OJ Simpson: Former Attorney Says Buried Knife Is ‘Not A Legal Development’

OJ Simpson has been in the headlines quite a bit in recent weeks due to the premiere of the show American Crime Story, which takes a look at the events surrounding the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. Now, he’s in the news for a very different, shocking reason: the discovery of a knife that was found buried on OJ’s former property years ago.

The details surrounding the discovery of the knife have been a bit cloudy since the news broke. A construction worker reportedly found it buried on the property and handed it over to an off-duty police officer, who allegedly kept it for years with the intention of framing it. Now that it’s been given to police, it’s being tested for DNA evidence. However, experts say that it’s a utility knife, which is inconsistent with the type of weapon used in the murders of Goldman and Simpson, and OJ’s former attorney says that this is not a legal development.

“Right now the knife is not a legal development at all. You’ve got to go back in time here and find out what really occurred here. Was this really found at Rockingham? Was it really turned over to a law enforcement officer? Did a law enforcement officer really keep what could’ve been the lynchpin piece of evidence in the most infamous case ever in our lifetimes under wraps for the last 20 years?” says Yale Galanter, who represented OJ Simpson during his 2008 trial for armed robbery.

Even if DNA evidence was found on the knife, Simpson can’t be tried for the same crime twice. However, it’s an interesting piece of a sordid puzzle that captivated the nation in the ’90s. As for the officer who kept the knife — he has since retired and only revealed he was in possession of the knife when he was looking for the case number for the murders — it’s unclear at this time whether he will face charges for not turning over potential evidence.

“I would think that an LAPD officer — if this story is accurate — any time you come into contact with evidence you should and shall submit that into evidence,” said LAPD Capt. Andrew Neiman.

OJ Simpson was acquitted of the murders, which got a very mixed reaction from the public, but is currently serving a 33-year sentence for the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas in 2008. Simpson claimed they had items that had been stolen from him, but a jury found Simpson and Clarence Stewart guilty of 12 charges, including kidnapping.

OJ’s attorneys said at the time that they believed some members of the jury still held prejudices against Simpson from the murder trial and that he could not have received a fair trial, but a judge disagreed. However, Ronald Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, said he was thrilled that Simpson had received a prison sentence.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see that the potential is that he could spend the rest of his life in jail, where the scumbag belongs. Right now, there is not much more to say other than we’re going to wait to find out what else happens.”

There has been a renewed interest in the Simpson case lately, especially since a new generation is revisiting the story due to the involvement of the Kardashians. Robert Kardashian was famously close with OJ and Nicole Brown Simpson around the time of the murders, and their children were close as well. Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Rob are all featured on the FX series along with their father (played by David Schwimmer) and mom Kris (played by Selma Blair).

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]