For Ron Goldman’s family, O.J. Simpson’s death evokes a ‘mixed bag’ of emotions
In the decades since Ron Goldman was fatally stabbed outside his friend Nicole Brown Simpson’s Brentwood home in 1994, Goldman’s family has been battling for what it sees as justice denied.
O.J. Simpson, once an American football star, was charged with killing Goldman and his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. But he was acquitted in 1995 in a drama-filled and widely broadcast trial that enthralled the nation.
The Brown and Goldman families then brought a civil suit against Simpson. In 1997, a jury in Santa Monica found him liable for the deaths, and he was ordered to pay the families more than $30 million in damages. Simpson responded by giving up his Brentwood estate and moving to Florida, in large part to evade paying the civil judgment. The Goldman family claimed in court records that Simpson paid only a fraction of the judgment amount.
O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco chase on weirdly empty freeways in Los Angeles became an indelible memory and ‘locked people into this common emotional experience.’
On Thursday, they reacted to Simpson’s death.
“The news of Ron’s killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear. For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in ‘If I Did It,’ the hope for true accountability has ended,” Ron’s sister Kim Goldman and father Fred Goldman wrote in a joint statement.
David Cook, an attorney for the Goldman family, said Thursday that Simpson “died without penance.”
O.J. Simpson, whose rise and fall from American football hero to murder suspect to prison inmate fueled a public drama that obsessed the nation, has died.
For more than two decades, the Goldmans have chased down secret hordes of Simpson’s memorabilia; taken possession of “If I Did It,” the “fictional memoir” in which Simpson discussed how he might have committed the slayings; and spoken out against a criminal justice system that they say ignores victims’ rights.
In a 2019 interview with The Times, Kim Goldman talked about her efforts to hold Simpson accountable.
She said she does not use his name. He is simply “the killer,” the “murdering liar.”
“He doesn’t deserve more,” she said.
“It is always, and most importantly, about remembering Ron and Nicole.”
It is not clear how Simpson’s death will affect the debt still owed to the Goldman family from the civil judgment, which has ballooned to $114.2 million including interest, Cook said.
Simpson had paid just over $132,000 of the total liability, according to a 2015 court document.
In their statement, the Goldmans said they would “continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors, ensuring our voices are heard both within and beyond the courtroom. And despite his death, the mission continues; there’s always more to be done.”
The death of Simpson, whose journey from football legend to accused murderer captivated the nation, has triggered widespread discussion of his legacy.
Simpson’s family said on X that he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren when he died on Wednesday. He was 76 and had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to his social media.
“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the X post read.
After the criminal and civil trials, Simpson didn’t fall out of the public spotlight for long. In 2007, the planned publication of “If I Did It,” triggered outrage. A year later, he was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and other charges stemming from his attempt to recover memorabilia he claimed was stolen from him. He served nine years in prison.
Civil rights attorney Carl Douglas, who was among the “dream team” of lawyers representing Simpson during his murder trial, said he was shocked to learn of the death of his former client, who always maintained he was innocent.
“He is one of the most famous clients that I have ever represented in my 44 years as a lawyer, and I expect our names will forever be linked together in some way. My sincere condolences go out to his four children. May he rest in peace,” Douglas said.
Gloria Allred, a civil rights attorney who represented the Brown family during Simpson’s murder trial, offered condolences to Simpson’s children, but said she doesn’t mourn the man who she maintains killed Nicole Brown Simpson.
“I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family. They should be remembered. The system failed,” Allred said during an interview on WABC-TV in New York.
Caitlyn Jenner, who was once friends with Simpson and was formerly married to Nicole Simpson’s best friend, Kris Jenner, offered a cutting response to news of his death, posting on X just two words: “Good Riddance.”
Times news researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report.
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