Ron Goldman’s grieving family said their hope for “true accountability” for his brutal murder ended with the death of OJ Simpson, as Nicole Brown’s grave is adorned with fresh flowers.
Goldman’s sister, Kim, and father, Ron, shared a heartfelt statement with DailyMail.com about their complex feelings about Simpson’s passing Wednesday at age 76 from prostate cancer.
Although Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the brutal murders of Ron Goldman and his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, the Goldmans demanded for years that the former NFL player confess to the gruesome 1994 murders.
The family did not mention Simpson by name.
“The news of the passing of Ron’s killer is a mix of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear,” they said Thursday.
The Goldmans said they will never receive “true accountability” for the brutal murders of Ron and Nicole Brown now that OJ Simpson has died.
Ron Goldman, 25, was working at an Italian restaurant and was returning a pair of glasses to Nicole Brown when they were both brutally stabbed to death just steps from her door.
The trail of blood where the bodies of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were discovered
The family also criticized Simpson for her “hypothetical” 2007 memoir titled “If I Did It,” which they said inflicted more trauma on them.
The family continued their statement: “For three decades we tirelessly sought justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil sentence and their confession in ‘If I Did It,’ the hope for true accountability is over.”
‘We will continue to defend the rights of all victims and survivors, ensuring our voices are heard both inside and outside the courtroom. And despite his death, the mission continues; there is always more to do.
“Thank you for keeping our family, and most importantly Ron, in your hearts for the past 30 years.”
Ron and Nicole were stabbed to death repeatedly on June 12, 1994, just outside their home on Bundy Drive in Brentwood, California.
Ron, a 25-year-old who worked at an Italian restaurant, was dropping off a couple of glasses that Brown’s mother had left at the restaurant.
The Goldman family was visibly devastated when the jury forewoman announced the not guilty verdict in favor of OJ Simpson.
OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown were married from 1985 to 1992. Family members said she suffered emotional and physical violence during their tumultuous relationship.
The Goldmans were a fixture during the 11-month ‘trial of the century’ but were left devastated after jurors returned a not guilty verdict in favor of the former NFL player after less than four hours of deliberation.
The family then pursued Simpson in civil court, where a jury found the former actor and Hertz salesman liable for Ron and Nicole’s murders with a $33.5 million verdict in 1997.
However, that figure has skyrocketed to more than $100 million due to interest and Simpson’s non-payment.
David Cook, the Goldmans’ lawyer, told DailyMail.com that they possibly plan to pursue Simpson’s trust in probate court.
“It could all be gone,” Cook also said of the settlement money.
Court documents showed that Simpson has paid just over $132,000 of the settlement, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Thursday, flowers were seen on Nicole Brown’s grave at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, California, where she was buried four days after being stabbed to death.
In a July 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fred and Kim Goldman discussed their true crime podcast and the public’s fascination with the trial that caused them so much anguish.
“Despite the tremendous amount of information, facts, photographs, documentation and testimonies, people still dismiss them and smear the facts, because they don’t want to believe that their beloved football player could have done something so heinous.” Kim said.