In a significant development, the FBI has released a comprehensive set of files pertaining to the 1994 investigation into the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, crimes for which former NFL player O.J. Simpson was acquitted. The 475 pages of documents, some of which contain redacted information, provide insight into the bureau’s extensive efforts to gather and examine evidence in the high-profile case.
Among the most notable aspects of the released files are numerous pages detailing the FBI’s interest in Bruno Magli shoes, particularly the rare Lorenzo and Lyon styles.
However, the jury in Simpson’s criminal trial ultimately did not find the FBI’s shoe-related evidence or other findings credible. Simpson’s defense team successfully argued that the evidence had been mishandled and leveled accusations of racism against members of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The newly available documents also shed light on the FBI’s collection and testing of various pieces of evidence, such as clothing swatches and fibers obtained from the white Ford Bronco in which Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings were riding during the infamous police pursuit on June 17, 1994, which ended with Simpson’s arrest.
While Simpson was acquitted of the double homicide in the criminal trial, a civil trial in Santa Monica in 1997 found him liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages. It is widely believed that a substantial portion of this judgment has gone unpaid.
The release of these FBI files, which comes just two months after Simpson’s death at the age of 76, marks the first time the entire collection has been made accessible to the public.
