On this day, Oct. 3, in 1995, a jury found former football star O.J. Simpson not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend Ronald Goldman. The 252-day “Trial of the Century” had a carnival-like atmosphere.
Simpson’s “dream team” of lawyers painted him as a victim of a racist and incompetent Los Angeles Police Department. The defense was aided by audiotapes of Detective Mark Fuhrman using racial epithets.
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When the verdict came down, much of the nation, including President Clinton, stopped to watch.
As the clerk read, “not guilty,” Simpson breathed a sigh of relief and said “thank you” across the courtroom to the jurors. The former Buffalo Bills running back and television personality quickly returned home to throngs of waving fans.
— Scott McCabe