Footage captures public reaction after O.J. Simpson was acquitted for the murder of his ex-wife
Topics: Crime, Film and TV, US News, Documentaries
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: REED SAXON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / X/@Morbidful
Topics: Crime, Film and TV, US News, Documentaries
Footage filmed across the US shows members of the public reacting to the verdict handed down in OJ Simpson's murder trial.
People everywhere were captivated by Simpson's trial in 1995, after he was accused of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and waiter Ron Goldman.
Simpson married Nicole in 1985, and the couple went on to welcome two children before their split in 1992.
Advert
Two years later, on 12 June, 1994, Nicole returned home from a Los Angeles restaurant after having dinner with her family.
Goldman, who had worked at the restaurant, went to the home to return a pair of glasses Nicole's mother had left behind.
Around midnight, both Nicole and Goldman were found stabbed to death.
Simpson was found to have been in LA that evening, but he took a late flight to Chicago before returning the next day.
After being interviewed by police, Simpson was ordered to surrender - a move which led to the infamous car chase in a white Ford Bronco.
Almost 100 million Americans tuned in to watch the car chase; desperate to keep up to date with the shocking turn of events in the life of the football star.
Simpson was ultimately arrested, but his defense team argued he had been wrongly accused.
Americans across the country continued to watch the case unfold, captivated as Simpson was asked to put on a pair of gloves believed to have been worn by the killer, only to show they didn't fit properly.
During his closing argument, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran told the jury: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."
However, prosecutors pointed to numerous pieces of evidence to make their case, including blood from the crime scene found in Simpson's car.
On 3 October, 1995, the jury in the case returned its verdict: Simpson was not guilty on all counts.
Captivated viewers watched the verdict be delivered, and footage showed on an Investigation Discovery documentary showed their reactions when he was acquitted.
Many men and women of all ages appeared to pray for Simpson's acquittal, and when the news broke they jumped up, cheered, hugged and clapped.
Others, however, didn't appear so happy, instead looking shocked and disappointed at the verdict.
The murders of Nicole and Goldman remain unsolved, and in 1997 a civil jury found Simpson liable for wrongful death in relation to the double murder.
As a result, the footballer Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the surviving family members of Brown and Goldman.