The Simpson trial lasted 134 days and was one of the longest and the most controversial cases in California state history. According to the prosecutor’s office, O. Jay Simpson had long planned to take revenge on his ex-wife for her relationship with Ronald Goldman. As stated by the defense, the killers were drug dealers who were unhappy with Nicole’s friend’s reluctance to pay for another consignment of goods. Besides, the defense argued that the police and prosecutors were pursuing the former athlete on racial grounds. Despite the large amount of circumstantial evidence that testified to the guilt of O. J. Simpson, the jury declared him innocent.
On June 12, 1994, Nicole Simpson’s neighbors were alarmed by her dog, who behaved restlessly. One of the neighbors noticed bloody shoe impressions along the concrete walkaway. When a neighbor tried to take the dog inside the house, it led him to two dead bodies. There were countless cuts on Mrs. Simpson’s body, including the neck – the killer practically cut off her head. Her friend, Ronald Goldman, was found dead right beside her.
Subsequently, the investigation was able to establish the size and model of the alleged killer’s shoes. Those were expensive 12-size Bruno Magli shoes produced by the Italian manufacturer. The trial also found that Simpson’s foot was the same size as the bloody prints at the crime scene. However, the shoes themselves have not been recovered during the investigation, and therefore the evidence remained circumstantial. The accused claimed to have never been in possession of such footwear.
William J. Bodziak, an F.B.I. expert on shoe prints and tire treads, also testified during the trial. According to him, there were no indications that there were several killers at the site (Margolick). He also confirmed that the footprints could very well belong to Mr. Simpson. Unfortunately, only after the verdict was passed, a photograph of the accused wearing the same Bruno Magli boots was found (Butler-Young). Taking all of the above into account, one may assume with a certain degree of confidence that the footprints at the crime scene indeed belonged to Mr. Simpson.
Works Cited
Butler-Young, Sheena. “The True Story Behind O.J. Simpson’s Infamous Shoes From the Trial.”Footwear News. 2016, Web.
Margolick, David. “Simpson’s Shoe Size Fits Bloody Prints Left at the Crime Scene, an F.B.I. Expert Says.”The New York Times, 1995, Web.