Who killed Nicole Brown Simpson: verified facts and the criminal verdict

Key facts in brief

Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed outside her home in Los Angeles on June 12, 1994. A jury convicted O.J. Simpson of civil liability for their deaths in 1997, finding he was responsible for the tortious acts that caused the deaths. This page summarizes verified information from that civil trial and related court records. It is not an opinion piece about guilt or innocence in the criminal trial.

Victims and the night of June 12, 1994

Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman: background

Nicole Brown Simpson (born May 19, 1959; died June 12, 1994) was a former professional model and waitress. Ronald Goldman (born July 2, 1968; died June 12, 1994) was a restaurant waiter and friend of Nicole’s son. Both were found murdered outside Nicole’s condominium in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department investigated the scene, recovered evidence including blood drops, shoe prints, and a knit cap, and later named O.J. Simpson as a person of interest.

• Nicole Brown Simpson: known prior to 1994 for her marriage to O.J. Simpson and public presence; age 35 at death.
• Ronald Goldman: a young man employed in the restaurant industry; age 25 at death.

O.J. Simpson: legal outcomes and civil liability

Criminal trial acquittal

O.J. Simpson, Nicole’s ex-husband, was charged with murder in the criminal case and was acquitted in 1995 by a jury after a trial marked by extensive evidence, forensic disputes, and high-profile media coverage. The standard of proof in criminal court was not met by the prosecution according to the jury’s finding.

Civil trial and liability for wrongful death

In a subsequent civil case brought by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the jury found O.J. Simpson liable for the wrongful deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The jury concluded that he was responsible for the tortious acts that caused their deaths. This page reflects the civil verdict and the court’s factual findings, not the jury’s conclusion in the criminal trial.

Civil case findings at a glance

Evidence from the investigation and trial

Investigators recovered multiple forms of evidence that tied O.J. Simpson to the scene and to the victims in the civil case. This included blood drops found at the scene and inside Simpson’s vehicle, hair and fiber evidence, shoe prints consistent with a rare model of shoe that Simpson was known to own, and delayed reporting by Simpson after the killings. At the civil trial, the evidentiary standard required a preponderance of the evidence, and the jury concluded that the weight of the evidence supported liability. In the criminal trial, reasonable doubt was found to exist by the jury, leading to an acquittal.

Aftermath and civil judgments

Financial liability and collection efforts

Following the 1997 civil verdict, multiple civil judgments were entered against O.J. Simpson for substantial sums. Attempts to collect on these judgments involved examining his ongoing and future earnings, including book royalties, pensions, and other assets. Some assets and income streams have been pursued through legal processes to satisfy the judgments awarded to the victims’ families. Public record details outline actions taken to enforce collection where possible.

Later legal matters and death

O.J. Simpson remained a person of interest in ongoing public discussion and legal scrutiny regarding the 1994 crimes until his death in 2024. He served prison time on unrelated charges in 2008. Later court filings related to the civil judgments and collection efforts have continued to reference the original verdicts and the factual findings from those proceedings.

Comparison of criminal and civil outcomes