1994 The murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman
Nicole, the ex-wife of football star O.J. Simpson, and friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condominium in Los Angeles. Suspicion fell on O.J., who had a history of domestic violence and who behaved erratically before his arrest. It was widely believed that jealousy over Nicole’s alleged affair with football player Marcus Allen led to her murder and that Goldman, who had been on an errand to return a pair of sunglasses left at his restaurant, was inadvertently caught up in the crime.
The sensational trial was televised and became the topic of rapt attention all across the continent. The defence “dream team” queried the DNA evidence and played the race card incessantly. This technique resulted in Simpson’s acquittal but a subsequent civil lawsuit found him responsible for the deaths and liable for multi-million dollar damages. In 2008 Simpson was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 33 years in jail; he was released on parole in 2017.