A lawyer for Ron Goldman’s family is speaking out after O.J. Simpson, who was accused of murdering Goldman in 1994, died at age 76.
Simpson “died without penance,” the attorney said in a statement on Thursday, April 11, according to AP.
Simpson’s family confirmed his death on Thursday following a battle with cancer.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” read a statement shared via X. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
While Simpson originally gained fame as an NFL star, his time in the public eye also included controversy. He was linked to the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman, who was a friend of Brown Simpson.
Brown Simpson, who was 35 at the time of her death, and Goldman, who was only 25, were fatally stabbed in California, and Simpson was subsequently arrested.
Following the trial of the century — which has since been documented in FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson — Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in 1995. He was later found guilty for wrongful death and battery against Goldman in a civil suit.
More than 20 years after Goldman’s death, his family reflected on the civil case against Simpson and how the criminal trial still haunts them.
“Despite us winning, it left us very empty. But I think it set an upward path for other victims and survivors. And I think it gave a lot of room for people to start rebuilding and healing when you get to be in the driver’s seat,” Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, said during a February 2017 appearance on Good Morning America. “I still, to this day, have a hard time with the fact that he wasn’t found guilty in the criminal trial. Everything was there. Everything was in place. But too much other junk got involved.”
Ron’s sister, Kim Goldman, added that there is still “no escaping it,” referring to the onslaught of coverage over her brother and Brown Simpson’s murders in the media.
“There’s been a lot of shows and a lot of programs and movies. … I don’t want to keep debating evidence,” she said on GMA. “I don’t want to keep rehashing testimony. I don’t want to keep justifying and defending.”
The family also reflected on how upsetting it is that Ron’s life was cut short and all his “dreams” weren’t able to “come to fruition.”
Kim noted that while the sadness “lingers,” at least she can see her late sibling through her own children. “I have a 13-year-old son that has similar mannerisms,” she explained. “Sometimes he’ll do something I’m like, ‘God, my brother, used to do that.’ Or he has a freckle pattern that reminds me of my brother.”
While Ron’s death will stick with his loved ones forever, Simpson did eventually wind up behind bars for a different crime.
Simpson was arrested in 2007 and found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery the following year. He was sentenced to serve nine to 33 years in prison.
The disgraced athlete was released on parole in December 2021 after serving the minimum sentence.
Earlier this year, Simpson made headlines when it was reported that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Simpson denied in February that he was in hospice care, telling his social media followers at the time that he was “hosting a ton of friends for the Super Bowl” that month.
Simpson’s final X post was posted on Super Bowl Sunday, showing him wearing a San Francisco 49ers jersey in support of the team playing the Kansas City Chiefs, who ultimately won.
Simpson is survived by kids Arnelle, Jason, Aaren, whom he shared with first wife Marguerite Whitley, and Sydney and Justin, whom he welcomed with late ex-wife Brown Simpson.
