Netflix is about to drop investigation of the ‘trial of the century’

Netflix documentary American Manhunt: OJ Simpson is set to put the bombshell case under a new microscope.

The four-part series will dissect one of the most talked about trials in modern history: the murder trial of OJ Simpson following the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

NFL star Simpson was accused of double murder and was put on trial for eight months sending shockwaves through the nation.

The athlete was acquitted in October 1995 after the jury pleaded him not guilty due to creative and controversial methods used by his defence team.

Many believe the lack of knowledge of the importance of DNA testing is the reason Simpson was acquitted.

The prosecution made an infamous mistake during the trial when they asked Simpson to try on the gloves found at the scene.

They had receipts of Simpson purchasing the gloves but when he tried them on in court they did not fit, dismissing their evidence.

Despite his acquittal, Simpson was found liable for both deaths in civil court resulting in a $33.5 million (£27.2m) payout to the victims’ families, even though he was publicly known to be in thousands of dollars worth of debt.

Simpson went on to be charged with armed robbery and kidnapping exactly 13 years after his acquittal and was sentenced to 33 years with a minimum of nine years behind bars.

The professional football player was awarded parole in 2018 and then battled with cancer which subsequently caused his death in April of last year.

TMZ reported that a source claimed that no discussions about Nicole or Ron or any ‘confession’ occurred before he died.

The new Netflix special will see some key figures reveal their account of the trial, including former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman, Ronald Goldman`s sister Kim, the defence and prosecution lawyers Carl Douglas and Christopher Darden, as well as several witnesses.

Director Floyd Russ told Netflix: ‘Their emotions have evolved, and the way they’re able to talk about it is different than they ever have before. That sense of reflection from the people involved was apparent from the get-go, which made us feel that this story was one that needed to be told in a new and different way.’

He went on: ‘This story has so many facets and components that, when placed in a historical context, it takes on a new shape every few years.’

Simpson also had a complicated relationship with the Kardashians.

The families got to know each other when Robert Kardashian (Kris Jenner’s late husband) was one of Simpson’s defence attorneys.

The family’s relationship disintegrated when Simpson was accused of murdering Nicole Brown-Simpson – Kris’s best friend.

Kendall Jenner took to Snapchat in 2016 to reveal her middle name, Nicole, and how she was named after her mum’s late best friend.

On 11th April 2024, when Simpson’s death was announced Kaitlyn Jenner was quick to tweet ‘Good Riddance.’

This isn’t the first show made featuring the murder trial – The People v OJ Simpson was a drama released back in 2016 in which Cuba Gooding Jr plays Simpson.

In an interview on the Late Late Show with James Cordon he said ‘as an artist it was hard, we shot takes with an innocent mindset and a guilty mindset so I could take on both personas.’

American Manhunt OJ: Simpson will be released on Netflix on January 29.

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