The Goldman family on O.J. Simpson: He ‘died without penance’
Breaking News
Hannah Fry Richard Winton April 11, 2024
In the decades since their son Ronald L. Goldman was fatally stabbed outside his friend Nicole Brown Simpson’s Brentwood home in 1994, the Goldman family have been battling for what they see 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 American public.
The Brown and Goldman families 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 $33.5 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 publicly claimed in 2021 that Simpson had only paid a fraction of the judgment amount.
On Thursday, they reacted to Simpson’s death.
“The only thing I have to say is that today is just a further reminder of how long we have missed my son, how long hes been gone, and the only thing that is important today are the victims,” Fred Goldman said in a statement.
An attorney for Ron Goldman’s family told the Associated Press on Thursday that Simpson “died without penance.”
For more than two decades, the Goldmans have chased down secret hordes of Simpsons memorabilia, taken possession of his tell-all book and spoken out against a criminal justice system that she says ignores victims rights.
In a 2019 interview with The Times, Ron’s sister 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 doesnt deserve more, she said.
It is always, and most importantly, about remembering Ron and Nicole.
The death of Simpson, whose journey from American football legend to accused murderer captivated the nation, has triggered widespread discussion of his legacy.
Simpson’s family said in a statement 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 accounts.
“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the statement read.
After the criminal and civil trials, Simpson didn’t fall out of the public spotlight for long. In 2007, the publication of his book “If I Did It,” a “fictional memoir” about how he might have committed the murders, triggered outrage. A year later, 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 him during his murder trial, said he was shocked to learn of his former client’s death.
Simpson 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,”
he Douglas
said.
Caitlyn Jenner, who was once friends with Simpson and was formerly married to Nicole Simpson’s best friend, offered a cutting response to news of his death, posting on
on
X just two words: “Good Riddance.”
