OJ Simpson: If I Did It

If you've been following my blog and reading my posts, you will know my original thoughts on the OJ Simpson case since I wrote about it for my Master's Degree in Forensic DNA & Serology.

I have had my doubts over the past few years because of something that I heard that I was not aware of before. Brett Cantor worked at Mezzaluna, the same restaurant as Ron Goldman, and months before Nicole and Ron's murders, Brett was murdered in a very similar fashion. He was killed with a knife - several stab wounds around his head and arms. His throat had been cut so deeply that he was almost decapitated. He was found near his open doorway. His case remains unsolved.

Sound similar to Ron and Nicole? Yep, I thought so, too. Do I think that OJ did this murder, too? No, I think it's too coincidental that this person from the SAME restaurant as Ron Goldman worked was killed almost in the SAME way as Ron Goldman. Was it drug-related? I think so. Did that involve OJ? I don't think so. I was recently told by a reputable source, who I cannot name or mention in my blog, that it was drug-related. I think Ron was the target and Nicole opened the door to the chaos and was caught in the middle.

So, this is why I wanted to go back and read If I Did It - to see if there was anything I had missed the first time. And there wasn't, but I read it with an "OJ is innocent" vibe in my head. So, the book read a little differently with that newly preconceived notion. The first time I read this book, I thought OJ was guilty.

I'm not discussing any of the DNA evidence or details of the murders here (because I did that in my first post on OJ), but it is disheartening that no one else was really looked at besides OJ.

Personally, I believe his book is full of crap. Of course anyone being accused of their ex-wife's murder is going to write about (if they choose to write a book) about how wonderful the marriage was, and talk about their fights, and proclaim their never-ending love for the spouse. That is kind of what OJ does in this book. Expected, right? First of all, I can't believe he even remember details of conversations from years ago. I can barely remember what I ate for dinner yesterday. So for a lot of what he said happened that is in dialogue quotes, I take that with a grain of salt. I'm sure he paraphrased a lot of it. Unless he has an impeccable memory. But then even in this book, he claims that if he did it, he blacked out and doesn't remember the actual act of the murders - just all the conversation leading up to it and after.

BUT...the more I thought about how OJ might be innocent and what someone said to me recently (the reputable source), made me really pay attention to the drug-related activities and comments that OJ makes in his book about Ron and Nicole. That's kind of how I read this book differently the second time around.

I know this is a controversial subject, and I was sure that OJ was guilty, but I am having doubts, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I welcome any and all conversation around this as long as everyone can be civil about it.

A couple things about this book - OJ does make reference several times to how he had bad knees and his arms were so sore at one point - so he's setting the reader up to see how old and out of shape he was - so he could NOT have committed these murders...according to him. I think it's just a pity party he's throwing for himself and inviting everyone over who believes it. So, believe what you will.

I wonder how far back Mark Fuhrman's and Nicole's "relationship" goes. I put it in quotes because the relationship's extent was supposedly Furhman responding to domestic violence calls at the Brentwood Estate. But how well did they know each other? Were they ever involved on a more personal level? Did Fuhrman ever follow up with her when off-duty to make sure she was ok?

The ghost writer of this book made a point near the beginning of the book to say that one detail OJ mentioned was new to him - the fact that the gate was broken leading up to Nicole's condo. Yet, he never expanded on this. Yes, the ghost writer was very involved in the case before he was hired to ghost write for OJ, so he knew the in's and out's of the case very well.

Probably the funniest thing in this book to me was towards the end when OJ was recounting his ride in the white bronco down the freeway. He said people were standing on the overpasses with signs that said "Go Juice" and his thought was "when did they have time to make these signs??!" Hilarious. That's the one thing he was thinking. Ok. It did cross my mind, too, though. When did they have time to make those signs? Not everyone has posterboard sitting around the house waiting to be made into a sign.

Let me know your thoughts. I've ordered a new book to read on OJ, so I can delve into this a little further and I will report back on that once I'm done reading.

Is OJ innocent or guilty? And why?