OJ Simpson Murder Case Timeline: The 'Trial of the Century' That Gripped the Whole World

Fallen American football star and Hollywood actor OJ Simpson (Orenthal James Simpson) died on April 10 of prostate cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He was 76. Formerly a superstar in the National Football League (NFL), OJ Simpson became most infamous when he was tried for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald “Ron” Goldman, and more so when he was acquitted of the charges.

Dubbed the ‘Trial of the Century’, the OJ Simpson murder trial made headlines globally. Here's a look at the timeline of the murder trial that rocked the world in the 1990s.

June 12, 1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson Found Dead

OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson was found dead on June 12, 1994, in front of her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA. Her friend Ron Goldman was also found dead at the same location. Ron was reportedly a waiter at a restaurant she had dined in that evening. Nicole and Ron were stabbed to death.

June 17, 1994 – Prime Accused OJ Simpson Tracked Down in Famous Police Car Chase

Police suspected OJ Simpson, who had been divorced from Nicole just under two years before her killing. The couple had been married for seven years until their divorce on October 15, 1992. Simpson was ordered to surrender to the police. However, he fled in disguise, accompanied by his friend and former football teammate Al Cowlings. Simpson sped away in the now infamous white Ford Bronco. The car was spotted by the police, who chased it down. The car chase was shown live on television in the US, watched by 95 million viewers, said reports. 

Cowlings, who was driving, called the cops and said Simpson was holding a gun to his own head in the back seat of the car. Simpson finally reached his home in Brentwood and surrendered to the police after some persuasion.

January 24, 1995 - Murder Trial and Acquittal of OJ Simpson

The murder trial, now infamous as the ‘Trial of the Century’, commenced. While some reports say the trial began on January 24, 1995, others say the trial lasted for 11 months, from November 9, 1994 to October 3, 1995. 

While prosecutors argued OJ Simpson had murdered his ex-wife Nicole and her companion in a fit of jealous rage, presenting circumstantial evidence, Simpson was acquitted.

The courtroom trial was watched worldwide on TV, and there were gasps when Judge Lance Ito’s clerk, Dierdre Robertson, read out the verdict, saying, “Not guilty.”

Simply saying, “Thank you” to the jury, Simpson ‘pledged’ to find the ‘real killers’ of his ex-wife, who he said “are out there somewhere”. His daughter, Arnelle, said, “Oh my God!” and embraced her brother Jason.

However, the verdict forever crushed the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, who died in the attack.

Dream Team of Lawyers Who Got OJ Simpson Acquitted

OJ Simpson was represented by the "Dream Team" of lawyers, initially led by Robert Shapiro and later by Johnnie Cochran. The team’s famous names include Robert Kardashian, F Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Shawn Holley, Carl E Douglas and Gerald Uelmen. The additional attorneys were Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, specialising in DNA evidence.