June 12, 1994 — in history
O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife and her friend are murdered
Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife of football superstar O.J. Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman are stabbed to death on the walkway of Nicole’s condo in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The investigation and trial that follows will transfix America for 16 months.

The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Former National Football League player, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted on two counts of murder for the June 12, 1994 slashing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. At 12:10 a.m. on June 13, 1994, Brown and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condominium in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Simpson became a person of interest after police found a bloody glove behind his house and was formally charged with the murders on June 17. When he did not turn himself in at the agreed time, he became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV owned and driven by his friend Al Cowlings. TV stations interrupted coverage of the NBA Finals to broadcast the incident. The pursuit was watched live by an estimated 95 million people. The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized events in American history. The trial—often characterized as the trial of the century because of its international publicity—spanned eleven months, from the jury’s swearing-in on November 9, 1994. Opening statements were made on January 24, 1995, and the verdict was announced on October 3, 1995 when Simpson was acquitted on two counts of murder. According to USA Today, the case has been described as the “most publicized” criminal trial in history.

Start date: Jan 25, 1995
End date: Oct 02, 1995
Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court
Judges sitting: Lance Ito