By Alex Chrisman
It is difficult to overstate just how big of a deal the criminal murder trial of Orenthal James Simpson was in 1995. Teachers wheeled those once ubiquitous media trolleys into classrooms (this happened in my middle school so we all got a lesson in the criminal justice system before entering high school) with the big CRT televisions on top in order to not miss a moment. The electronics sections of Sears and Kmart locations across the country were tuned in. The not-guilty verdict was aired live in Times Square. It was a BIG DEAL.
I’m not going to rehash the trial here. If you don’t know about it, or you need a refresher, I highly recommend the Netflix series “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson.” Stop reading now and go watch it, if true crime is your jam.
This article is the first in a series I’ll be writing about enduring mysteries, focusing on those where one or two simple details, often objects, might allow the question to be resolved. Please subscribe to Cornucopia Digest if you like so that you don’t miss any of the mysteries.
In this case, there is one object in the Simpson case that might have changed everything. The vital evidence is thought to consist of about six to eight inches of high-quality stainless steel, likely with a wooden, rubberized or synthetic grip, with a razor-sharp point. A combat knife, possibly of the Ka-Bar variety. This is the alleged murder weapon, according to the coroner’s findings, which may have been used to brutally stab Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman on that infamous night.
On the night of the crime, limo driver Allan Park said that Simpson was carrying a small bag. This bag was never seen again and may have contained the murder weapon.
Detectives searched the grounds of Simpson’s hotel (O’Hare Plaza) and a vacant lot nearby looking for a knife or any other evidence, such as the small bag. Nothing was found.
A ka-bar knife from the US Marine Corps. The alleged weapon might have been of this type (Creative Commons –https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbowen/4121917051/)
It is almost certain that a knife was used in this crime. Unless the knife was melted down, which is unlikely given the short timeframe that OJ had before he boarded his flight to Chicago, that knife likely still physically exists somewhere in this world. If it was thrown away, it might be under a thick layer of garbage. If it were buried, it might be excavated one day. If it is ever found, where it is found matters. If it went to a landfill, the nature of that environment, with household chemicals present, would likely destroy any DNA. However, if it were buried in relatively dry soil, there very well could still be DNA. If the knife is in a Ziplock bag or other container, the odds of finding DNA increase significantly. Even if degraded, the DNA could still be definitively linked to the case.
The knife is not the only singular factor that could definitively solve this case, if not for circumstance. Nicole Brown Simpson’s dog Kato (named after the famous houseguest) was found with blood on its fir. Notably, Kato the Dog did not attack whomever killed Nicole and Ron – this might imply the dog was familiar with the attacker. Needless to say, the dog was not interviewed by police, but to the extent a dog can, Kato knew who committed the crime. He passed in 2004, having never been able to speak about what he had seen. OJ Simpson died of cancer in April 2024. He did not offer a deathbed confession, although many point to his book, If I Did It, as his confession. The basic reason was jealous rage, according to the book.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/oj-simpson-case-mystery-surrounding-found-murder-weapon/story?id=37405650