P.V.: Did you say before that up until about three weeks ago you guys were going out again and trying to…?
O.J.S.: No, we’d been going out for about a year, and then the last five months it hadn’t been working so we tried various things to see if we can make it work. We started trying to date and that wasn’t working, and so, you know, we just said the hell with it, you know.
P.V.: And that was about three weeks ago?
O.J.S.: Yeah, about three weeks ago.
P.V.: So you were seeing her up to that point?
O.J.S.: It’s, to say I was seeing her, yeah, I mean yeah, yeah it was a done deal, it just wasn’t happening. I mean, I was gone. I mean, I was in San Juan doing a film, and I don’t think we had sex since I’ve been back from San Juan, and that was like two months ago. So it’s been like…for the kids we tried to do things together. We didn’t go out together, you know, we didn’t really date each other. Then we decided let’s try to date each other. We went out one night, and it just didn’t work.
P.V.: When you say it didn’t work, what do you mean?
O.J.S.: Ah, the night we went out it was fun. Then the next night we went out it was actually when I was down in Laguna, and she didn’t want to go out. And I said, “well, let’s go out ’cause I came all the way down here to go out,” and we kind of had a beef. And it just didn’t work after that, you know? We were only trying to date to see if we could bring romance back into our relationship. We just said, let’s treat each other like boyfriend and girlfriend instead of, you know, like seventeen-year-old married people. I mean, seventeen years together, whatever that is.
P.V.: How long were you together?
O.J.S.: Seventeen years.
P.V.: Seventeen years. Did you ever hit her, O.J.?
O.J.S.: Ah, one night we had a fight. We had a fight and she hit me. And they never took my statement, they never wanted to hear my side and they never wanted to hear the housekeeper’s side. Nicole was drunk. She did her thing, she started tearing up my house, you know? And I didn’t punch her or anything, but I…
P.V.: Slapped her a couple of times?
O.J.S.: No, no, I wrestled her, is what I did. I didn’t slap her at all. I mean, Nicole’s a strong girl. She’s a…one of the most conditioned women. Since that period of time, she’s hit me a few times, but I’ve never touched her after that and I’m telling you, it’s five, six years ago.
P.V.: What’s her birthdate?
O.J.S.: May 19th.
P.V.: Did you get together with her on her birthday?
O.J.S.: Yeah, her and I and the kids, I believe.
P.V.: Did you give her a gift?
O.J.S.: I gave her a gift.
P.V.: What’d you give her?
O.J.S.: I gave her either a bracelet or the earrings.
P.V.: Did she keep them or…?
O.J.S.: Oh, no, when we split she gave me both the earrings and the bracelet back. I bought her a very nice bracelet, I don’t know if it was Mother’s Day or her birthday, and I bought her the earrings for the other thing, and when we split, and it’s a credit to her, she felt that it wasn’t right that she had it, and I said good, because I want them back.
P.V.: Was that the very day of her birthday, May 19th, or was it a few days later.
O.J.S.: What do you mean?
P.V.: You gave it to her on the 19th of May, her birthday, right, this bracelet?
O.J.S.: I may have given her the earrings. No, the bracelet. May 19th. When was Mother’s Day?
P.V.: Mother’s Day was around that…
O.J.S.: No, it was probably her birthday, yes.
P.V.: And did she return it the same day?
O.J.S.: Oh, no, she…I’m in a funny place here on this, all right? She returned it—both of them—three weeks ago or so, because when I say I’m in a funny place on this it was because I gave it to my girlfriend and told her it was for her and that was three weeks ago. I told her I bought it for her. You know? What am I going to do with it?
T.L.: Did Mr. Weitzman, your attorney, talk to you anything about this polygraph we brought up before? What are your thoughts on that?
O.J.S.: Should I talk about my thoughts on that? I’m sure eventually I’ll do it, but it’s like I’ve got some weird thoughts now. I’ve had weird thoughts…you know when you’ve been with a person for seventeen years, you think everything. I’ve got to understand what this thing is. If it’s true blue, I don’t mind doing it.
T.L.: Well, you’re not compelled at all to take this, number one, and number two, I don’t know if Mr. Weitzman explained it to you—this goes to the exclusion of someone as much as to the inclusion so we can eliminate people. And just to get things straight…
O.J.S.: But does it work for elimination?
T.L.: Oh, yes. We use it for elimination more than anything.
O.J.S.: Well, I’ll talk to him about it.
T.L.: Understand, the reason we’re talking to you is because you’re the ex-husband.
O.J.S.: I know I’m the number one target, and now you tell me I’ve got blood all over the place.
T.L.: Well, there’s blood in your house and in the driveway, and we’ve got a search warrant, and we’re going to go get the blood. We found some in your house. Is that your blood that’s there?
O.J.S.: If it’s dripped, it’s what I dripped running around trying to leave.
T.L.: Last night?
O.J.S.: Yeah, and I wasn’t aware that it was…I was aware that I…you know I was trying to get out of the house, I didn’t even pay any attention to it. I saw it when I was in the kitchen, and I grabbed a napkin or something, and that was it. I didn’t think about it after that.
P.V.: That was last night after you got home from the recital, when you were rushing?
O.J.S.: That was last night when I was…I don’t know what I was, I was in the car getting my junk out of the car. I was in the house throwing hangers and stuff in my suitcase. I was doing my little crazy what I do, I mean, I do it everywhere. Anybody who has ever picked me up says that O.J.’s a whirlwind. He’s running, he’s grabbing things, and that’s what I was doing.
P.V.: Well, I’m going to step out and I’m going to get a photographer to come down and photograph your hand there. And then here pretty soon we’re going to take you downstairs and get some blood from you. Okay? I’ll be right back.
T.L.: So it was about five days ago you last saw Nicole? Was it at the house?
O.J.S.: Okay, the last time I saw Nicole, physically saw Nicole, I saw her obviously last night. The time before, I’m trying to think. I went to Washington, D.C., so I didn’t see her, so I’m trying to think. I haven’t seen her since I went to Washington. I went to Washington—what’s the day today?
T.L.: Today’s Monday, the 13th of June.
O.J.S.: Okay, I went to Washington on maybe Wednesday. Thursday I think I was in…Thursday I was in Connecticut, then Long Island Thursday afternoon and all of Friday. I got home Friday night, Friday afternoon, I played, you know…Paula picked me up at the airport. I played golf Saturday, and when I came home I think my son was there. So I did something with my son. I don’t think I saw Nicole at all then. And then I went to a big affair with Paula Saturday night, and I got up and played golf Sunday, which pissed Paula off, and I saw Nicole at…it was about a week before, I saw her at the…
T.L.: Okay, the last time you saw Nicole, was that at her house?
O.J.S.: I don’t remember. I wasn’t in her house, so it couldn’t have been at her house, so it was, you know, I don’t physically remember the last time I saw her. I may have seen her even jogging one day.
T.L.: Let me get this straight. You’ve never physically been inside the house?
O.J.S.: Not in the last week.
T.L.: Ever. I mean, how long has she lived there? About six months?
O.J.S.: Oh, Christ, I’ve slept at the house many, many, many times, you know? I’ve done everything at the house, you know? I’m just saying…you’re talking in the last week or so.
T.L.: Well, whatever. Six months she’s lived there?
O.J.S.: I don’t know. Roughly. I was at her house maybe two weeks ago, ten days ago. One night her and I had a long talk, you know, about how can we make it better for the kids, and I told her we’d do things better. And, okay, I can almost say when that was. That was when I, I don’t know, it was about ten days ago. And then we…the next day I had her have her dog do a flea bath or something with me. Oh, I’ll tell you, I did see her one day. One day I went…I don’t know if this was the early part of last week, I went ’cause my son had to go and get something, and he ran in, and she came to the gate, and the dog ran out, and her friend Faye and I went looking for the dog. That may have been a week ago, I don’t know.
T.L.: (To Vannatter) Got a photographer coming?
P.V.: No, we’re going to take him up there.
T.L.: We’re ready to terminate this at 14:07.
FAREWELL
LETTER
OF O. J. SIMPSON
On June 17, 1994, Simpson was staying at the home of his friend Robert Kardashian, located in the upper-middle-class San Fernando Valley community of Encino. That day, Robert Shapiro, Simpson’s attorney, had arranged with the Los Angeles Police Department to have Simpson voluntarily turn himself in at 11:00 a.m. at Parker Center,
LAPD
headquarters, on charges of first-degree murder which had been filed against him by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. When Simpson did not show up by 11:00 a.m., the
LAPD
called Shapiro and informed him that officers would come out and take Simpson into custody. But when they arrived after noon, Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings had already departed in Cowlings’ Ford Bronco (the same kind of vehicle, even in year and color, as Simpson’s Bronco), leading eventually to the famous slow-speed chase. It has been reported many times that the following letter, printed in ink by Simpson, was written by him at Kardashian’s home that morning just before he and Cowlings departed. However, it should be noted that it is dated June 15, 1994, two days earlier. This is relevant, since if Simpson was planning to escape on June 17, 1994, he wasn’t at the same time contemplating suicide. Although Simpson wrote the “O” in “O.J.” with a happy face, even his lawyer, Shapiro, said he had little doubt it was a suicide note.
bq.
bq. To Whom It May Concern:
6/15/94
First, everyone understand I had nothing to do with Nicole’s murder. I loved her, always have and always will. If we had a problem, it’s because I loved her so much.
Recently we came to the understanding that for now we were not right for each other, at least not for now. Despite our love, we were different and that’s why we mutually agreed to go our separate ways.
It was tough splitting for a second time but we both knew it was for the best. Inside I had no doubt that in the future we would be close friends or more. Unlike what has been written in the press, Nicole and I had a great relationship for most of our lives together. Like all long-term relationships, we had a few downs and ups.
I took the heat New Year’s 1989 because that was what I was supposed to do. I did not plead no contest for any other reason but to protect our privacy and was advised it would end the press hype.
I don’t want to belabor knocking the press, but I can’t believe what is being said. Most of it is totally made up. I know you have a job to do, but as a last wish, please, please leave my children in peace. Their lives will be tough enough.
I want to send my love and thanks to all my friends. I’m sorry I can’t name every one of you, especially A. C. Man, thanks for being in my life. The support and friendship I received from so many: Wayne Hughes, Lewis Markes, Frank Olson, Mark Packer, Bobby Kardashian. I wish we had spent more time together in recent years. My golfing buddies: Hoss, Alan Austin, Mike Craig, Bender, Wyler, Sandy, Jay, and Donnie. Thanks for the fun.
All my teammates over the years—Reggie, you were the soul of my pro career. Ahmad, I never stopped being proud of you. Marcus, you’ve got a great lady in Catherine. Don’t mess it up. Bobby Chandler, thanks for always being there. Skip, and Kathy, I love you guys. Without you I never would have made it through this far.
Marguerite, thanks for the early years. We had some fun. Paula, what can I say? You are special. I’m sorry I’m not going to have—we’re not going to have—our chance. God brought you to me, I now see. As I leave, you’ll be in my thoughts.
I think of my life and feel I’ve done most of the right things. So why did I end up like this? I can’t go on. No matter what the outcome, people will look and point. I can’t take that. I can’t subject my children to that. This way, they can move on and go on with their lives.
Please, if I’ve done anything worthwhile in my life, let my kids live in peace from you, the press.
I’ve had a good life. I’m proud of how I lived. My mama taught me to do unto others. I treated people the way I wanted to be treated. I’ve always tried to be up and helpful, so why is this happening.
I’m sorry for the Goldman family. I know how much it hurts.
Nicole and I had a good life together. All this press talk about a rocky relationship was no more than what every long-term relationship experiences. All her friends will confirm that I have been totally loving and understanding of what she’s been going through.
At times I have felt like a battered husband or boyfriend, but I loved her. Make that clear to everyone. And I would take whatever it took to make it work.
Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve had a great life, great friends. Please think of the real O.J. and not this lost person. Thanks for making my life special. I hope I helped yours.