he made sure he had statements he was able to alter down the road if needed to dig himself out of a hole that he had constructed. “Yeah, I’m trying to think, did I leave?” (“OJS statement to…” 1). This piece of the police statement is a great example of how he could alter his story if he needed to do so. “Eight-something. Seven...eight, nine o’clock, I don’t know, right in that area” (OJS statement to…” 1). The prosecutors were unable to pin Mr. Simpson to an exact time or place. OJ was uncertain of the specific times and actions he was asked about, and therefore he had been proving that he had not had his story straight. Rather than being clear in his police statement, he led the prosecutors on a witch hunt.

OJ should have been convicted because he abused and humiliated Nicole. He was a jealous, controlling, and spiteful man, and evidence proving he was abusive and controlling exists. “...The jury should be allowed to hear a police tape-recording of a 1993 emergency call, in which Nicole Simpson begs for help as a man she identifies as OJ Simpson tries to break down her door”. This quote explains that OJ had gone to Nicole's home and tried to beat down her door in hopes of getting to her, this showed how vulnerable and weak she was in comparison to him. Nicole made several reports to the police but they looked past the reports and altercations, simply because he was a famous and well known football player. “Whenever he was caught out--whether cheating at golf, womanizing, or smashing up Nicole--he made things nice again”. This quote helps paint OJ’s character and it helps show their relationship behind closed doors. Many times before, Nicole had warned Simpson their relationship was nearing the end and that angered him. He was so angry, people wondered if it could have possibly gotten to the point of murder. OJ was an abusive man with a short temper.

The relationship OJ and Nicole shared was based on control. One day Nicole woke up and realized that she no longer wanted to endure the way she was being treated and wanted the relationship to end. Simpson did not like that, and that could have been a motive to kill her and her friend Ron. Further evidence has proven that OJ was jealous of the relationship between Ron and Nicole. Simpson did not like that Ron and Nicole were at her home together. Mr. Simpson was a jealous man with a violent past.

Simpson had a motive to hurt Nicole and her companion Ronald. A theory was that one night he was fed up with the loss of control and he decided to kill her. Another theory that came into play: Ronald Goldman had been returning Nicole’s Mother’s glasses and he had walked in on OJ committing the murder. He had an objective to hurt everyone in his way. Simpson stalked Nicole and he had a vendetta against her. The night of their daughters dance recital, as mentioned in his police statement, he had a vicious look in his eyes and he was fixated on Nicole. “...Simpson refused to talk to his former wife but sat near her, giving her a menacing stare, a penetrating stare, an angry stare that made everyone uncomfortable”. Nicole often called her mother in fear of her life when she was being attacked or when she was in an altercation with Mr. Simpson. “Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden described the defendant as a violent wife beater who needed to control Nicole Brown Simpson in every way possible”. He stalked her and had an unhealthy obsession with her. OJ tried to control her every move so she could not leave him. “He controlled Nicole - lobbying for his cause within her closest advisors, keeping one step ahead of her plans” (Jones 1). When he killed the victims, there was nothing but hatred flowing out of the end of the knife and into the victims. It was no secret that he was a controlling husband.

In court it is true that race had played a tremendous role in the OJ Simpson trial. However, it was nothing but a theory brought up by the defense team to take the spotlight off of OJ Simpson. OJ’s defense team refused to put him on the stand in front of people because they were worried he would contradict his previous claims. Therefore, the evidence found at the crime scene proves OJ was the killer. The blood found on the bodies, near the bodies, near and inside the Ford Bronco, and the DNA found on the back gate of Nicole’s residence all tie into one main point. OJ Simpson killed Nicole and Ron. The defense team threw out multiple theories about the LAPD, Mark Fuhrman being a racist, and planting evidence so it would distract the Jury from the truth. Mark Fuhrman did invoke his fifth amendment right when asked about the trial and his involvement in the trial. He also invoked his fifth amendment right when asked about his beliefs and morals regarding African Americans. “Many people believed Simpson was “innocent” because they looked at his skin color” (Dionne 1). This quote sums up how many thought the color of his skin made him not guilty. OJ was a spiteful and jealous man, but the end of his and Nicole’s relationship made him self-destruct.

In addition to the “race card” being played in the trial, the evidence played a much bigger part in the trial. Yes, Mark Fuhrman was a racist but he does not represent the entire LAPD that also does not mean the evidence has not proven OJ Simpson’s guilt. OJ Simpson's blood was found near the victims and on the black gloves Simpson owned. “The glove found at Rockingham had Nicole, Ronald, and OJ’s blood on it”. This places OJ at the scene and therefore proves that he was guilty. OJ beat Nicole and terrorized her, “…A hard drinking, foul-mouthed man whose jealous rages led to violent encounters that left Mrs. Simpson bloodied and cowering”. OJ was angered by the fact that Nicole wanted to end their relationship and the abuse he had put her through. Many reports were made but none were followed up with. He was also very jealous and could not stand Nicole even talking about another man. According to Faye Resnick, one of Nicole’s close companions, Simpson would go on a rampage if she had done as much as look at another man. “People saw Nicole with a beat up face and they saw how OJ acted with her”. This quote shows not only that he was abusive, but that he was also controlling.

After evidence was brought before the court and the Jury, OJ should have been charged with the murders. This is significant because it would have restored the hope people lost in the Justice system and it would have given the much justice to the families of the victims. OJ Simpson was guilty and the evidence in the court proved that. The evidence submitted to the case had proven OJ Simpson's guilt from the beginning of the trial to the very end.

Works Cited

• Claiborne, William, and Nell Henderson. “Prosecutor says Simpson's motive was Jealousy.” The Washington Post, 1995. Washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/01/25/prosecutor-says-simpsons-motice-was-jealousy/2ce424d3-a091-4274-8fc3-e41bd4221b27/. Accessed Feb. 4. 2020.
• Dionne, E.J., Jr. 'Racial distance and the O.J. trial.' Nation's Cities Weekly, 24 Feb. 1997, p. 13. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19172063/GPS?u=nort55011&sid=GPS&xid=dc34dc00. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
• Ford, Andrea, Simon, Stephanie, and Henry Weinstein. “Fuhrman Invokes the fifth Amendment, refuses to testify.” Los Angeles Times, 1995. latime.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-07-mn-43219-story.html. Accessed Jan. 28, 2020.
• Gest, Ted, and Streisand, Betsy. 'The O.J. Simpson Trial: And Justice for all?' U.S.News & World Report, Oct 1995. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2262564769?accountid=68557.
• Jones, Ann. 'Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted.' The Women's Review of Books, May 1995, p. 1+. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16923525/GPS?u=nort55011&sid=GPS&xid=12c5e297. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
• “Just the facts ma'am: The O.J. Simpson trial.' The Economist, 28 Jan. 1995, p. A27. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16374349/GPS?u=nort55011&sid=GPS&xid=f2119947. Accessed 3 Feb. 2020.
• Noble, B., Kenneth. “Prosecution says Simpson abused wife for 17 years.” The New York Times, 1995.nytimes.com/1995/01/12/us/prosecution-says-simpson-abused-wife-for-17-years.html. Accessed Jan. 28. 2020.
• “OJS Statement to the LAPD.” Https:famous-trials.com/simpson/1860-ojsstatement. Accessed Feb. 7, 2020.
• Pak, Eudie. “OJ Simpson Murder case: A timeline of the trial of the Century.” Biography, 2019. biography.com/news/oj-simpson-trial-timeline. Accessed Jan. 28, 2020.
• “Simpson Trial: The DNA Evidence.” law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/Dna.htm. Accessed Feb. 4, 2020.
• “The Verdict.” The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. FX. Feb. 2, 2016. Los Angeles California.