O.J. Simpson: The Murders, the Manhunt & the Bronco Chase Pt. 2

Summary

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Podcast Summary: O.J. Simpson: The Murders, the Manhunt & the Bronco Chase Pt. 2

America's Most Infamous Crimes with Katie Ring
Episode Date: April 22, 2026

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delivers an in-depth, moment-by-moment retelling of the aftermath of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murders in 1994. Host Katie Ring explores the tumultuous relationship between Nicole and O.J. Simpson; the events leading up to and immediately following the crime; the initial police investigation; and the media frenzy, culminating in the infamous Bronco chase. The episode also interrogates the failures of the justice system, the role of celebrity, and why these events still reverberate in American culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Nicole and O.J.: The Post-Divorce Relationship

• History of Abuse and Surveillance

  • Nicole Brown Simpson divorced O.J. Simpson in 1992 after a marriage marred by alleged abuse ([03:43]).
  • Despite the divorce, O.J. frequently tracked Nicole’s whereabouts, often driving by her Brentwood condo and reportedly following her around Los Angeles.
    • “A guy like O.J. doesn’t take rejection well, and most of all, he didn’t like the thought of Nicole being with other guys.” (Katie, [04:30])

• Escalating Behavior

  • Nicole called 911 multiple times about O.J. harassing or threatening her; police repeatedly failed to intervene meaningfully.
  • Notably, an October 1993 911 call captures Nicole’s distress:
    • “He just drove me over…He broke the back door down to get in.” (Nicole, [06:14])
  • Despite repeated abuse and stalking, O.J. was seldom meaningfully penalized.

The Night of the Murders

• June 12, 1994: The Last Hours

  • Both Nicole and O.J. attended their daughter Sydney’s dance recital, where witnesses described O.J. as tense and upset ([06:44]).
  • Nicole’s family dined at Mezzaluna; Ron Goldman, their waiter and Nicole’s close friend, agreed to return Nicole’s mother’s forgotten glasses later that night.

• Murder Discovery

  • Around midnight, a neighbor found Nicole’s dog with blood on its paws and subsequently discovered the bodies outside the condo ([09:22]).
  • Police immediately suspected O.J., especially after finding an envelope with his name at the scene.

The Investigation Narrows on O.J.

• Police Review O.J.'s Movements

  • Detectives arrive at O.J.'s home at 5am, where they find his white Bronco parked outside with blood stains inside ([13:00]).
  • O.J. had flown to Chicago late that night, further raising suspicions. His daughter, Arnell, let police inside.

• O.J.’s Odd Behavior

  • When reached by phone, O.J. exhibited a notable lack of curiosity about details of Nicole’s murder ([13:41]).
  • O.J. flew back to L.A. immediately after police asked, but had a suspicious cut on his hand—he claimed it was from breaking a glass in anger.

• Compelling Forensic Evidence

  • A comprehensive list of evidence linked O.J. to the murder ([16:18]):
    • Hairs and fibers matching O.J. found at Nicole's condo.
    • Blood in the Bronco, on his property, and in his bedroom.
    • Nicole’s blood on a sock at O.J.’s house.
    • Size 12 shoeprints matching O.J.’s Bruno Magli shoes at the scene and in the Bronco.
    • A left glove at Nicole’s, a right glove at O.J.’s—matching pairs she’d bought O.J. years prior.
  • All signs pointed to O.J., though police did not immediately locate the murder weapon.

The Media Frenzy and the Bronco Chase

• O.J. Goes Missing

  • Police arrange for O.J. to surrender but he disappears from Robert Kardashian’s house, instead escaping with longtime friend A.C. Cowlings and a gun ([21:00]).
  • LAPD issue a public bulletin for the “missing” O.J.; panic and speculation ensue.

• National Spectacle: The Low-Speed Chase

  • O.J. resurfaced via 911 call from a car phone in a white Bronco—A.C. Cowlings', not O.J.'s—but visually identical ([22:40]).
  • Police followed the Bronco for 1.5 hours along L.A. freeways as 95 million Americans watched, interrupting live broadcasts like the NBA Finals.
    • “95 million Americans tuned in. Finally, around 8pm…A.C. used the car phone to call the police. He said OJ was ready to turn himself in, but not on the freeway.” (Katie, [23:49])
  • Onlookers waved signs and cheered O.J. along the route—a surreal, unprecedented scene.
    • “People were cheering him on and saying, ‘juice is on the loose’...” (Legal Expert, [29:06])

• Surrender and Arrest

  • O.J. was eventually convinced to surrender at his Brentwood home. A SWAT team was onsite for the arrest.
    • “After one of the most dramatic days in American media history, O.J. Simpson went quietly.” (Katie, [25:47])

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Legal and Social Commentary

Justice System Failures and Stalking

• Lack of Protection for Victims

  • Despite multiple police calls from Nicole, O.J. faced minimal consequences.
    • “Nicole had called the police eight times before…the one time where O.J. was actually arrested…but even with that, he only got a $700 fine and probation, which is an absolute joke.” (Legal Expert, [27:19])
  • Stalking was rarely named as such in the legal record, as laws and terminology were only evolving in California during the early 1990s.
    • “Their relationship was always described as him ‘monitoring’ her or driving by her house. But his post-divorce behaviors were the definition of stalking.” (Legal Expert, [26:58])

• Stalking as a Precursor to Murder

  • “So many people in my field call stalking ‘murder in slow motion’. It breaks my heart to think that if there were actual consequences for O.J. in his stalking behavior, that Nicole might still be here today.” (Legal Expert, [27:39])

The Role of Celebrity & Public Fascination

• Privilege and Dangerous Parasocial Relationships

  • O.J.’s fame afforded him opportunities not available to regular suspects.
    • “I absolutely think that his celebrity status played a big role in him escaping many consequences.” (Legal Expert, [27:57])
  • The spectacle was beloved by a public that felt personally connected to O.J.
    • “This chase was bigger than the Super Bowl. So when people call this the trial of the century, it really was because the entire country was tuning in.” (Katie, [30:18])

• Race, Policing, and Social Tension

  • The LAPD's treatment of O.J. during the chase reflected anxieties about potential unrest (especially after the Rodney King verdict).
    • “I think the cops knew if they harmed him or let him harm himself that there would be all out riots…Because…a very big underlying part of this case was violence from the LAPD against black men.” (Legal Expert, [29:33])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nicole pleading with 911:

  • “He just drove me over…first of all, he broke the back door down to get in.” (Nicole, [06:14])

• On the scale of public interest:

  • “About 91 million people watched the Super Bowl that same year. So this chase was bigger than the Super Bowl.” (Katie, [30:17])

• On the surreal nature of the chase:

  • “People were cheering him on and saying, ‘juice is on the loose’ and…he should get away. I think this is another part where his celebrity played a part, because I don’t think that a regular person would have been given the same courtesy…” (Legal Expert, [29:06])

• On the justice system:

  • “Stalking was never named. California had only recently begun formalizing stalking statutes, which is devastating because Nicole had called the police eight times before…” (Legal Expert, [27:19])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:43] — Nicole and O.J.’s post-divorce relationship, surveillance, and abuse
• [06:02] — Infamous Nicole 911 call (transcript excerpt)
• [09:22] — Discovery of Nicole and Ron’s bodies
• [13:00] — Police search O.J.’s home, Bronco, and timeline of his movements
• [16:18] — Forensic evidence and police suspicions
• [21:00] — Decision to charge O.J. and his subsequent disappearance
• [22:40] — The Bronco chase, national spectacle, and O.J.'s surrender
• [26:20] — Expert/legal segment on stalking and systemic failures
• [27:53] — Discussion of celebrity, the public’s reaction, and broader cultural context
• [30:17] — Quantifying the national impact: “bigger than the Super Bowl”

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Episode Tone & Language

Katie Ring’s narration is clear, detail-oriented, and empathetic—she speaks with precision about the evidence and with compassion for Nicole. The expert commentary is candid and critical, especially regarding inadequacies in law enforcement and the justice system. The episode shines in its nuanced approach, examining not just “how”, but “why” these events mattered so deeply in American life.

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Next Episode Preview

Katie promises a final episode devoted to the aftermath, impact, and legacy of Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder.

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For those who have never listened, this comprehensive episode offers both a gripping narrative and a critical examination of one of America’s most notorious crime stories.

Transcript

[911 Operator]

Foreign.

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

This is crime house. On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found brutally murdered outside her home. Within hours, detectives zeroed in on Nicole's ex husband, football legend O.J. simpson. But before they could arrest him, O.J. disappeared. What followed was one of the most surreal moments in American history. A slow speed police chase broadcast live to almost 100 million people. Today I'll break down the final events leading up to Nicole's murder, the evidence that pointed to O.J. and the shocking chase that turned a murder investigation into a national spectacle. Every crime tells a story about the people involved, the system that tried to stop it, and the nation that couldn't look away. Some cases are so shocking, so deeply woven into who we are, that decades later, we're still asking, how did this happen? I'm Katie Ring and this is America's Most Infamous Crimes. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I'll take you deep into cases that have a lasting imprint on society and still haunt us. Today, I want to thank you for being part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow America's Most Infamous crimes wherever you get your podcasts and to get all episodes at once ad free. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Before I get started, please be advised that this episode contains descriptions of domestic abuse and murder, so please listen with care. This is our second episode on the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and the trial of her ex husband, O.J. simpson. Today we'll talk about the events that led up to one of the most infamous crimes of the 20th century, along with the bizarre fallout that came immediately in its wake and shook a nation to its core.

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After a seven year marriage full of alleged abuse and mistreatment, Nicole Brown Simpson finally divorced her husband, O.J. in 1992. As part of their settlement, Nicole got almost half a million dollars plus $10,000 a month for child support. Compared to OJ's overall wealth, it wasn't that much. But Nicole didn't care. For the first time in her adult life, she was free to be her own person. She could dress how she wanted, she could see who she wanted, she could go where she wanted, and most importantly, she didn't have to live with the constant fear of OJ's anger. But just because they weren't married anymore, that didn't mean that OJ was completely out of her life. They had two kids together and OJ started keeping tabs on Nicole's whereabouts. Nicole and OJ were both living in LA's upper class Brentwood neighborhood and people there liked to talk. If Nicole hung out with someone, OJ heard about it. If he wanted, he could even drive by her condo and see if someone was parked in the driveway. And according to Nicole's friends and family, he did that a lot. In fact, he was known to follow her all over town. A guy like OJ doesn't take rejection well, and most of all, he didn't like the thought of Nicole being with other guys. During one of his drive bys past her condo, he saw Nicole kissing another man inside and OJ couldn't handle it. So he parked his car, stormed up to the door and screamed at her. And this wasn't an isolated incident. Nicole called the police multiple times when O.J. showed up at her house, but even though he had a known record of domestic abuse they didn't do anything to protect her. So OJ's behavior continued unchecked until eventually he wore Nicole down. From the fall of 1993 through spring of 1994, she and O.J. periodically got back together, but they were off just as much as they were on. At one point while they were broken up, Nicole dated a guy named Keith. On October 25, 1993, OJ supposedly found a picture of them and it made him furious. He stormed into Nicole's house to confront her about it while their kids were asleep upstairs. That conversation scared her so much that Nicole decided to call 91 1, a call that has since become infamous. Let's listen to some of it now, please.

[911 Operator]

Okay. What does he look like? He's O.J. simpson. I think you know his record. Could you just send somebody over here? Okay. What is he doing there? He just drove us again. He just drove me over. Wait a minute. What kind of car is he in? He's in a white Bronco, but first of all, he broke the back door down to get in. Wait a minute. What's your name? Nicole Simpson. Okay, it's. He's a sport. Sports counselor or whatever. Yeah. Okay, thank you. Wait a minute. We're sending the police. What is he doing? Is he threatening you? Going nuts? Has he threatened you in any way or, or is he just harassing you? You're gonna hear him in a minute. He's about to come in again.

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

This was not a one off incident. And By May of 1994, Nicole told OJ that to get out of her life for good. She wanted to move on and she needed to make it clear to her ex husband that they were through permanently. After this final breakup, Nicole thought she and O.J. were on the same page. But it seems like he didn't get that message. On the night of June 12, 1994, 35 year old Nicole and 47 year old OJ went to their daughter Sydney's dance recital. Nicole assumed that things between her and O.J. were fine. It had been a few weeks since their breakup and he'd even been photographed on a date the night before. But when he showed up to the recital, witnesses said that he sat behind her and then abruptly moved to another section and was clearly irritated, tense, and upset. Some also said that OJ was mad because Nicole was wearing a black halter dress that he thought was too provocative. Given the fact that he would control what Nicole wore when they were together, this would definitely make sense. It was a clear sign that he no longer had control over Her. Regardless of the exact reason, Nicole could tell something was off. And after the recital, Nicole went out to dinner at a restaurant called mezzaluna with her two kids, her parents and sisters. And OJ was not invited. Their waiter was Nicole's good friend, 25 year old Ron Goldman. They'd met about a month and a half earlier and had gotten really close since then. That kind of friendship wouldn't have been possible when she was with OJ Nicole also had new plans for her future that wouldn't have been possible with OJ as well. Throughout the meal, Nicole talked about how she wanted to go to Yosemite and planned on taking the kids to Club Med. She seemed happy to finally be out on her own. Like many victims of abuse, Nicole admitted there was still a part of her that loved OJ and she even told her mom she thought he was her soulmate. But despite it all, she was done with his abuse for good. After they finished up, the family headed to Nicole's condo where her parents and sisters had parked. But on the way home, her mom realized she had forgotten her glasses at the restaurant. So Nicole called her friend Ron and he was able to find them. So he told Nicole he'd drop them off later that night after his shift. After everyone picked up their cars and drove off, Nicole went upstairs and drew a bath. She turned on some music and lit some candles to relax and unwind for the night. Ron left Mezzaluna a little before 10pm and headed to Nicole's condo. When he showed up, she met him outside. It's not clear how long they were out there, but it was enough time for someone to notice them. And whoever was watching Nicole and Ron did not like what they were seeing. Not in the slightest. And in just a matter of hours, what started out as a quiet evening would end in tragedy. Around 10:15pm, Nicole's neighbors heard barking which lasted till about 11pm when a neighbor came across one of Nicole's dogs wandering in the streets. As they got closer and closer, they realized there was blood on his legs and paws. The neighbor walked the dog back to Nicole's house around midnight and the closer the dog got to home, the more agitated he became. When they stopped in front of Nicole's condo, the dog calmed down and the neighbor realized why. There was a body in the walkway. It was a blonde woman with blood wooling around her. The Neighbor immediately called 911 and when the officers arrived on scene they saw there was actually two victims. 35 year old Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, 25 year old Ron Goldman and they had both been brutally stabbed to death. At first police didn't recognize the victims, but then they found an envelope with OJ's name on it. They realized immediately that this wasn't going to be just any murder investigation with one of the victims being O.J. simpson's ex wife. It was bound to be a huge story, and knowing how turbulent O.J. and Nicole's marriage had been, O.J. quickly became the primary suspect.

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Around 5am on June 13, 1994, detectives Mark Fuhrman and Philip Venator arrived at O.J. simpson's mansion on North Rockingham Drive to question him about his ex wife's murder. But he didn't seem to be home and wasn't answering the door. So detectives thinking that he may be injured, decided to poke around. One of the first things that they found odd was that OJ's white Ford Bronco was parked outside of his gated property. The first question, of course, was why didn't he park inside of his gate? But things only got more suspicious from there. When they inspected the car closer, they saw what looked like blood stains on the interior. Detective Fuhrman thought that that was enough cause for him to hop the gate into the property and investigate further. Once Fuhrman was on the property, he woke up O.J. s daughter from his first marriage, 26 year old Arnell Simpson, who was staying in the guest house. She let the police into the main house, then called her dad's assistant to track him down. That was when the three of them learned that OJ wasn't even in la. He was in Chicago and he'd flown there in the middle of the night. The detectives finally got a hold of OJ at 7am and when they told him Nicole was dead, they listened closely for his reaction. He seemed upset. But the police also noticed that he didn't ask any details about the murder or how she died, which was a first for the officers on the phone. This lack of follow up only made the detectives more suspicious that he may already know firsthand exactly how she died. The detectives told OJ that they had his kids and asked him to come back to LA for questioning. And he didn't hesitate. He hopped on a 9:15am flight and when he got back to his mansion, the detectives were already there waiting for him. They asked OJ why he'd been in Chicago on such short notice and why he left in the middle of the night. His explanation was that he was there for a corporate golf outing. But before they could investigate his alibi and the timing of his departure, they noticed a suspicious cut on OJ's hand as well. But he had an excuse for that too. He said he smashed a glass in anger after hearing about Nicole's murder. But the police weren't about to take him at his word. So they retraced OJ's steps and contacted anyone who had seen him in the hours before and after the murders. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, investigators searched his hotel room. They found blood stained sheets and broken glass, which might confirm his story about how he got his cut. Either that, or it could have been a way for him to hook up an alibi. Because back in California, the LAPD talked to a flight attendant who said OJ had kept his hand, the one with a cut on it, inside his duffel bag for most of the flight. And the staff at OJ's Hotel in Chicago said he'd been aggressive when he checked out. They also said that he was angry that his car wasn't waiting for him. You could chalk that emotion up to him just finding out that his ex wife was dead. Or to his anxiety that he'd be caught for murdering her. As the authorities dug into O.J. s movements over the past 24 hours, investigators spoke with a limo driver named Allen Park. He'd taken OJ to the airport the night before, and according to Alan, he'd arrived at the Rockingham House at 10:25pm A little on the early side. Allen was new and didn't want to be late. Plus, this was O.J. simpson, one of the most famous men on the planet, so he wanted everything to go smoothly. But when he buzzed the intercom, nobody answered. Just before 11pm Alan saw a tall, large black man walking across a driveway toward the main house. He figured that must be OJ So he buzzed the intercom again. And this time OJ Answered. But he didn't say anything about being outside. Instead, he said he'd overslept and had just gotten out of the shower and that he'd be down in a few. As OJ Approached the limo, Allen noticed he was sweating a lot. Not exactly what you'd expect from someone who just got out of the shower. But he was in a rush, and it wasn't Alan's place to say anything about it. He just helped OJ Put his bags in the trunk. Except that is for one small duffel bag that O.J. insisted on keeping with him. The pieces were starting to come together, and they didn't create a good picture for OJ along with witness statements like Allen's, detectives quickly amassed a mountain of forensic evidence. They found hairs at Nicole's condo that were consistent with OJ's. They found fibers at the condo that were consistent with the carpet in OJ's Ford Bronco. And there was blood, a lot of blood, in the Bronco, in The driveway of O.J. s house, in the foyer, and in his master bedroom. Nicole's blood was also found on a sock recovered from the home. Alongside that, there were prints found at Nicole's condo that looked like a size 12 Bruno Magaly shoe, and a matching print in OJ's Bronco. He was a size 12 and had been seen wearing the same brand of shoes. And then there were the gloves. A left hand glove was found at Nicole's condo, and a right Hand bloody glove was found at Rockingham. Nicole had bought OJ A pair of gloves that were the same brand and style four years earlier. And he'd been photographed wearing them several times. So putting two and two together, it seemed undeniable that the gloves were OJ's with so much evidence, the authorities were absolutely sure that O.J. was their guy. Between his suspicious actions and the pile of forensic evidence, the case seemed like a slam dunk. At that point, the only thing they didn't have was the actual murder weapon. But even without it, they were confident they had enough on OJ to make their move. And honestly, pretty much everyone else thought so too. The police were still gathering evidence, but after just a few days, all the signs were pointing to OJ as the story developed, public interest in the case exploded. It's hard to explain just how big it got. OJ Wasn't just a retired football player. He'd also gotten into acting and was a huge celebrity. And now he was suddenly wanted for murdering his ex wife. And as you can imagine, the press was camped outside of O.J. s Brentwood mansion. To avoid all the paparazzi and journalists, OJ Decided to hide out with his friend and attorney, Robert Kardashian at his place in the San Fernando Valley. And yes, those Kardashians, O.J. stayed there for the next few days while the police continued their investigation, going through his Rockingham house with a fine tooth comb. By June 17, 1994, five days after Nicole and Ron were killed, the district attorney had to come to a decision. They were going to charge O.J. simpson with murder. It should have been a smooth and orderly process. But what happened next turned into one of the most chaotic events in American history.

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On June 17, 1994, the Los Angeles District Attorney decided to charge O.J. simpson with murder. But instead of descending on Robert Kardashian's house to arrest oj, they reached out to his lawyers. His lead attorney, Robert Shapiro, wanted to avoid the spectacle of his client being led away in handcuffs, since he knew the paparazzi would be all over it and didn't want to give them a photo op. So he asked the LAPD if O.J. could surrender himself at the police station instead of being physically arrested. And perp walked. The last thing the LAPD wanted to do was create a media firestorm. So they agreed to Shapiro's request. I could go on and on here about the double standards and the justice system, but despite the fact that this courtesy would have never been extended to a regular person, the point is that everything was lined up to get O.J. in custody. Shapiro just needed to bring O.J. down to the police department by 11am that morning, which gave him a couple of hours to do some forensic testing of their own and get O.J. ready for the arraignment. And he and the rest of the legal team were also at Robert Kardashian's house. OJ's best friend, A.C. cowlings, was there as well. A.C. and OJ's friendship went back decades, and he wanted to be there for O.J. with all of the chaos going on. But O.J. was looking for more than moral support or a shoulder to cry on. He needed an accomplice. When the lawyers weren't paying attention, OJ got AC to walk with him outside. Then OJ got into the backseat of his friend's car, put a gun to his own head, and told AC to drive. Meanwhile, down at the police station, 11am came and went. With no sign of OJ. Officials from the LAPD called Robert Shapiro to ask where his client was. But at this point, Shapiro didn't know where OJ was either. He gave them Robert Kardashian's address, hoping that maybe OJ was somewhere on the property. But when the police got there, he was nowhere to be found. A few hours later, a little before 2pm, the LAPD made a stunning public announcement. OJ Simpson was on the run, and they needed the public's help to find him. Almost immediately, hundreds of tips started pouring in, but none of them were helpful. And the more time that passed, the more the authorities worried that they'd let O.J. slip right through their fingers. And the case was about to take another turn because their next lead would come from OJ himself. Around 5pm OJ's legal team called a press conference. In front of the cameras, Robert Kardashian read a letter that OJ had written that morning. And according to Robert, they'd only found it after O.J. took off. In the letter, O.J. wrote that he loved Nicole. He swore he had nothing to do with her and Ron Goldman's murder. And sure, they had their ups and downs, but so did all couples. But it also seemed like Nicole's death was weighing on him because he did make a few comments that sounded suicidal. He thanked his family and friends for supporting him, and he spoke about himself in the past tense more than once. To everyone watching that press conference, the letter sounded like OJ's way of saying goodbye. And nobody had heard from him in several hours. It was starting to look like no one would ever see him again. But then, just before 6pm, OJ resurfaced in the most shocking way possible. He called 911 on himself. The police were able to trace the call to a car phone on Interstate 5 in Orange county near Nicole's parents house. And a group of 20 police cars immediately sped off in hot pursuit. It wasn't long before they spotted a white Ford Bronco cruising down the. Five years later, most people assumed it was O.J. s since he had one just like it. In reality though, the car belonged to his friend A.C. he admired O.J. so much, he had gotten the exact same car. Before long, the officers caught up to them, but they didn't try and stop the car right away. They didn't know if OJ was going to use his gun either on them or himself. So they followed him from a distance. The slow speed car chase lasted over an hour and a half. It was such huge news, it even interrupted the broadcast of the NBA Finals game. During that time, crowds of onlookers gathered on the side of the road and highway overpasses cheering for O.J. as he passed. And 95 million Americans tuned in. Finally, around 8pm A.C. used the car phone to call the police. He said OJ Was ready to turn himself in, but not on the freeway. A.C. convinced the LAPD to let him take O.J. back to Brentwood to surrender there. But even after the Bronco pulled up to the Rockingham mansion, the drama wasn't over. It took another hour for the authorities to convince OJ to get out of the car without the gun. Eventually, O.J. stepped out and walked through his front doors. But this time, the police weren't taking any chances. A SWAT team was waiting inside to arrest him for the double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. In the end, after one of the most dramatic days in American media history, O.J. simpson went quietly. But just because he surrendered, that didn't mean he wasn't done fighting. Not even close. At the end of each episode, I like to take a moment to answer any questions you may have about the case and share my thoughts.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

So make sure to comment below. In this case, one of the things that made me so upset is the

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

fact that no one referred to OJ's

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

behaviors before the death as stalking. And I was asked recently if there's

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

one true crime murder that keeps me up at night, but I don't have a single one.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

What I have is the failures in our justice system keep me up at night. Especially when it comes to stalking, particularly

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

the lack of protection for victims and the lack of consequences for perpetrators.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

Their relationship was always described as him

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

monitoring her or driving by her house. But his post divorce behaviors were the definition of stalking. And I was confused why the term stalking was never used. And I looked into it and I guess in the early 1990s, stalking laws and terminology were still evolving in California. And California had only recently begun formalizing

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

stalking statutes, which is devastating because Nicole

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

had called the police eight times before,

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

the one time where OJ was actually arrested.

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

But even with that, he only got a $700 fine and probation, which is an absolute joke.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

And this is why so many people

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

in my field call stalking murder in slow motion. And it breaks my heart to think that if there were actual consequences for OJ in his stalking behavior, that Nicole might still be here today.

[Podcast Host or Interviewer]

Do you think his celebrity status had anything to do with the leniency?

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

I absolutely think that his celebrity status played a big role in him escaping many consequences.

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

I mean, most men with any money, power and influence tend to get away with these behaviors, but even men who are nobodies don't have serious repercussions because of how the laws around stalking are written.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

And in terms of the role of his status and celebrity in the rest

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

of the trial, a lot of people were cheering him on. I think some genuinely believed he was innocent, but I think some fans didn't actually care and were just fans that were going to stand with him no matter what.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

And I feel like seeing celebrity trials

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

and how fans celebrate support them no

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

matter what the evidence is, is always

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

really weird to me and especially the parasocial relationships so many fans have with

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

celebrities back then and especially nowadays is fascinating, but also extremely unnerving to me.

[Podcast Host or Interviewer]

Yeah, I thought it was crazy how people had signs during the police chase.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

Right. That was one of the craziest things to me, because I don't know how people had time to actually grab posters and write on them, get on overpasses, hold them up. And then other people were cheering him on and saying, juice is on the loose and like saying that he should get away. And I think this is another part where his celebrity played a part, because I don't think that a regular person

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

would have been given the same courtesy

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

if they were running for the police. Actually, I know this for a fact, that someone wouldn't get the same courtesy if they were running from the police in a police chase that lasted an

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

hour and a half.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

Like, the police would have cut them off, they would have blown the tires. And OJ Also had a gun that he was pointing at his head. And I think that the cops knew if they harmed him or let him harm himself that there would be all out riots like the ones after the Rodney King verdict. Because again, a very big underlying part of this case was violence from the LAPD against black men. And that this would have just escalated things even further.

[Podcast Host or Interviewer]

This wasn't just your run of the mill police pursuit and law enforcement knew that and they were treading lightly. There were eyes everywhere.

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

Yeah, there were about 95 million people tuned in to watch this chase like everyone in the nation was watching it.

[Legal/Justice System Expert or Commentator]

And to give you an idea of

[Narrator (Katie Ring)]

the scale of this, about 91 million people watched the super bowl that same year. So this chase was bigger than the Super Bowl. So when people call this the trial of the century, it really was because the entire country was tuning in. Quote, 95 million people watched that chase, not knowing how it would end. Suicide, arrest, escape, violent confrontation. That shared adventure clearly gave many of them a vested interest, a sense of participation, of being on the inside of a national drama come trauma in the making. And in this particular drama, virtually everyone felt he knew the central player. Thanks so much for joining me for this episode. Make sure to rate, review and follow America's most infamous crimes so we can keep building this community together. Together. And to get all episodes at once. Ad free. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Come back tomorrow for our final episode on Nicole Brown Simpson.

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