Murder: True Crime Stories - SPECIAL: Nicole Brown Simpson 1 with Dr. Tristin Engels

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder shocked the world—but the warning signs were there. Dr. Tristin Engels, clinical and forensic psychologist and host of the Crime House Original podcast "Killer Minds," joins us to examine the patterns of manipulation, control, and trauma that shaped Nicole Brown Simpson’s relationship with O.J. Simpson, long before it ended in tragedy.For more true crime psychoanalysis, follow Killer Minds on ⁠Apple⁠ and ⁠Spotify⁠. Murder: True Crime Stories is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Don’t miss out on all things Murder: True Crime Stories! Instagram: @murdertruecrimepod | @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Crime House. At times, we've all felt like an afterthought. Whether it's at work, in a friendship, or with our own family, it's normal to feel overlooked sometimes. But what if the whole world thought of you in that way? How would you react? And how long before you had enough?

For years, Nicole Brown Simpson was mostly known as OJ Simpson's wife. Wherever he went, she followed, and she was happy to play the role of supportive partner, even when he got violent. Eventually though she reached her breaking point, they divorced and Nicole tried to move on. But just as she was starting to establish her own routines, find her own friends, and make her own rules, her life was cut short, but in all the chaos of what became known as the trial of the century, Nicole was often forgotten. Instead of being treated with honor and respect, her name was dragged through the mud. Despite all the work she'd done to become her own person, she was back to being a footnote in O.J.'s story. Decades later, we can change that narrative, because Nicole was more than collateral damage.

She was an innocent victim who never got the justice she deserved. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by PAVE Studios that comes out every Tuesday.

I'll be bringing awareness to stories that need to be heard, with a focus on those who are impacted. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly matters. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts.

You'll get every episode ad-free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting Crime House bonus content. This is the first of two special episodes on the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, who was killed after enduring years of abuse from her ex-husband O.J. Simpson. In the U.S., over one in three women has experienced domestic abuse, and in 2021, 34% of female murder victims were killed by their partners. Although OJ was acquitted during the criminal trial, Nicole's sisters are convinced he was her killer.

And in the wake of Nicole's death, they have fought to shed light on the dangers of domestic abuse and protect other women from the same fate. Because this story involves a lot of psychology, I'll be joined by a special guest, Dr. Tristan Engels, a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and the co-host of our fellow Crime House show Killer Minds. If you haven't listened to Killer Minds yet, I cannot recommend it enough. Like the title suggests, it's a fascinating exploration into the minds of history's most notorious killers. Dr. Ingalls, the insight you provide into their psychology is just so fascinating, and I can't wait to do these next two episodes with you.

Thank you so much, Carter. I love murder true crime stories, so I am thrilled to be joining you. Just like I do on Killer Minds, while Carter takes you through the story, I'll be providing psychological analysis of the story's key figures. I'll go over topics like the psychology of power dynamics and control, the cyclical nature of abusive relationships, and the psychological impact of guilt. Now let's get into it. Crime House Studios has released its first audiobook called Murder in the Media. Told through the lens of five heart-pounding murder cases, this thrilling audiobook traces the evolving,

and sometimes insidious, role the media has had in shaping true crime storytelling. Murder in the Media is a Crime House original audiobook. Find it now on Spotify. The GMC employee pricing event is on now. Get a big cash purchase discount of up to $12,300 on the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2025 Sierra HD. With Sierra 1500's premium interior and advanced tech, or Sierra HD's impressive power and capability, you'll have everything you need to get from work to play with confidence this season. Hurry in, employee pricing is on for a limited time.

Visit your local GMC dealer for details. Long before she was a headline in the media, Nicole Brown was just a regular girl growing up in West Germany. It all started in the early 1950s when her father, Lou, was stationed there with the US Air Force. After the end of World War II, the American serviceman stayed overseas and worked for a newspaper. While there, Lou met and fell in love with a German woman named Judy. The couple got married and had two daughters, Denise in 1957 and Nicole two years later

in May 1959. The girls became best friends right away. Although Denise was sweet and funny, she didn't mess around when it came to her little sister. She was fiercely protective of Nicole. In turn, Nicole looked to Denise for guidance and trusted her implicitly. Their friendship became especially important when Lou made a surprising announcement. Sometime in the early 1960s, when the girls were toddlers, Lou decided to move the family back to the States. The Browns settled in Long Beach, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. There, Lou made good money

working in real estate and insurance, and before long he and Judy were ready to expand the family. They had two more daughters, Dominique in 1964 and Tanya in 1970. Life was good, and Lou's work was even better. By the mid-70s, the Browns moved to an even nicer gated community in Southern California. But that meant Nicole and Denise had to start over at a new high school. Thankfully, they had each other. Plus, it didn't hurt that they were both known for their looks, Denise was homecoming queen one year and Nicole was homecoming princess the next.

While Nicole was known for being friendly and kind, most of the attention she got was for her beauty. As a teenager, she learned that her beauty could take her far in life, and soon, she dreamed of becoming a professional model. Adolescence is when we enter the psychosocial stage of development known as identity versus role confusion. This is where we start seeking to understand who we are and what our value is. And it's possible that Nicole and her sister are learning that even if Nicole is intelligent,

talented, kind, and ambitious, only her beauty is what's getting her praise, value, and recognition. Nicole aspiring to become a model makes sense in context. It was a way to step into a role that the world already seemed to assign to her. But it makes you wonder, was it a calling or was it survival because she felt it was the only thing she could succeed at?

Or was it what she wanted or what she thought she had to be good at to matter? Unfortunately, society sends a very narrow message to girls about the importance of being attractive in order to matter in the world. And beauty is subjective. It fades over time. We can't control aging or how our bodies change.

And when you consider that, along with the need for external validation, this can increase the risk of identity confusion, depression, anxiety, distorted body image, eating disorders, and a deep sense of inadequacy. And how might this impact the kinds of romantic relationships she was drawn to? So when someone's self-concept depends on being wanted, desired, and attractive, it can be very hard to set boundaries, especially in romantic relationships. Their sense of self-worth comes from the opinions of others rather than internally, and this can cause them to prioritize being desired over being respected and subsequently cause

them to ignore signs of unhealthy relationship patterns or abuse. They also can experience pressure maintaining relationships, because they're more likely to view any rejection or failures romantically as a reflection of their worth, or lack thereof. So they hold on to relationships even if they're unhealthy or abusive. This can unfortunately prime them for abusive partners, especially those who are controlling or narcissistic because they often play on these insecurities.

They love bomb early, they make women feel chosen, and then they slowly chip away at their confidence, knowing that their fear of losing that attention or confirmation will make it harder for them to leave. It's sad and it's a result of a culture that often teaches girls to strive to be chosen by others rather than teaching them to choose themselves. So to be extremely clear with all that said, although I'm providing an explanation as to how this could have affected the kind of romantic relationships that Nicole was drawn to, the only person that is to blame for abusive behavior is always the abuser themselves. Well, it seems like Nicole wasn't thinking about any of the downsides of modeling at

the time. Soon after graduating high school in May of 1977, the 18-year-old moved to Los Angeles to make her dream a reality. Nicole spent the next couple of months crashing at a friend's apartment. Along with her budding modeling career, she worked as a hostess at The Daisy, a trendy Beverly Hills restaurant and nightclub. But she had no idea her day job was about to change her life forever. It was June 1977, and 18-year-old Nicole was working the morning shift when O.J. Simpson

walked in with a friend. At the time, O.J. was a few weeks shy of turning 30 and was already a football legend. He'd made a name for himself as a college player at the University of Southern California and went on to be the first pick in the 1969 draft. When Nicole met him, OJ was the star running back for the Buffalo Bills and practically a shoe-in as a future Hall of Famer. But he was also making history off the field. As a spokesman for Hertz rental cars, OJ had become the first black man ever hired for a major national televised advertising campaign.

But Nicole wasn't exactly a sports fan. When he walked into the Daisy, she had no idea who he was. She sat OJ and his friend at a table and returned to the kitchen. That's when her boss rushed over, ecstatic about their famous guest. He could tell Nicole didn't understand just how important O.J. was, so he gave her a rundown. When Nicole glanced at the handsome athlete, she found him staring right back at her. He smiled, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. OJ asked Nicole out almost immediately.

The only problem was, he was still married to his high school sweetheart, Marguerite. According to OJ, the marriage was already over, but legally that wasn't true. Still, Nicole took his words at face value and agreed to go on a date. Before long, Nicole was head over heels. OJ was older, sophisticated, and obviously very famous. He opened up a whole new world to Nicole, one she'd been dreaming of for years. But she quickly learned, this new world was OJ's world, and if she wanted to be a part of it, she had to play by his rules.

And he had a lot of them. Just a few months into dating, OJ moved Nicole into his house and told her she would be traveling with him to all of his games, which meant she needed to give up on becoming a model. Nicole was happy to agree. After all, she had OJ to take care of her. But even then there were supposedly caveats. OJ allegedly approved all of Nicole's purchases and the controls seemed to go beyond that. If OJ didn't like Nicole's outfit anytime they went out,

he would make her change. So we can certainly see why Nicole found this relationship with OJ attractive and enticing. Firstly, she's 18 years old. It's easy for her to believe that she's being chosen by O.J. of all the women available to him with all of that fame. And that would feel like the ultimate validation of worth and success for her based on what we already outlined.

But there are a lot of power imbalances here, starting from their age gap down to their financial and social statuses. From a psychological standpoint, this can create a dynamic of coercive control, because OJ has the ability to shape, define, and dominate Nicole's life and reality. Coercive control is a form of abuse. They deprive their partner of their independence, physically, socially, and financially. It occurs in over half of all relationships where intimate partner violence is present. Nicole, being 18 years old, has less life experience, less power, and more vulnerability

in a relationship like this. She would be at risk of being groomed and experiencing self-doubt. For example, if he's older and successful, he knows better than me. Or isolation, which he's already doing and is usually done under the guise of protection and love, as well as financial dependency. Then imagine an 18-year-old trying to challenge someone like OJ, who has endless resources and power.

That adds to the control, because sadly, the system protects powerful people like him. to the control because sadly the system protects powerful people like him. It was hard to argue when OJ was funding her entire life. And while Nicole felt grateful to OJ, there were other more apparent red flags in those early days too. About eight months into dating in early 1978, OJ invited Nicole and her sisters to watch him play in Buffalo. At some point during that game, O.J. looked up to the private box he'd gotten them and saw Nicole kissing a male friend on the cheek. After the game, O.J. allegedly yelled at Nicole about it and said she'd embarrassed him.

Nicole spent the rest of the night crying in the bathroom, and things didn't get any better after that. A few months later, Nicole found another woman's earrings in her bed. She confronted OJ about it and accused him of cheating on her. According to Nicole's diary, OJ responded by throwing her against the wall and leaving her with bruises. It appeared to be one of the earliest, if not the first, instances of physical abuse in their relationship. Sadly, it wouldn't be the last.

Leaving OJ was complicated. Because Nicole wasn't the only one in her family who depended on him. As their relationship got more serious, he also gave her family members jobs. Her dad ran a Hertz rental car franchise in Laguna Niguel. OJ was the one who'd gotten him the gig. And OJ even paid for Nicole's little sister Dominique to go to USC, his alma mater. So Nicole ignored the bad and focused on the good. By 1979, 32-year-old OJ and 20-year-old Nicole had been dating for two years.

It felt like the right time for OJ to move on from professional football, and he retired from the NFL that year. He also finally made good on his promise to divorce his first wife, although by that point Nicole had fully replaced Marguerite. Pretty much everyone in LA knew that OJ and Nicole were a package deal. They had his and hers Ferraris, they moved into a five million dollar mansion in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on North Rockingham Drive where they threw lavish parties. There were always athletes, celebrities, and beautiful women hanging around. It was the place to be and be seen, and Nicole loved being the hostess. But while there were a lot of happy days at Rockingham, there were just as many dark ones.

In her diary, Nicole wrote about several instances of physical abuse over the years. On a few occasions, Nicole even called the police to Rockingham, but she never pressed any charges, and O.J. was never arrested. Other times, Nicole would storm out of Rockingham after an explosive fight, or O.J. would supposedly throw her out. She usually drove down to her parents' home in Orange County to let him cool down. Once he did, O.J. always called and apologized, and Nicole always went back to him. What you're describing is the cycle of abuse, and it commonly has four stages.

First is the tension building stage. This is what I refer to as the walking on eggshells phase because the abuser is often very irritable, critical, or emotionally distant. As a result, the victim often engages in people-pleasing or fawning behaviors in order to placate the abuser so they can manage their emotions for their own safety. The second stage is the incident or explosion stage,

and this is when the abuse occurs, whether it's physical or emotional or even sexual. The abuser reasserts their control. And the third stage is reconciliation. Some might refer to this as the honeymoon phase. The abuser becomes remorseful, apologetic, or even makes empty promises to change. They might love bomb by showering them with gifts, affection, or grand gestures. Some even gaslight by telling the survivor that nothing happened.

And to everyone watching, the abuser appears devoted, but to the survivor, it feels like relief and momentary safety, but it's all manipulation. And the last stage in the cycle of abuse is the calm, where things seem peaceful and they return to quote, normal, but the control is still present. The survivor may feel hopeful and as a result, desperate to believe that they will change,

but the cycle will continue. And the psychological effects of the cycle of abuse include trauma bonding, self-blame, loss of identity, poor self-esteem, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, even suicidal thinking. A lot of people ask why survivors don't just leave. But when you consider the cycle of abuse, the financial dependence, familial dependence,

as you described Carter, with him providing jobs and money to her family, there's isolation, fear of retaliation, it's really not that simple to just leave. Leaving can feel impossible, and it takes planning in order for a survivor to leave safely, especially when children are involved." And it wasn't just physical abuse that Nicole endured, it was also emotional.

Although OJ denied cheating on Nicole, there were several reports of him seeing other women. And despite everything he put her through, this was the one thing Nicole couldn't let slide. One day, likely in 1984, 37-year-old O.J. was going to lunch in Beverly Hills. He claimed he was just meeting a friend, but 25-year-old Nicole had her suspicions, so she followed him there. When Nicole pulled up, she saw OJ leaving the restaurant with a pretty young woman. Nicole lost it, she started screaming at OJ and insulting his companion.

Instead of yelling back, OJ did something truly shocking. A day later, he proposed to Nicole. She said yes. Nicole was over the moon. In her mind, if OJ wanted to make things official, that meant he was serious about changing his behavior. She believed that once they were a married couple, everything would be better. The cheating, the abuse, it would all end. Nicole had no idea how wrong she was.

Calling all true crime lovers, Crime House has released its first audiobook called Murder in the Media. Told through the lens of five heart-pounding murder cases, this thrilling audiobook traces the evolving and sometimes insidious role the media has had in shaping true crime storytelling. From the discovery of America's first serial killer, to a shocking murder of a Hollywood legend, to a chilling disappearance that captivated the nation, each of these stories will change how you think about the relationship

between the media and true crime forever. Murder in the Media is a Crime House original audiobook. Find it now on Spotify. In February 1985, after seven years of dating, 25-year-old Nicole Brown married 37-year-old O.J. Simpson. Six months later, O.J. was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On stage, OJ thanked Nicole. He said how wonderful she'd made his life after the NFL.

Nicole sat in the audience smiling up at him. She was the epitome of the perfect wife. Beautiful, poised, and at that point pregnant with their first child. Attendees murmured about how lucky OJ was to have her and how lucky she was to have him. But Nicole knew a truth that none of them did. All the promises he'd made were empty. Nothing had changed after they got married. He was still controlling, unfaithful, and allegedly abusive.

And with a baby on the way, Nicole felt completely and utterly trapped. When Nicole gave birth to their daughter, Sydney Simpson Simpson in October 1985, she was over the moon. She loved being a stepmom to O.J.'s children from his previous marriage, but having a baby of her own had always been a dream. Still, the pregnancy hadn't been easy on her. O.J. supposedly hated how her body changed. Despite growing a person inside of her, he wanted Nicole to stay skinny and fit.

He went so far as to call her, quote, a fat pig, and even forced her to have a C-section because he thought it would prevent the baby from, quote, ruining her body. The behavior of OJ that you just outlined stems from a constellation of control, dominance, entitlement and misogyny, which is amplified because of his high profile and the power imbalance in the relationship. Now I've never met OJ nor have I evaluated him.

So this is for educational and entertainment purposes only. And I'm in no way providing a formal clinical opinion. But that being said, this kind of behavior is commonly found in individuals with narcissistic traits as they see their partner as an extension of themselves and have an idealized image that they want to project to the world to secure their own ego. And the literal world watched O.J. Simpson. Individuals with these traits think like this, if she looks good, it reflects well on me.

If she changes, I can lose control, or in this case, status. They only care about themselves and their needs, and these behaviors intensify when children enter the picture because to them, children can threaten the attention and devotion they're used to from their partner. The impact of this emotional abuse on Nicole is extensive because he is knowingly preying on her insecurities regarding her image, her body image, her value, and her worth. She is likely to experience chronic shame, anxiety, vulnerability, especially postpartum

when she is still physically and psychologically healing, and as well as an erosion of self-worth. This is overall very psychologically destabilizing in every conceivable way. Despite how traumatizing that first pregnancy might have been, Sydney was the light of Nicole's life. Even when all hell was breaking loose in her marriage, she still had her daughter to put a smile on her face.

And she wanted another child. In 1988, 29-year-old Nicole gave birth to a son named Justin. Just like before, OJ was said to be unsupportive during the pregnancy. Once again, he supposedly berated Nicole for how her body was changing, and he cheated on her with other women he found more attractive. Nicole said nothing. As long as no one else knew about the reality of her relationship, she was fine to keep pretending. To Nicole, her children were the most important thing in her life. She had no idea one of them was about to become a pawn in O.J.'s latest outburst.

In December 1988, a few months after Justin was born, Nicole and O.J. were vacationing in Hawaii. They were there with some friends and family, including Nicole's older sister, Denise. One day at lunch, a gay couple came over to their table to coo over baby Justin. Nicole let one of the men hold Justin, and he kissed the child on the forehead. When they got back to their room, O.J. was furious with Nicole for letting the man kiss Justin. According to one of Nicole's diary entries, they got into a violent argument that ended with OJ throwing her against the wall.

He'd gripped her so tightly she had bruises on her arms and had to wear long sleeves the next morning to hide them. Denise noticed and asked Nicole about it, but Nicole just waved her off, insisting it was nothing. Denise didn't push back, though it wouldn't be long until she learned the truth. In late December, Nicole and O.J. returned to Los Angeles just in time to ring in the New Year. But they wouldn't be celebrating.

In the early morning hours of January 1, 1989, Nicole called the police. She and O.J. had gotten into a fight. A very bad one. By the time officers arrived at Rockingham, Nicole had escaped out into the yard where she was hiding from OJ in sweatpants and a bra. She had a black eye, her lip was split, and there was a handprint around her neck. She told the officers that OJ was going to kill her if they didn't do something. OJ came out in a bathrobe, seemingly unfazed.

He ignored the police completely and shouted at Nicole to stay out of his bed. He had two other women and he didn't need her anymore. For the first time, the authorities arrested him for abuse. In the end, OJ pleaded no contest to spousal battery, was fined $700 in order to go to counseling, and while it was a relatively lenient punishment, it did change things for Nicole. Once OJ was detained and taken down to the police station, Nicole. Once OJ was detained and taken down to the police station, Nicole called Denise to come over. When Denise arrived, she was shocked to see Nicole's many injuries. She pleaded with Nicole to leave OJ. She wanted to know why Nicole was putting up with the violence. Nicole didn't have an answer for her, but she did ask Denise to take photos of her so

she had proof. As far as we know, Nicole never showed anyone those pictures, and O.J. didn't know they existed. Once he was out on bail, O.J. returned to North Rockingham Drive, and Nicole stayed with him. For the next three years, his cycle of abuse supposedly continued, until, finally, Nicole had enough. It's not clear if there was a specific event that led Nicole to make the decision, or if she'd just reached a breaking point, but in February 1992, 32-year-old Nicole filed for divorce.

It took eight months of arguments, but in October of that year, 33-year-old Nicole and 45-year-old O.J. were officially over. Nicole got nearly half a million dollars, plus $10,000 a month for child support, which considering OJ's wealth wasn't very much, she moved into a rental home near OJ's mansion before eventually buying her own condo. It was the first time she'd been on her own in 14 years, and without OJ controlling every aspect of her life, she could be herself again. Loved one said the change was stark.

Nicole was lighter and freer. She was social and hung out with friends. She went out dancing, vacationed in Cabo, and had fancy dinners around town. Life was good for Nicole. But she had a sneaking suspicion that OJ hadn't moved on the way she had. Brentwood was a tight-knit community. If Nicole hung out with someone, OJ heard about it.

If he was curious enough, he could drive by her condo and see if someone was parked in the driveway. Which he did. Often, actually, he trailed her all over town. This would qualify as stalking. There are different types of stalkers and different types of stalking behaviors. The type of stalker is determined by their goal or what they're seeking to gain. In this case, OJ would be considered a rejected stalker.

A rejected stalker is someone who begins stalking after the breakdown of a close relationship, most often a romantic one. They may feel abandoned, rejected, humiliated, or betrayed and attempt to reassert control through this obsessive behavior. Typically with rejected stalkers, there is a history of coercive control in the relationship,

which tracks here based on what we know. The stalking behavior that you're describing is surveillance stalking, because he is watching from a distance and tracking her movements. Additionally, if he shows up uninvited at her home, it would be considered stalking behavior known as life invasion.

Clinically, stalking is often tied to narcissistic traits, abandonment fears, insecurity, entitlement, and poor attachments. And unfortunately, stalking laws even now need reform. Law enforcement are limited in what they can do criminally. Obviously, this varies by state, but generally, for someone to be arrested for stalking, there has to be a pattern of repeated, unwanted contact and or verbal or written threats. But the problem is how do you prove that pattern, especially back when most of the general public did not have cell phones or mobile cameras handy to get photographic or video evidence. Simply saying it's happening is not

enough for there to be reasonable cause for an arrest. It's even more complicated when they share children because O.J. has a reasonable excuse for being at her home, at least as far as police are concerned. Usually, the protective option given to survivors is a restraining order, but that requires a court order, and in some states there's a filing fee to obtain one, and it may not even be granted by a judge. The unfortunate reality is, often law enforcement intervention happens after stalking turns violent,

which is what survivors attempt to prevent in the first place if they report it to police, and that's if they do. It's an under-reported crime in the same way that sexual assault is. Victims fear that they won't be believed or they fear an escalation in behavior and response. Although they weren't together,

OJ was still incredibly jealous of Nicole. Once he drove by her condo and saw Nicole kissing another man inside. He stormed up to the door and yelled at Nicole. She called the police multiple times after behavior like this, but despite O.J.'s record, they didn't do anything. And so O.J.'s behavior continued unchecked until eventually he wore Nicole down. From the fall of 1993 through the spring of 1994, she and O and OJ periodically got back together

But they were off just as much as they were on and by May of 1994 Nicole told OJ to get out of her life for good She thought OJ understood But he had other ideas on the night of June 12th, 1994 But he had other ideas. On the night of June 12, 1994, 35-year-old Nicole and 47-year-old O.J. attended their daughter's dance recital. Nicole assumed that things between her and O.J. were fine.

It had been a few weeks since they'd broken up for the last time. He'd even been photographed while on a date the previous evening. But when he showed up at Sydney's recital, he barely even looked at her. Something was off. After the recital, Nicole went out to dinner with her two kids, her parents and sisters who were all in town. They ate at Mezzaluna, where a young waiter named Ron Goldman took care of them. Nicole had met the 25-year-old aspiring actor about six weeks earlier, and they'd become

friends. During dinner, Nicole talked about how she wanted to go to Yosemite and planned on taking the kids to Club Med. She seemed happy. And yet, Nicole admitted there was still a part of her that loved OJ. She told her mom she believed he was her soulmate. Even so, she was done with his abuse. After finishing their meal, the family was driving home to Nicole's condo where her parents

and sisters had parked. Along the way, her mother realized she'd forgotten her glasses at the restaurant. Nicole called her friend Ron, who quickly spotted them. He told Nicole he'd drop them off later that night after his shift. After her family picked up their cars and drove off, Nicole went upstairs and drew a bath. She turned on some music, she lit some candles. It's not clear if she just wanted to have a relaxing evening or if she planned to have company, Ron or otherwise. Either way, Ron left Mezaluna a little before

10pm and headed to Nicole's condo. When Ron showed up, she met him outside. It's not clear how long they were out there. But it was enough time for someone to notice. And whoever was watching Nicole and Ron didn't like what they were seeing. In just a few hours, what started out as a quiet evening would end in tragedy. On the night of June 12, 1994, Nicole's neighbors heard barking. It started around 10.15 pm and continued until about 11. That's when a neighbor found one of Nicole's dogs wandering in the street. There was blood on his legs and paws.

The neighbor walked the dog back to Nicole's house around midnight. As they approached, the pet became more and more agitated, and when they stopped in front of Nicole's condo, the neighbor realized why. There was a body in the walkway. It was a blonde woman with blood pooling around her. The neighbor immediately called 911 and when detectives arrived on the scene, they saw there were actually two victims. 35-year-old Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, 25-year-old Ron Goldman, had both been brutally

stabbed to death. Detectives realized this wasn't going to be just any murder investigation. With one of the victims being O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, it was bound to be a huge story. And knowing how turbulent O.J. and Nicole's marriage had been, he quickly became the primary suspect. Around 5am, Detectives Mark Furman and Philip Vanater arrived at OJ's Rockingham mansion. They wanted to speak with the former NFL star, but he wasn't home. The detectives used the opportunity to poke around. They saw his white Ford Bronco parked outside the gated property.

Looking inside, they noticed what looked like blood stains on the interior. That was enough for Detective Furman to hop the gate into the property. Once inside, he woke up O.J.'s daughter from his first marriage, 26-year-old Arnelle, who was staying in the guest house. She let the police into the main house, then called her dad's assistant to track him down. It turned out O.J. wasn't even in L.A., he was in Chicago, and he'd flown there in the middle of the night. By 7am, detectives finally got a hold of O.J.

When they told him Nicole had been murdered, he seemed upset, but didn't ask for any details. His lack of follow-up only made the detectives more suspicious. When someone learns that a loved one has been violently murdered, the psychological response is typically immediate, intense, and deeply personal. These reactions vary, but they're often a mix of shock or disbelief, acute distress, guilt or self-blame, even a call to action. We would expect them to want to know the details and circumstances surrounding the death, including how and where they

were killed, and we would expect to see questions about potential suspects. And O.J. didn't reflect any of this in his reaction, like you outlined, which could be a result of shock. Sometimes people shut down and are unable to form a rational thought when faced with news like this. Then again, it could be an indication of something else. A lack of genuine emotion or an overcompensation of emotion are things that forensic psychologists like myself look into. A lot of time we need to assess when someone may be using impression management for secondary gain,

and this reaction would warrant exploring that possibility. While no single reaction proves guilt or innocence, we look at the pattern, the context, and the motivations behind behavior, especially when the emotional response feels incongruent with the severity of the situation, and even more so when it involves violence like this. O.J.'s reaction was certainly odd, but detectives needed more. They asked him to return to Los Angeles for questioning. O.J. got a 9.15 a.m. flight and investigators were waiting for him when he arrived back at

his mansion on North Rockingham Drive. They asked him why he'd been in Chicago and on such short notice. O.J. explained he was there for a corporate golf outing. Before detectives could check his alibi, they noticed a cut on his hands. O.J. said he'd smashed a glass in anger after hearing about Nicole's murder. His answers were suspicious, but it didn't mean he was guilty. The authorities needed more information if they were going to press charges, so they retraced O.J.'s steps and contacted anyone who'd seen him in the hours before and after the murders. Once he left Chicago, investigators there searched his hotel room.

They found blood-stained sheets and broken glass. They also took fingerprints and samples of blood they found on the bathroom floor. They alerted the LAPD, who decided to learn more about OJ's last-minute trip to the Windy City. They spoke to a flight attendant who said OJ had kept his hand, the one with a cut on it, inside his duffel bag for most of the flight. Staff at the Chicago hotel where O.J. had stayed said he was aggressive when checking out. They also said he was angry that his car wasn't waiting for him.

Investigators also spoke with a limo driver named Alan Park. He was the one who'd taken O.J. to the airport the night before. According to Alan, he'd arrived at the Rockingham house at 10.25 p.m., a little on the early side. Alan was new and didn't want to be late. When he buzzed the intercom to tell O.J. he was outside, no one answered. Just before 11, Alan saw a tall, large black man walking across the driveway toward the main house. He figured that must be O.J., so he buzzed the intercom again. That time O.J. answered.

He said he'd overslept and had just gotten out of the shower. He'd be down in a few. As he approached the limo, Alan noticed OJ was sweating. A lot. But rather than comment on it, he just helped OJ put his bags in the trunk. Except for one small duffel bag that OJ insisted Alan didn't touch. Let's talk about how guilt can manifest physically. When someone experiences guilt, especially when it's conscious and acute, the body can go into a state of hyper arousal and sweating, increased heart rate, restlessness,

tension, and hyper vigilance are common. Now let's apply this to OJ. From a psychological perspective, his sweating, the anxiety, agitation, and that hyper focus he had on that duffel bag, especially given the timeline of events you outlined, are behaviorally consistent with someone who's under immense psychological pressure. And that can certainly be due to guilt. But the reality is hyper arousal isn't exclusive to feelings of guilt. It occurs when someone experiences fear, trauma, shame, or an acute stress reaction to a life-threatening situation. So this is not something that we can definitively

say from a psychological perspective that is from guilt alone. And even so, our expertise is not intended to render an opinion on guilt or innocence. That's left to the trier of facts or the court of law. Instead, we are utilized to offer opinions regarding a diagnosis, competency, risk of future violence, malingering, which is feigning psychiatric symptoms, and patterns of behavior, especially in intimate partner violence. In addition to witness statements like Allen's, detectives quickly amassed a mountain of forensic evidence.

They found hairs at Nicole's condo that were consistent with OJ's. They found fibers at the condo that were consistent with a carpet in OJ's Ford Bronco. And there was blood. A lot of it. In the Bronco, in the driveway of his house, in the foyer and master bedroom. Nicole's blood was also found on socks recovered from O.J.'s home. And then there were the gloves. A left-hand glove was found at Nicole's condo.

A right-hand bloody glove was found at Rockingham. Nicole had bought O.J. a pair of gloves that were the same brand and style four years earlier. He'd been photographed wearing them several times. There were also shoe prints found at Nicole's condo that looked like a size 12 Bruno Magli shoe and a matching print in OJ's Bronco. He was a size 12 and had been seen wearing the same brand of shoes. With so much evidence, detectives were certain that O.J. was their guy. At that point, the only thing they didn't have was the actual murder weapon. They'd searched and searched and came up empty. Even so, they were confident they had enough on OJ to make their move.

But the case was already making waves, and the LAPD didn't want to create a media firestorm. So they did something a little unusual. They arranged for OJ to voluntarily surrender himself, a small perk for the celebrity suspect. But OJ didn't surrender. Instead he ran. And no one, not even OJ's lawyers, knew where he'd gone. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories.

Come back next time for part two of our series on the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by PAVE Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts.

You'll get every episode ad-free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting bonus content. Dr. Engels and I will be back next Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy, and special guest Dr. Tristan Engels, and is a crime house original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team, Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertsofsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Alex Burns, Beth Johnson, and Russell Nash.

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