CNN - The Simpson prosecution: a case review

CNN - The Simpson prosecution: a case review - Oct. 3, 1995

LaMotte From Correspondent Greg LaMotte

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The prosecution entered the courtroom armed with hundreds of pieces of evidence aimed at proving O.J. Simpson killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Establishing a pattern

"The mere fact that we find blood where there should be no blood in the defendant's car, in his house, in the driveway and even on the socks in his very bedroom at the foot of his bed, that trail of blood from (the crime scene) through his own Ford Bronco into his house at Rockingham is devastating proof of his guilt," prosecutor Marcia Clark said.

The prosecution's most damaging evidence appeared to be a trail of blood leading away from the murder scene and a pair of blood-stained gloves, one found near the bodies at 875 South Bundy Drive, the other at Simpson's estate. But what could have been Simpson's motive to kill?

The answer might be in a call for help, the prosecution said. The prosecution began its case with Nicole Brown Simpson's call for police to come to the couple's home in January of 1989.

"She ran across and collapsed on the speaker, the identical of a speaker post on the inside of the gate. She collapsed on it and started yelling, 'He's going to kill me, He's going to kill me,'" testified detective John Edwards of the Los Angeles Police Department.

In the fall of 1993 she called 911 again (102K AIFF sound or 102K WAV sound), after the couple had divorced.

The prosecution hoped to establish a pattern of abuse and obsessive behavior. Nicole Brown Simpson's sister took the stand and talked about a particular evening in Simpson's Brentwood home. "He grabbed Nicole and told her to get out of his house, he wanted us all out of his house," Denise Brown said, choking back tears. "He picked her up and threw her against the wall. He picked her up and threw her out of the house. She ended up on her ... she ended up falling. She ended up on her elbows and on her butt (238K AIFF sound or 238K WAV sound)."

A timeline for murder

Hours before the murders, Simpson attended his youngest daughter's dance recital. Nicole Brown Simpson was also there, and some of her friends described an O.J. Simpson they had not seen before.

"It was almost like he was simmering. I mean he just, it was, it is hard to describe. He just, when he stared at me, I felt like he was looking right through me and it scared me a little bit," testified Candace Garvey, Nicole's friend.

Hours later, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were repeatedly stabbed to death in front of Nicole Brown Simpson's condominium. Blood was everywhere, and there was a trail that led away from the bodies toward the rear of the condo and on the back gate.

A ski cap was found near the bodies along with a glove. The glove's match was found at Simpson's estate by detective Mark Fuhrman.

Marcia Clark questioned the detective about that important find. "Could you tell whether that was a right- or left-handed glove when you looked at it at that time?"

"It appeared to be a right-handed glove," Fuhrman said.

"What significance did you attach to it when you saw it, if any?"

"Well, it looked similar to the glove at the Bundy scene," Fuhrman replied.

Later in the trial, the prosecution began to distance itself from Fuhrman after being forced to admit he used racist slurs and lied about it on the witness stand.

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