The circumstances of the death of a football star suspected of double murder have been revealed

Former college football star, actor and notorious double murder suspect OJ Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76, his family said in a statement Thursday.

His 1995 trial and controversial acquittal in the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman have become one of the world’s most watched popular culture events of the last century, The Guardian writes.

Simpson’s death was announced on the social media page X, formerly known as Twitter, with a simple message from his family: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, passed away due to a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this transition period, his family asks that you please respect their privacy wishes.”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame said in a statement that Simpson, who died in Las Vegas, was undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer, which he disclosed to the public two months ago.

David Cook, an attorney for Goldman’s family, said in a brief statement Thursday that Simpson “died unrepentant.”

One of the most successful and popular sports stars of his generation, Simpson’s career with the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, as well as his post-retirement starring roles in Hollywood films such as The Naked Gun, ultimately were overshadowed by the 1994 killings and their aftermath.

From a low-speed car chase through Los Angeles, broadcast live, during which Simpson tried to evade pursuing police officers in a Ford Bronco, to a trial that was broadcast daily on television and attracted the attention of millions of viewers in the United States and around the world. , – all of these events marked the fusion of celebrity and crime that has since led to it becoming a staple of mainstream media.

The trial, which lasted 11 months, attracted the attention of such prominent personalities as Judge Lance Ito, lawyers Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian, as well as “Simpson guest” Kato Kaelin. In perhaps the most famous moment in the trial’s history, Simpson tried to put on the glove the prosecution said he was wearing at the time of the stabbing and Cochran told the jury: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”

The trial also took place against the backdrop of violent race riots in Los Angeles, where just three years ago there were five days of rioting and arson following the acquittal of several white police officers in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King.

African-American distrust of the Los Angeles Police Department was widespread in the city, and detectives who testified at Simpson’s trial were accused of racism. One of them, Mark Fuhrman, was infamously caught on tape, which was played to the jury using racially derogatory language and talking about planting evidence.

Detectives on the witness stand later said they felt the jury was “staring at them” and that they believed “this case will never be won” after King’s verdict.

Despite his acquittal, three years after his criminal trial, Simpson was found guilty in a civil lawsuit brought by the victims’ families and ordered to pay $33.5 million. In 2008, he was sent to prison for 15 years for a botched robbery in Las Vegas in which he attempted to forcefully return sports memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him.

Simpson got five men he barely knew into a fight with two souvenir dealers in a hotel room. Two of the men accompanying Simpson had guns. The jury found Simpson guilty of armed robbery and other felonies.

Jailed at age 61, he served nine years in a remote prison in northern Nevada, including working as a gym cleaner. He showed no remorse when he was released on parole in October 2017.

In later life, despite promising to devote the rest of his life to the relentless pursuit of those he believed to be the real killers, he declared bankruptcy and retired to Florida, where he became a regular on the golf course. State laws protected his residence from being seized to settle his civil liability, and he was accused of “living the high life” at a mansion near Miami.

In 2006, he also published a book, If I Did It, in which he described how he would have killed his ex-wife and her friend if he had been responsible for the murders. Simpson said he came to Brown’s house with a knife, argued with her, and then was shocked by Goldman’s appearance under circumstances broadly similar to those outlined by the prosecution.

In his story, Simpson claimed that he then “blacked out,” and when he regained consciousness, he discovered two bloody bodies. The book only increased suspicions of Simpson’s guilt, notes The Guardian.

Kim and Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman’s sister and father, told The Guardian in 2017 about the frustration they felt trying to recover monetary damages from him. They said they themselves were accused of racism for disagreeing with the verdict.

“They call me all kinds of names – anti-Semitic, racist, sexist. I ignore most of them,” said Kim Goldman, expressing disappointment that Simpson maintained a high public profile for years after his acquittal. “There will still be people looking for him to take pictures.” He was not as rejected by society as I thought.”

Her father agreed: “There was always someone who wanted to play golf with him, and there still will be,” he said.

In 2007, the Goldman family was awarded the rights to Simpson’s book, with the proceeds being used to pay a jury award of $33.5 million.

On Thursday, Cook, their lawyer, told The Associated Press that he had spoken with Fred Goldman about Simpson’s death and confirmed his intention to continue seeking a judgment in the civil cases.

“He died without being punished. We don’t know what he has, where it is or who is in control. We will continue in the same spirit,” he said.

The Simpson craze continued for decades after the trial. In 2016, the American sports channel ESPN aired a five-part documentary about his life, O.J.: Made in America, which won an Oscar. The Guardian’s review at the time called it a “fascinating and gripping” tale of his rise and fall.

Orenthal James Simpson was born in San Francisco and became one of the most famous and beloved football players of his time. He won the Heisman Trophy while playing for USC and then had successful stints with the 49ers and Bills.

But his athletic prowess was coupled with a burgeoning acting and media career that made him a huge celebrity in both white and black America.

While still at the University of Southern California, he appeared in the TV series “Medical Center” and then starred in such films as “The Klanman”, “Cassandra Crossing” and “The Towering Inferno”, as well as in the mini-series “Roots”, and all this, being a professional football player. After leaving his favorite sport, he starred in three comedies.

He also appeared in commercials, notably for car rental company Hertz, and at the time of the murders was perhaps the most sought-after former sports star to switch to an acting career.

Simpson leaves four living children, Arnell and Jason, both in their 50s, from his first marriage to Marguerite Whitley, and Sydney, 38, and Justin, 35, with Brown. Aren Simpson, whom he shared with Whitley, drowned in the family pool in 1979, a few weeks before her second birthday.

Simpson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year inducted, the organization said in a statement.

“OJ Simpson was the first player to reach what many thought was an unattainable 2,000-yard season in a 14-game season,” said club president Jim Porter.