josh mankiewicz (voiceover): day one of what was being called the trial of the century.

it's no exaggeration to say, it felt as if the whole world was watching. we're very ready. we've been ready for a long. reporter: did you prepare all weekend for this? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): it was just six months after the murders of nicole brown and ron goldman, oj simpson was facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted. now, the two sides would finally square off. a team of tough but largely unknown la county prosecutors armed with a seemingly airtight case, rich in dna evidence, pitted against some of the most famous defense lawyers in the country, whose plan was simple, put the police and their investigation on trial. at least one member of the defense team had said that behind the scenes, they often butted heads. but somehow, they managed to come together and pick a jury, as simpson attorney carl douglas revealed to "dateline." we had done focus groups pre-trial, and it said clearly that african-american women

would be our best jurors. they would know and understand how black men are treated by police. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in the end, the panel that was picked included eight black women. we were so pleased because this was a jury that johnny could speak to and had spoken to for his entire career. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): perhaps the most thrilled of all was simpson himself. oj looked back on that jury and said, gee whiz, guys. if this jury convicts me, maybe i did do it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): presiding over the trial would be judge lance ito, a former prosecutor who'd been on the bench for six years. this blood drop that you see here, marked with the item number 112, matches the defendant. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the heart of the prosecution's case was all that blood and dna evidence, which pointed squarely at oj simpson. but first, prosecutors detailed simpson and nichole's

troubled, sometimes violent, relationship, which they said culminated in her murder. and in that final and terrible act, ronald goldman, an innocent bystander, was viciously and senselessly murdered. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): later, denise brown gave the jury a chilling account of how simpson brutalized nicole right in front of her. he picked her up, throw against a wall. picked her up, threw her out of the house. was it tough to go in there and recount what you had seen? yeah, it was. i just lost my sister. yeah, everything was just right there. i mean, just so fresh. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): prosecutors also focused on the timeline of the murders to show that simpson was alone and unaccounted for for at least an hour, enough time to kill ron and nicole. marcia clark: people call him mr. kaelin. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): kato kaelin took the stand to testify about that night

he was with simpson. but first, came one of those kato moments. marcia clark: did you think that your friendship with him, your acquaintanceship, especially living on his property, might send acting roles your way? i didn't think that. i don't think we're going for the same parts. [laughter] i was just being me. it wasn't about the spotlight. it was just how i am. whose side was kato kaelin on? oh, that's a great question. he certainly wasn't on ours. he was on kato's side. that would be my opinion. from the very start, he was very clearly withholding information. and you didn't think he had anything to do with it? no. what he was doing was sticking his finger in the air, seeing which way the wind was blowing and saying, you know what? simpson's not going to get convicted, and i'm going to be the one who is standing by his side, and he'll take care of me. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): kaelin told us he cooperated fully, and answered everything clark asked. and at trial, he did detail a critical sequence of events

before and after the murders. from the trip he and simpson took to mcdonald's, to those three strange sounds he heard at 10:45 pm. sounds investigators believed simpson made when returning home after killing ron and nicole. marcia clark: can you demonstrate for us how loud it was? somewhat yes. marcia clark: go ahead. yeah, go ahead. and where did that noise seem to be coming from? from the back of the wall. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): kato kaelin had come to hollywood looking for fame. what he found was something more powerful, longer lasting, and ultimately upsetting. suddenly, you are a key witness in a very high-profile murder trial. what's that like? well, considering that i have never been in court before, i never had a parking ticket or speeding ticket, the first time in a courtroom is for a double homicide, it was--

it was probably the scariest moment in my entire life. and also, everything that you ever done in your life became out to the public. this is not what you wanted, i'm sure. i would never think, in a billion years, that this was going to be my life, how i was going to be involved, at one time, being a kid watching football, knowing who oj simpson was, how my life would just roll like, i'm living with oj simpson's house. this is-- oj simpson is up for trial of murder, and kato kaelin is this guy in the guest house. i don't know how it happened. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): kato kaelin wasn't alone. another person's life had collided with oj simpson's that night. but this man was eager to testify. skip junis was at the airport the night of the murders to pick up his wife who worked for american airlines. it was 11:30 pm, just an hour after ron and nichole had been killed. a limousine pulled up and oj simpson

got out of the limousine. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): junis says he had a clear view of simpson, but simpson, he says, never saw him. he was carrying this little, cheap gym bag. he only zipped it a few inches, just enough to get his hand in, and was pulling things out and dumping them in the trash can. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): back then, junis didn't think too much of it as he watched simpson empty that little black bag, and then hustle inside. by the time police learned what junis had seen, it was too late for them to go through the trash. but junis did draw a picture of the bag for detectives. you think he was disposing of the evidence then? sure. of course, i do. that witness has evidence. they have no reason to discount him or anything else. it was an entirely credible story. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): so credible that junis was subpoenaed to testify. but like a lot of the prosecution's case, things wouldn't go quite according to plan,

and the defense was just getting started. coming up. carl douglas: it was a stunning time, one that will go down in the annal of history, i suggest. i did not want him to try on the evidence gloves. whose call was that? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): when "dateline" continues. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! not coughing? hashtag still not coughing?! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season. why just give a gift, when you can give a gift with meaning? shutterfly, make something that means something. enjoy 40% off your order with code gifts40. order now for holiday delivery. when you sleep more deeply, you wake up more energized. introducing purple's new mattresses. our unique gel flex grid draws away heat, helping you fall asleep faster.

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josh mankiewicz (voiceover): from morning shows to late night television, judge lance ito's courtroom was now part of our popular culture. it was oj every day. products, pundits, and a whole new class of tv shows talking about everything that happened that day in court. but if the audience loved it, 12 jurors didn't see it because they were sequestered, confined to this high-rise hotel a few blocks from the courthouse. lon cryer was one of the jurors who actually decided the case. for 265 days, more than eight months, their lives were limited to a courtroom and a hotel room. with no tv, no phone, no radios, no nothing. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): isolated, bored, often lonely. there was nothing glamorous about being a juror on the trial of the century.

and i think you'll be very happy with the entertainment that we'll provide for you this weekend. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): there were occasional off-day outings around town. and there was one business trip when the jury was taken on a tour of the crime scene and simpson's rockingham estate. but what the jurors didn't know was that before that visit, defense attorney carl douglas had gone into simpson's house for a little redecorating. carl douglas: we wanted to make the rockingham location look lived in and stand with all of its regalness so that the jurors would say, oj simpson would not have risked all of this for this woman. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): changes included photos of simpson with white women that were swapped out for pictures of him with black people. and a bedside photo of simpson's mother that was now placed in prominent view.

this is not tampering with evidence? this is not tampering with evidence, no. this is simply making his house presentable. like washing the floors. like putting the bible out for everybody to see? like putting flowers in to make the house more presentable. if there is no objection, so be it. you wanted to win. if it's not called, i'm trying to get the optimum advantage to win. they play hardball in the big leagues. this was the big leagues. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and there was a lot more hardball to be played, starting with that evidence cops had collected at the crime scene, and at simpson's estate. the defense knew how to dismiss it, quickly and cleverly, with just four little words. garbage in, garbage out. garbage in garbage out became the strategy. if there was evidence that was contaminated or corrupted, then the results and the conclusions could not be trusted.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): for example, a key blood sample that wasn't collected from the crime scene until three weeks after the murder. then defense dna expert barry scheck pounced on the lapd's dennis fung, accusing him and a colleague of mishandling evidence. there. there. how about that, mr. fung? the defense came in and just whittled in, piece by piece, little by little. many people who watched the trial said that the jury was bored by the lengthy dna evidence. put yourself there, and you're sitting there, you're listening to this stuff over and over. and i'm not going to lie to you, it was somewhat boring. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): boring, and apparently, not resonating with the jury, whose silent expressions sent a loud message to marcia clark. that trial was a nightmare for me every single day i had had so many days of going back up to my office and feeling like, we're toast.

it's over. there's no way. because remember, i'm watching the jury all day, every day. what was the bigger problem? the defense suggesting that because of race, the dna evidence had been tampered with? or was dna back then just too hard and too boring for the jury to understand? it was the former. it was definitely the race issue. so the dna was not the problem. the problem was, the jury didn't want to believe. and so at the end of the day, you can't make someone believe something they don't want to believe. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but there was plenty of other evidence besides dna that the prosecution never showed the jury, like the police interview with simpson, or his emotional farewell note, and the ensuing bronco chase. those were critical lost opportunities, says detective tom lange. i had a problem from day one because of evidence that they didn't want to put on. and you'd say to prosecutors, what are you doing? and they would say, don't worry.

we have dna evidence. they didn't say that. they obviously implied that. we kept getting evidence, getting more and more evidence. and they weren't having anything to do with it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but clark says she was concerned that the bronco chase, simpson's police interview, and the so-called suicide note might play sympathetically to the jury. i have to look for the most objective evidence i can. i can't go to them and say, this is what i think. because any of these kind of dicey moves-- and that's a dicey move-- the statement he gave the cops, the, "suicide" note that he wrote. so i had enough solid evidence without taking risks with evidence like that. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): enough evidence that even eyewitness skip junis, the man who said he spotted simpson emptying his gym bag at the airport soon after the murders, was never called to testify. and neither was kris jenner, who wanted to tell the jury how nicole feared for her life. reporter: her knowing that she was going to be murdered,

do you believe that she knew? she knew. reporter: how do you know? she told me. reporter: what did she say to you? he's going to kill me, and he's going to get away with it. you couldn't put her on the stand because what? that's hearsay? yeah. yeah. that would be hearsay. under the circumstances that nicole was speaking to kris jenner, we couldn't get it in. i would have been happy to put her on the stand, believe me. i think she would have been a great witness, but-- josh mankiewicz (voiceover): we've talked a lot about the evidence the prosecution could have brought into the case. but there was something they probably should have left out. it would prove to be especially devastating to the case, a self-inflicted wound from which prosecutors probably never recovered. the people would ask that mr. simpson step forward and try on the glove recovered at bundy, as well as the glove recovered at rockingham. man: that's people 77. that was not my call. i did not want him to try on the evidence gloves. i never did. whose call was that? that was chris's call.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): chris was co-prosecutor christopher darden. i was miserable from the moment that chris said, no, i'm doing this. and i never expected anything good to come of it. man: you having a problem placing the glove on? the only thing i could assume at that time was, it's not the right gloves, because they didn't fit. carl douglas: it was a stunning time. one that will go down in the annal of history, i suggest. as one of the dumbest moves ever by any prosecutor? ever. you never try a demonstration if you're not sure what's going to happen. the gloves at rockingham and bundy don't fit. do you understand that? don't fit. and they can never make them fit. bye. [shouting] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and the prosecution knew it, too, just a little too late, as chris darden told nbc news in 1996. they should have fit him. my glove expert said they would fit him. they were his gloves, they had his blood on them,

the victim's blood on them. it's something that, because it did not come off perfectly, yeah, i wish i hadn't done it. you say to darden that night, i told you so? no. darden said to me, i'm sorry. and i said, it's ok. if that lost the case for us, we were never going to win anyway. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): coming up. detective mark fuhrman is caught on tape putting the prosecution on the defense. it was mind boggling. are you guys, like, you know, hoisting champagne glasses when you listened to those tapes? it was manna from heaven. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and those dramatic closing arguments-- if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): --when "dateline" continues.

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hm, hmm. laying] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the 4th of july weekend of 1995 had just passed, but the fireworks were only beginning in johnny cochran's office. that day, as usual, several anonymous tips had been phoned in. most were dead ends, but one caught the attention of defense investigator pat mckenna. little did he realize then, but mckenna was about to become a key player in the most explosive and pivotal part of the case. all because of one cryptic phone message which read-- fuhrman tapes, n-word, things like that.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): detective mark fuhrman, the handsome, confident cop who had discovered the bloody glove at rockingham. so mckenna followed up with the man who left the message about fuhrman, which led him to a woman named laura hart mckinny, a screenwriter who'd consulted with fuhrman on a script about police work. and their conversations were recorded. a few weeks later, the tapes arrived at cochran's office. johnnie was very careful about those tapes, locking them in his safe where only he had the combination. because it was just so explosive. this is mark fuhrman on the tape. i've heard it myself. it is his voice, and it is chilling. it was mind boggling what we'd heard. he used the n-word so much, that became insignificant.

are you guys, like, you know, hoisting champagne glasses when you listened to those tapes? it was manna from heaven. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but for the prosecution, the fuhrman tapes were pure hell. it was horrifying-- horrifying. and listening to that tape, it was like having a sewer unload on your head. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): fuhrman insisted the conversations were no more than the basis for a movie. is this really what the reality of a democracy is? that we use a fictional screenplay to prosecute one man for doing too good of a job on a murder case and acquitting another? i just think it's absolutely absurd. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): absurd to detective fuhrman, but it was live ammunition for simpson's attorneys. the defense maintained that fuhrman was a racist cop who, in an effort to frame simpson, planted the bloody glove at his estate. undermine fuhrman, went there thinking,

and the entire lapd investigation would be in doubt. now, judge ito made a controversial ruling that would greatly benefit simpson's defense. he allowed two excerpts from the fuhrman tapes to be presented before the jury. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): fuhrman, who had testified previously and denied using the n-word, was then called back to court to answer for what he said on those tapes. judge ito: all right, detective fuhrman, would you resume the witness stand, please? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): this time, fuhrman, accompanied by his lawyer, didn't have much to say. except-- i wish to assert my fifth amendment privilege. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): three times, fuhrman invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination as the defense grilled him, saving their best question for last. man: detective fuhrman, did you plant or manufacture

any evidence in this case? i assert my fifth amendment privilege. it was terrible. it was terrible. the glove demonstration, to me, paled into insignificance after that. it's not good when you're handicapping a murder trial afterwards, and you're comparing which-- which part of your case was the biggest disaster. throughout the trial, it felt like one minefield after another. and every day, we'd walk into court and something else was blowing up. attorney: my client's already answered that. i was pissed-- pissed. when someone asks you that, under those circumstances, it's, no. hell no. i do not plant evidence. that's the response. when you plead the fifth, it's all over, whether you did it or not. did fuhrman sink the prosecution when he did that? he sunk the case. it was just a gift to the defense? sure. it's over. it's over. it's not the fuhrman trial. if you want to accuse this man of planting evidence, you show me how he did it. i assert my fifth amendment privilege.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): this part of fuhrman's testimony was heard outside the presence of the jury. all right, thank you, sir. thank you, your honor. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but juror lon cryer had already heard enough from detective fuhrman to form an opinion about him and his role in the investigation. in my mind, i started saying, well, he planted the-- the gloves and the hat. he had plenty of opportunity to do it. and because this investigation wasn't 100% by the book-- that means i can't-- josh mankiewicz: --something nefarious went on? it means that i can't convict someone of murder. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): prosecutors had one last chance, closing arguments. for five hours, marcia clark reviewed that trail of evidence from bundy to rockingham. clear proof, she said, that simpson killed nicole and ron. and you know he did it. now, these murders did not occur in a vacuum. they occurred in the context of a stormy relationship, a relationship that was scarred by violence and abuse.

it wasn't my best. it wasn't. i was tired. i was demoralized. by the time i got to actually talk to the jury, i thought, are you hearing anything? i don't know if you're hearing anything. i don't know. it just didn't feel like anybody cared. stop this cover up. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then it was johnnie cochran's turn. if you don't stop it, then who? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): it was classic cochran as he delivered that iconic line which would forever define the trial. if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): so with cochran's speech ringing in their ears, the exhausted jury would now decide the fate of orenthal james simpson. but it turns out, most of them had already made up their minds. coming up. you have reached a verdict in this case, is that correct, madam foreman? madam foreman: yes. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): an eight month trial decided in less than four hours, leaving millions

to ask, was justice done? it was physically painful. that was not justice. you blame yourself for this? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): when "dateline" continues. go-friends, gather! keke! chris! jason! boop! friends. let's go, let's go, friends! hold onto your dice. woohoo!! -nice frosting, pratt. -thank you! how we doin', keke? tastes like money to me. i can't go back to jail! wait, did you rob my bank? -hehe. -are we winning!? -ha ha ha! -oh boy! yeah! money, power, friendship. let's go! no more gross cough syrup.

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i am jessica layton. we have new video that appears to show the moment the three americans freed from chinese prisons arrived back home at lackland air force base in texas. they were exchange for chinese detainees in the u.s. amid rising tensions, president putin is praising the incoming administration calling president elect trump a, quote, intelligent and already quite experienced person. for now, back to dateline. [music playing] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the spectacle on national television was over. now, the fate of oj simpson would be settled behind closed doors by 12 people, who had all

endured eight long months of a grueling trial and sequestration. but as deliberations began, lon cryer, a.k.a. juror number six, was antsy. you wanted out of there? all i could think of. in my mind, i had formed an opinion that i'm probably going to go not guilty. i'm also worried that, am i the only person saw it that way? josh mankiewicz (voiceover): cryer and the 11 other jurors took their first straw vote. oh, wow. 10 to 2 for acquittal. and i went in the restroom, and i went-- i did one of those oh, yes kind of things. and it wasn't because of the 10-2 verdict. it was because i'm close to getting out of here. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): two votes now spelled the difference between both simpson and the jury finally going home. i was open to someone showing

a differing view that maybe could have changed my view. the two jurors who voted for guilty, what? they didn't try to win anybody else over? not at all. josh mankiewicz: they didn't stick with it? lon cryer: not at all. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and that mountain of dna evidence was apparently not part of the deliberations. nothing about the dna actually even came up in discussion. josh mankiewicz: during jury deliberations, the dna evidence wasn't even mentioned? as fast as this went, no, it never came up. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and a short time later, a second vote. an eight-month trial decided in less than four hours. you have reached a verdict in this case, is that correct, madam foreman? madam foreman: yes. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): it would be announced the next day. i was convinced-- convinced he was going to be found guilty. all right, mrs. robertson, would you-- do you have the envelope with the sealed verdict forms, please? - yes, your honor. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then the next day, the jury, the families, detectives, and attorneys arrived at judge ito's courtroom

for the very last time. i saw johnnie in the courtroom, and he looked pretty upset. and i said, what are you worried about? you won. and he said, well, he didn't think he had. the funny thing is, all the pundits, that night before the verdict came in, were predicting a conviction. everyone. everyone. but not you? nope. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): as we gathered to watch, everything else seemed to stop. an estimated 150 million of us tuned in, costing the economy nearly half $1 billion in lost productivity. trading on the new york stock exchange plummeted 41%. and president clinton was briefed on security measures in case riots occurred not only in la, but nationwide. madam foreman: superior court of california county-- josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then finally, at 10:00 am pacific time on october 3rd 1995, eight months of trial came to this.

madam foreman: we the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant, orenthal james simpson, not guilty of the crime-- kim goldman: when she read nichole's verdict first and they said, not guilty, i remember thinking, shh. shh. shh. they haven't read ron's yet, thinking, for some crazy reason that my brother's verdict would be different. madam foreman: simpson not guilty of the crime of murder in violation of penal code section 180-7a, a felony, upon ronald lyle goldman, a human being. kim goldman: and then i lost it. i don't know why i thought it would be a different verdict. i know i was pissed. but you just go, wow, is this really our justice system? it was unbelievable. it seemed really obvious to me that it was going to be guilty, especially when you combine all the evidence. you know, all the things that strung out in that story for it to be that verdict was just kind of amazing. woman: juror number 11 as to count--

felt horrible. it was physically painful, you know. that was not justice. and i thought of ron and nicole and i thought, this is wrong. it's so wrong. you blame yourself for this? you know, i always do. i do. i mean, i was the one trying the case. but at the end of the day, there was no way to reach that jury. there was no way to make them believe. there really wasn't. madam foreman: as to count one-- it wasn't so much that i thought he was just totally innocent, it's just that i don't feel that there was enough evidence presented to me to convict him. [shouting] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): one verdict, two reactions, divided by color across the country. civil rights attorney, connie rice. it was about race and class and justice in la for black people. and this was a chance to strike back, and this jury did.

josh mankiewicz (voiceover): for the first time in more than 15 months, oj simpson was a free man. fred goldman, as he'd done so many times before, spoke for the families. last june 13, '94, was the worst nightmare of my life. this is the second. [music playing] honest to god, that's one of those moments of little blur, crying, and shock, and anger, and-- all shoved together. and then we left with nothing after nine months resolved, settled. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): america's newly insatiable appetite for trial binge watching

had ended without simpson getting the just desserts many had hoped for. but this would not be the last we'd see or hear of orenthal james simpson, because simpson would soon be back in court. and this time, things would be quite different. coming up-- i wanted a court to say, he was-- he was guilty. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): --oj simpson on the spot-- we had it sent out to a lab for authentication. came back, this is a real picture. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): --and under oath. the deposition turned out to be a gold mine for us because he made so many inconsistent statements. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): --when "dateline" continues. billy: one second, grandma. this guy is going to buy my car. okay? grandma: you need carvana... entering plate number... grandma: no accidents, right? billy: no. grandma: generating offer... carvana can pick it up tomorrow! billy: that's an amazing offer. announcer: sell your car the easy way with carvana.

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ying] josh mankiewicz (voiceover): from the county jail to the country club, it didn't take oj simpson long to get back to his old life. on the links and on camera, simpson was everywhere saying he was eager to clear his name. watching and seething were the families of nicole and ron. you know, here's this arrogant murderer, you know, flaunting his celebrity. kept saying he was looking for the real killers on every fairway in america. and every time he looked in the mirror at home, he had found him. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but fred goldman still wanted justice, even if it meant simpson remained free.

i wanted a court to say he was he was guilty. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): no court could do that now, but a civil court could find simpson liable for killing ron and nicole. and that meant filing a wrongful death lawsuit. if simpson lost, he wouldn't go to prison, but he might have to pay damages to the families. of course, this wasn't about the money. for us, the pursuit of justice is incredibly important to the honor and integrity of what my brother went through the night that he was stabbed to death. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the goldman's hired a relatively unknown attorney named dan petrocelli to represent them. he had never handled a case that involved murder. mr. goldman's on the phone speaking with me and he said, would you like to come talk to me? when i met with him and we ended up talking to the wee hours of the morning, i was convinced to a moral certainty

that his only interest was vindicating the death of his son. he wanted to brand oj simpson as the man who killed his son. petrocelli would argue the case here in santa monica, where a jury would be selected from a largely white population. and unlike in the criminal case, the burden of proof was lower. this jury wouldn't have to agree unanimously on a verdict. and as a matter of law, oj simpson would have no choice but to testify in pre-trial depositions, and the trial itself. and that meant simpson would have to answer for all the dna evidence, his abuse of nicole, and something that surfaced in the "national enquirer." one of the lead pages is a picture of simpson walking, and one of his feet were elevated. and they had circled the shoe that he was wearing and said, that was a bruno magli shoe. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): during the original investigation, the bloody shoe prints at the crime scene were matched to this exact type

of italian shoe. now, thanks to the photo, petrocelli could put the shoes on simpson. then we had it sent out to a lab for authentication to a top photographic forensic guy. and came back, this is a real picture. and then we were able to take the elevated shoe and magnify it to the point where we could see the soul underneath it. and the soul matched perfectly to the shoe impressions. and suddenly, you have a piece of evidence prosecutors didn't have? correct. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in january 1996, simpson arrived at petrocelli's office for a deposition that would be videotaped, putting the attorney face to face with his boyhood idol. by that point, i knew he was a stone-cold killer. but he extended his hand out for me to shake it, and i just couldn't resist. i shook his hand.

i've always regretted that, that i literally shook the hand of-- that probably wielded the knife that killed my client's son and killed his ex-wife. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): but that was as friendly as it ever got. for 13 days, petrocelli grilled simpson about the night of the crime, the cut on his finger, and the shoes. the deposition turned out to be a gold mine for us because he made so many inconsistent statements. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): then in october 1996, oj simpson would tell his story to a jury as the civil trial got underway. no tv cameras, and no discussion of racist cops planting evidence. it was a different kind of trial. it was a trial based on evidence. it was all about facts. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and the primary witness in this case was oj simpson himself, who had no choice

but to take the stand. he had no answers, no explanations why his dna and his hair and his fiber of his clothing were there at the crime scene. why the victim's blood was in his house. why the victim's blood was in his car. this is evidence that would put people away in three seconds, in most cases. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and near the end of the trial, another devastating wave of evidence, more photos of simpson wearing the same bruno mali shoes, 30 more pictures. dan petrocelli: it really put the ultimate lie to simpson. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and now, a jury would decide. after deliberating five days, they had a verdict. it was unanimous. reporter: the jury has decided, yes, oj simpson did willfully and wrongfully caused the death of ron goldman. [cheering] [applause] i just remember sheer relief. and i turned around and hugged fred, and he had tears streaming down his eyes, as did i.

[cheering] [applause] fred goldman: i so you smile that day. yeah. finally had a court say, he did it. it was only confirmation of what we knew, but he did it. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the families were awarded $33.5 million in damages, of which they've only received a fraction. but simpson lost what was left of his reputation. [booing] that aside, he again walked out of court a free man. it turned out, justice was coming for oj simpson in ways he never imagined. coming up, oj simpson in criminal court again. this time, the verdict is different. i'm going to sentence you as follows. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): now, decades later, what else has changed, when "dateline" continues.

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ying] don't go to far, sweet heart. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): 2007, oj simpson was still living the good life, having relocated to florida. that year, he took a trip to las vegas, after which, his life would never be the same. in september, simpson was arrested and later charged with robbery, assault, and kidnapping for breaking into a hotel room with several armed men. he claimed to be taking back his personal memorabilia which

had been stolen, but he was heard saying he wanted to keep it away from the goldman's. i'm going to sentence you as follows. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and exactly 13 years to the day that he was acquitted of the murders in brentwood, simpson was convicted, and later, sentenced to up to 33 years. oj simpson was released on parole in 2017 after serving nine years. as for the murders of nicole brown simpson and ron goldman, since neither mr. simpson nor anyone else was convicted, police say the case remains open. if new evidence is presented, they'll look into it, but they're not actively investigating. quite a bit has changed in the decades since that horrible night in brentwood. it doesn't fit, you must acquit. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): the man who helped acquit simpson, johnnie cochran, died in 2005. simpson's friend and attorney robert kardashian also passed

away two years earlier. lapd detective phil vannatter also died in 2012. we don't have any answers right now. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): his partner, tom lange, is now retired. it is in the memory of nicole that this foundation was formed. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): denise brown became very active educating others about domestic violence. and started a speakers bureau to get the word out. kim goldman wrote a book about victims of high profile crimes, and she has a son, whose middle name is ronald. ron was a good human being. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): her father, fred, was awarded the rights to simpson's book, "if i did it, confessions of the killer," which goldman says he considers a true account of how simpson killed ron and nicole. something simpson denied. kato kaelin is still in los angeles, and among his many projects, started a clothing line. kris jenner, well, you know.

i wish to assert my fifth amendment privilege. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): as for mark fuhrman, there was never any evidence that he planted anything. however, he did plead no contest to one count of perjury for lying at trial in connection with those audiotapes, and was sentenced to three years probation. since then, fuhrman has appeared as a commentator on the fox news channel. neither marcia clark nor chris darden ever tried another case for the da's office. clark went on to practice law as an appellate attorney. she's also the author of more than 10 books, including a novel entitled "blood defense," where the main character is an ambitious defense attorney. chris darden has also written several books and started his own law firm specializing in criminal defense. never answer a hypothetical question from a reporter. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): carl douglas continued practicing law, and has erected a small shrine to his mentor johnnie

cochran in his office. judge lance ito retired in 2015 after serving more than 25 years on the bench. the once mostly white lapd is now much more racially representative of the city it polices. though far from perfect, race relations have dramatically improved between the cops and the city's black community. and we hope that that injustice will be prevented in the civil trial. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): and attorney dan petrocelli moved to brentwood, not far from where oj simpson once lived. simpson's rockingham estate has been sold. the new owner demolished the house in 1998 to build a new one. and nichole's condo is still there with a remodeled exterior and a new address number, but the gawking busloads of tourists have dwindled. and as for oj himself-- we are coming on the air with breaking news. just moments ago, nbc news confirmed that oj simpson

has died at the age of 76. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in april 2024, oj simpson, whose rise and fall riveted the nation died of cancer. i can't think of anyone historical or someone that we may have known where the first chapter and the second chapter of their lives are such a stark contrast. revered and then reviled. josh mankiewicz (voiceover): oj simpson may be gone, but his case lives on. that mountain of evidence that was supposed to guarantee a slam dunk conviction, most of it is still around, buried deep in the lapd's archives. [music playing] [music playing] hello, i'm andrea canning, and this is "dateline." all? man: are you sane?

sane?