5. In the 1970’s and 1980’s,
Orenthal James Simpson or OJ
Simpson was a well-known
celebrity within North
America. He was an all-
American Football player who
turned to acting and sports
casting after he retired from
the National Football League.
6. On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown, OJ’s
ex-wife, and her friend, Ronald
Goldman, were found murdered
outside Nicole’s residence.
The scene of the crime took place
outside Ms. Brown’s condominium
complex, where two murdered bodies
were discovered in the entrance
pathway.
7. The police scanned the scene
of the crime carefully
searching for evidence. They
found crucial DNA evidence
that supported their idea that
Mr. Simpson had been
involved in committing these
murders.
8. ISSUE #1:
Whether or not O.J Simpson is guilty
in violation of Penal Code Section
187(a), a felony upon Nicole Brown
Simpson and Ronald Lyle
Goldman.
12. DNA Evidence and Blood Trail
The prosecution presented a total of 108 exhibits, including 61 drops of blood, of DNA
evidence allegedly linking Simpson to the murders. With no witnesses to the crime, the
prosecution was dependent on DNA as the only physical evidence linking Simpson to
the crime.
The volume of DNA evidence in this case was unique and the prosecution believed they
could reconstruct how the crime was committed with enough accuracy to resemble an
eyewitness account. Marcia Clark stated in her opening statements that there was a "trail
of blood from the Bundy Crime scene through Simpson's Ford Bronco to his bedroom at
Rockingham".
13. DNA EVIDENCES PRESENTED
• HAIR EVIDENCE
• FOUND HAIRS CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF SIMPSON FOUND ON A
CAP AT BUNDY RESIDENCE
• FOUND HAIRS CONSISTENT
WITH THAT OF SIMPSON
FOUND ON RON GOLDMAN`S
SHIRT
14. EVIDENCES PRESENTED
• FIBER EVIDENCE
• COTTON FIBERS CONSISTENT WITH THE CARPET IN THE FORD
BRONCO (O.J.`S CAR) FOUND ON GLOVE AT ROCKINGHAM
• FIBERS CONSISTENT WITH THE CARPET FROM THE BRONCO FOUND
ON CAP AT BUNDY RESIDENCE
• FOUND HAIRS CONSISTENT
WITH THAT OF SIMPSON
FOUND ON RON GOLDMAN`S
SHIRT
15. EVIDENCES PRESENTED
• BLOOD EVIDENCE
KILLER DROPPED BLOOD
NEAR SHOE PRINTS AT
BUNDY
BLOOD DROPPED AT BUNDY
WAS OF THE SAME TYPE AS
SIMPSON`S (ABOUT 0.05%
OF POPULATION WOULD
MATCH)
SIMPSON HAD FRESH CUTS
ON LEFT HAND ON THE DAY
AFTER THE MURDER
BLOOD FOUND IN BRONCO
BLOOD FOUND IN
SIMPSON`S DRIVEWAY
BLOOD ON SOCKS IN OJ`S
HOME MATCHED NICOLE
16. DNA EVIDENCES PRESENTED
• SHOE PRINT FOUND AT BUNDY WERE FROM SIZE 12
BRUNO MAGLI SHOE
• BLOODY SHOE FOUND IN BRONCO CARPET IS
CONSISTENT WITH A MAGLI SHOE
• SIMPSON WORE A SIZE 12 SHOE
SHOE
17. DNA EVIDENCES PRESENTED
• LEFT GLOVE FOUND AT BUNDY AND RIGHT GLOVE
FOUND ON SIMPSON RESIDENCE
• BROWN BOUGHT THE GLOVES IN 1990 AND OJ
WORE IT FROM 1990-1994
• ALLEGEDLY SIMPSON`S SIZE
• MATCH ON THE ONE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE
• CONTAINED FIBERS CONSISTENT WITH:
a) GOLDMAN`S SHIRT
b) BROWN`S AND GOLDMAN`S HAIR
c) OJ`S CAR, THE FORD BRONCO
d) LIMB HAIR FROM A BLACK MAN
GLOVES EVIDENCE
JOHNNIE COCHRAN-
“If it doesn`t fit, you must acquit”
18. One of the most important pieces of evidence was a bloody glove found at
Simpson's Rockingham estate. This glove, allegedly Simpson's size, in a style he
had worn, and a match for the one found at the crime scene, was said to contain
fibers consistent with Goldman's shirt, Brown's and Goldman's hair, O.J.'s Ford
Bronco, and limb hair from a black man.
The blood was said to be a match for Goldman, Brown, and Simpson. Other
important pieces of evidence included the bloodstained socks found on
Simpson's bedroom floor, which contained blood that was a DNA match for both
Simpson and Brown, the blood found at the back gate of the crime scene, which
was a DNA match for Simpson, and the blood in O.J.'s Bronco, which matched all
three of them.
19. AUTOPSY REPORT
I. Incised wound of neck:
A. Transection of left and right
common carotid arteries.
B. Incisions, left and right internal
jugular veins
C. Transection of thyrohyoid
membrane, epiglottis, and
hypopharynx.
D. Incision into cervical spine, C3.
II. Multiple stab wound of neck and
scalp (total of seven).
III. Multiple injuries of hands,
including incised wound, ring finger
of right hand (defense wound).
IV. Scalp bruise, right parietal.
CAUSE OF DEATH
MULTIPLE SHARP FORCE INJURIES
20. EDTA
The only physical evidence offered by the defense that the police tried to frame Simpson
was the allegation that two of the 108 DNA evidence samples tested in the case
contained the preservative Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA. – Defense of
planted evidence.
On July 24, 1995, Dr. Fredric Rieders, a forensic toxicologist who had analysed results
provided by FBI special agent Roger Martz, testified that the level of EDTA in the
evidence samples was higher than that which is normally found in blood: this appeared
to support the claim they came from the reference vials.
The prosecution also had Dr. Rieders admit that EDTA is also found in food[294] and
specifically the ingredients used in McDonald's Big Mac and French fries[289] that
Simpson had eaten earlier that night with Kato Kaelin.
22. RON GOLDMAN
Accordingly, it was extremely a powerful
case.
If all of the above evidence had been
accepted as authentic by the jury, it would
have led them to convict Simpson. The other
side to this story turned out to be more
important than the DNA evidence, and that is
the way in which this evidence was collected.
23. Handling of DNA Evidence
It came to light that the prosecution and the Los Angeles Police Department had made serious
mistakes in the handling of the DNA evidence during the early hours of the investigation.
Trial evidence allowed the defense to argue that 1.5 cc's of blood could not be accounted for by
the prosecution. The defense suggested that this blood was planted by Vannatter, since the
blood on the gate at the crime scene was not found during the initial investigation.
Due to the blunders and poor handling of the DNA evidence by the prosecution, the defense
experts were able to shoot holes in what would have been a solid case. Laboratory negligence is
a big issue concerning the admissibility of DNA evidence, and the defense used that to its
benefit.
24. HANDLING OF DNA EVIDENCE
Despite this, the defense's claim struck a chord with many who are wary of laboratory errors
falsifying DNA test results. O.J. Simpson was not the only one on trial; so too was the future of
DNA admissibility.
Many scientists were hoping that the conviction of a celebrity murderer based on DNA profiling
would open doors for DNA in the courtroom.
Instead, despite the glaring amount of DNA evidence against Simpson, the defense was
victorious and Simpson was acquitted. The future of DNA in the legal system remains uncertain.
26. DNA EVIDENCE IN THE CASE:
With no witnesses to the
murders of Nicole Brown
Simpson and Ron Goldman,
DNA evidence in the O. J.
Simpson murder case was the
key physical proof used by the
prosecution to link O. J.
Simpson to the crime.
28. Evidence Collection
-From the beginning, there were
issues involving evidence collection.
For instance,
- Bloody fingerprint located on the
gateway at Nicole Brown’s house was
not properly collected and entered
into the chain of custody when it was
first located.
- The prosecution had expert
witnesses who testified that the
evidence was often mishandled.
29. Securing the Evidence
Throughout the investigation, there
were issues with how evidence was
secured. There was about 1.5 mL of O.J.
Simpson’s blood assumed missing from
a vial of evidence, leading to claims that
evidence was planted at the crime
scene.
To add to the problem, the blood was
not immediately turned over as
evidence but was carried around for
several hours before it was entered into
the chain of custody, allowing for
speculation of when and how the 1.5
mL of blood may have disappeared.
30. Understanding Forensic Science
A major hurdle that the prosecution
team failed to overcome was the lack
of knowledge and understanding
regarding forensics, specifically the
relatively new science of DNA. The
jurors agreed that the DNA testimony
was difficult to appreciate since
expert witnesses were not able to
put their evidence in terms that the
jury could understand.
31. HOW THE OJ SIMPSON TRIAL IMPACTED
DNA USE TODAY
The case impacted the establishment of
postconviction DNA legislation and the advances
in technology. DNA would be able to
demonstrate that a lot of innocent people had
been convicted, and identify people who had
really committed the crime but we also knew it
would expose all kinds of problems—the
questionable reliability of the confession,
prosecutorial and police misconduct, jailhouse
informants, DNA evidence gathering and
processing—all of these matters have been
exposed.
