Ron Goldman’s father has broken his silence following the death of OJ Simpson, saying the NFL legend’s passing is “yet another reminder of the loss of my son.”
Fred Goldman has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com after the famous murder suspect died aged 76 following a brief battle with prostate cancer.
Simpson became one of America’s most infamous figures after being charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron in 1994, before being found civilly liable for their deaths.
Fred has now spoken out after the former athlete died surrounded by his family at his Las Vegas home on Wednesday night.
Ron Goldman’s father Fred has broken his silence following OJ Simpson’s death, saying it is “yet another reminder of the loss of my son.”
Simpson (pictured at his 1995 trial) became one of America’s most infamous figures after being accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
‘His death is a reminder that Ron and Nicole were murdered by him. “I’m not going to react to my thoughts about him dying,” Fred said.
“The only thing I have to say today is that this is yet another reminder of the loss of my son Ron,” Fred told DailyMail.com.
‘It is yet another reminder of my son’s murder and of the many years we have missed Ron.
‘His death is a reminder that Ron and Nicole were murdered by him. I’m not going to react to my thoughts about his death.
He concluded: ‘I have nothing to say about him. My answer will not be about OJ’s death but about the loss of my son’s life because of him.
‘Thanks for calling. That’s all I have to say.’
In a statement later given to NBC NewsFred added that OJ’s death “wasn’t a big loss.”
Despite a successful NFL career, Simpson was best known for his acquittal following his high-profile 1995 murder trial, dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”
He was charged with the deaths of Brown and Goldman, who were found brutally stabbed outside their Los Angeles home.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest were equally salacious, with Simpson leading officers on a low-speed chase after failing to surrender.
OJ Simpson pictured in a mugshot following his arrest in Los Angeles, California, in June 1994.
Simpson’s arrest was as sensational as his trial after he led police on a 90-minute, low-speed chase across Southern California after failing to surrender.
Millions of people tuned in to watch the 90-minute chase of Simpson’s white Bronco throughout Southern California, before his eventual arrest in Brentwood.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Simpson was linked to the crime scene through forensic evidence, but he ultimately walked free and jurors voted to acquit him.
After being acquitted, Simpson was found civilly liable for the murders and was later forced to pay $33.5 million in damages to the victims’ families.
He faced more legal problems when he was sentenced to up to 33 years behind bars for armed robbery in Nevada in 2008.
Commentators at the time agreed that the defense led by Robert Kardashian was largely based on anger over the racial biases historically displayed by the LAPD.
A decade later, still overshadowed by California’s wrongful death sentence, Simpson ended up in court again charged with armed robbery.
Imprisoned at age 61, he served nine years in a remote northern Nevada prison, including a stint as a gym janitor. He was unrepentant when he was released on parole in October 2017.
The parole board heard him insist once again that he was just trying to recover sports memorabilia and family heirlooms stolen from him after his criminal trial in Los Angeles.
“I’ve basically lived a conflict-free life, you know?” said Simpson, whose parole ended at the end of 2021.
The public’s fascination with Simpson never faded. Many debated whether he would have been punished in Las Vegas for his acquittal in Los Angeles.
His stardom in sports and movies would be overshadowed by his arrest for the murders of Brown and Goldman. Pictured: Simpson in Los Angeles Superior Court in December 1994.
Simpson rose to prominence as a running back who played 11 seasons, nine with the Buffalo Bills.
In 2016, it was the subject of an FX miniseries and a five-part ESPN documentary.
“I don’t think the majority of America believes I did it,” Simpson told the New York Times in 1995, a week after a jury determined that he did not kill Brown and Goldman. “I have received thousands of letters and telegrams from people who support me.”
Twelve years later, following widespread public outrage, Rupert Murdoch canceled a planned book by News Corp-owned HarperCollins in which Simpson offered his hypothetical account of the murders. It would be titled “If I Did.”
His death was announced in a publication. shared on his official X account by his family said: ‘On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you respect his wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson family.’
His death comes two months after it was reported that he was battling prostate cancer and receiving chemotherapy.