OJ Simpson, Former NFL Star Acquitted Of Murder, Dead At 76
OJ Simpson has lost his battle with cancer at 76 years old.
His family shared the news on Instagram, saying he passed on April 10th, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Simpson died in Las Vegas, where he lived, and had reportedly been battling prostate cancer in recent years. It is said he ended up in hospice within the past few months. In January, the former NFL star was seen using a cane and his last post on X/Twitter was from back in February.
Mixed Reactions To The Death Announcement
Reaction to the death of OJ Simpson will certainly be mixed. While it was said his family was with him when he died, his name immediately brings up thoughts of his double murder trial in 1995. Tom Lange was one of the lead detectives on the case and told TMZ about Simpson’s death, “I have nothing to say, I simply don’t care.”
The Most Famous Car Chase In History
In 1994, OJ Simpson was charged with the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. On his way to turn himself in, he would flee in a white Ford Bronco with his friend Al Cowlings, and one of the most famous car chases in history would unfold.
And The Trial Of The Century
The trial that followed is now referred to as the “Trial of the Century” because of how high-profile it was, the characters involved, the fact that it was televised daily, and it lasted an incredible nine months. A jury found OJ Simpson not guilty, a decision people still talk about today.
However, in 1997, another jury found Simpson liable for Brown Simpson’s and Goldman’s wrongful deaths in a civil lawsuit brought by Goldman’s family and ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million in damages. Simpson mostly avoided paying the judgment and he eventually left his home in Los Angeles and settled down in Las Vegas.
OJ Goes To Prison
OJ Simpson eventually ended up behind bars in an unrelated 2008 case. He served nine years of a sentence of up to 33 years following his conviction on charges related to a 2007 armed robbery in Las Vegas where he and others tried to steal, at gunpoint, pieces of what Simpson said were pieces of his own sports memorabilia. Simpson was granted parole in 2017.
Rose To Stardom In The NFL
OJ Simpson, nicknamed “The Juice,” broke records as a college and professional football player. He played in the NFL for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Simpson played college football for the USC Trojans where he won the Heisman Trophy. He had the trophy is his possession until it was auctioned off in 1999, so Simpson could pay money he owed.
From his football career, stemmed one in acting. O.J. Simpson was famously the face of Hertz car rental and he starred in three of the Naked Gun movies.
Managed To Stay In The Limelight For All The Wrong Reasons
However, his success came to a halt when he was arrested and went on trial for double murder.
OJ Simpson is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage to Marguerite L. Whitley, and Sydney and Justin, from his marriage to Nicole Brown Simpson.
Source: TMZ
