Update: The Los Angeles Police Department have confirmed that the knife found on O.J. Simpson's former estate is not the murder weapon used to kill his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, CBS News reports. Police Capt. Andy Neiman told the press that the knife was ruled out after a forensic investigation. The knife used in the attacks to kill the pair has, to date, still not been discovered.
Update, March 4, 11:30 p.m. EST: The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that it is in possession of a knife found buried on O.J. Simpson's former estate.
"Within the last month, LAPD became aware of an item that was allegedly recovered by a citizen," Captain Andrew Neiman announced in a press conference Friday morning. Neiman backed up TMZ reportage that the knife was given to a former police officer by a construction worker who found the weapon on Simpson's Brentwood estate. He also confirmed that the knife is being investigated and examined for forensic evidence.
The names of the officer who allegedly held on to the knife for years as well as the construction worker who originally found it have not been released. And while Neiman himself noted that the knife origin story could still be "bogus," he affirmed that police are treating the discovery "as we would all evidence." Refinery29 will continue to update this story as it progresses.
This story was originally published on March 4, 2016, at 11:30 a.m.
The decades-old O.J. Simpson trial has been captivating audiences anew through American Crime Story this year. But the fictionalized version of the iconic murders and subsequent court case has also stirred up the dust in real life — and could potentially lead to a breakthrough.
Early Friday, TMZ reported that a knife was found on the football star's former estate. A construction worker reportedly recovered the folding buck knife, buried along the perimeter of the property, "years ago," while the house was being torn down. The construction worker allegedly handed the knife off to an LAPD officer. TMZ sources claim that the policeman, who was off-duty at the time, took the knife home — and kept its existence a secret for years.
In January of this year (perhaps coinciding with the buzz about the FX series?), that P.O. reached out to a friend in the homicide division and asked for the departmental record number for the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman case.
Why? Because he reportedly intended to hang the knife and engrave the case number on the frame. The homicide officer shared that information with his superiors; ultimately, the knife was turned over to the LAPD. TMZ law enforcement sources shared that the weapon is being tested for hair and fingerprints by the Robbery Homicide Division, and will undergo tests for biological markers — including serology — this coming week. Sources also reported that the knife looks as though it was once bloodied, though tests will be needed to confirm that observation.
Refinery29 has reached out to Marcia Clark, the prosecutor on the Simpson case during the high-profile trial, for comment. At the time of publishing, a response had not yet been received.
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