O.J. Simpson, though found not guilty of the crime of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, has never been thought of as innocent - at least by many. With 18 years having passed, and the murder weapon never found, the latest rumor in the case is that Simpson is attempting to sell the knife involved.
The report - unsubstantiated - came on Thursday from the National Enquirer. Simpson is reportedly trying to get $5 million for the weapon, in cash, so that the money can't be linked to him. "He's looking for a strictly cash deal so that the money can be deposited in offshore accounts and can't be traced directly to him," a source, described only as someone close to the NFL Hall-of-Famer, told the Enquirer.
While Simpson was found not guilty of the double murder in 1995, he was later found liable for wrongful death in a civil case - which requires a much lower standard - and was ordered to pay $33 million to the victim’s families.
The source believes the former NFL star, who currently serving time for armed robbery as a result of what Simpson claimed was an attempt to retrieve stolen memorabilia, has held onto the knife since the murder trial.
The source said, “O.J. said he’d reveal the location once a firm deal - for a minimum of $5 million - was reached."
Speculation is that Simpson needs the money for his parole hearing for his armed robbery conviction. He is eligible for parole in 2017.
Despite all this, "It’s not just about the money,” the source said. “O.J. will get sick satisfaction from putting one over on the cops and Ron Goldman’s family. He’d love to think he’s outsmarted them.”
Meanwhile, Patrick McKenna, the West Palm Beach private detective hired by Simpson's legal team during the murder trial said he felt that the accusations were ludicrous. "The extent of the search for that knife was phenomenal. It just defies logic that he would have the knife. In my opinion, he is and always has been innocent."
At 12:10 a.m. on June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found murdered outside Brown's Bundy Drive condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California. O.J. and Nicole had divorced two years prior.
Evidence found and collected at the scene led police to suspect that O.J. Simpson was the murderer, but in a controversial trial and decision, Simpson was found not guilty.
