Petrocelli cross-examines Simpson about the events of June 17, 1994 — the day Simpson fled in the Bronco rather than surrender to police. The examination methodically builds a consciousness-of-guilt case: Simpson had a disguise kit, passport, cash, and a gun in his black grip when he fled, wrote a suicide letter containing no sorrow for Nicole, and never once accused Detective Lange of framing him or planting evidence during their phone calls. The session ends with Petrocelli delivering a graphic, accusatory description of the murders directly at Simpson.
# 1 (The Jurors resume their respective seats.) # 2 MR. PETROCELLI: Thank you very much, Your Honor.
# 3 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) I'd like to turn to June 17, Mr. Simpson, Friday.
# 5 Q: You were staying at the Kardashians' house since you left Rockingham -- excuse me -- Tuesday morning, correct?
# 7 Q: And you had, over at the Kardashians' house, your black grip, right?
# 9 Q: And during the week, that grip was in the bedroom in which you slept, right?
# 10 A: Well, it was in a closet, yes.
# 11 Q: And there were times during that week when you put items in that bag, true?
# 12 A: I don't believe so, no.
# 13 Q: For example, on Friday, you put a passport in that bag, correct?
# 14 A: That's incorrect. That's incorrect.
# 15 Q: There was a passport on the bedside table, not in the bag, a passport belonging to you, at one point during that week, correct?
# 16 A: I saw that testimony, but that was incorrect.
# 17 Q: You saw what testimony?
# 19 Q: So you remember her testimony?
# 20 A: I was there. Yes.
# 21 Q: And she testified that your passport was on the bedside table, right?
# 23 Q: And you say that she is wrong, right?
# 25 THE COURT: Mr. Simpson, would you pull that microphone a little bit to you; your voice drops off at times.
Thank you.
# 26 O.J. SIMPSON: Thank you.
# 27 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) In the shooting of that Playboy video in very late May, you acquired a fake disguise kit, correct?
# 28 A: I bought a -- a little goatee and a moustache.
# 29 Q: And when you say you bought it, you called Cathy Randa, your assistant, and asked her to go pick one up at this Cinema Secrets Beauty Supply Shop that the video makeup person told you about, correct?
# 30 A: That's incorrect.
# 31 Q: And the video -- excuse me -- the disguise kit was delivered to your house at Rockingham, correct?
# 32 A: I believe so, yes.
# 33 Q: And it was put on your desk in your office at Rockingham, correct?
# 34 A: I believe so, yes.
# 35 Q: And it was there on your desk at Rockingham as late as Friday, June 10, correct?
# 36 A: That's incorrect.
# 37 Q: Your story is, you put it in your bag earlier, right?
# 38 MR. BAKER: Object to the question; argumentative.
# 39 THE COURT: Sustained.
# 40 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Is that your testimony, sir; you put it in your bag sometime earlier, right?
# 41 A: It was put in my bag almost when -- whenever it first arrived at my house.
# 42 Q: So your testimony, sir, is that the disguise was put in your bag by what, May 28, May 29?
# 43 A: Whenever it came to my house, I put all the mail -- I tend to put my mail in my bag and take it back to the office at times, and this is what happened then.
# 44 Q: And since around May 28, May 29, it's your testimony that the disguise kit was in your black grip and it remained there through June 17, correct?
# 46 Q: Never once taken out, correct?
# 47 A: I never took it out, no.
Unless Vannatter took it out. I didn't take it out.
# 48 MR. PETROCELLI: Move to strike, Your Honor, "unless Vannatter took it out."
# 49 MR. BAKER: I think that's responsive. He asked if anybody ever took it out.
# 50 THE COURT: Stricken.
# 51 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) So it's your testimony, then, from the -- let's say June 1 through June 12, 1994, at no time was that disguise kit on your desk in your office in your house, true?
# 52 A: I'm sorry. Until? I'm sorry. Would you repeat that?
# 53 Q: I would.
Between June 1 and June 12, 1994, at no time was that disguise kit on your desk in your office in your home, correct?
# 54 A: From the time -- and I don't know if it was June 1 or May 2 -- from the time it went into my bag, which was well before the weekend of the 12th, it went into my bag, and from that point on, it didn't come out of my bag except briefly, when Vannatter gave us my bag back.
# 55 Q: It was in the bag, then, as of June 5, correct?
# 57 Q: And not in your office, correct?
# 58 A: When I say June 5, I said whatever time it went into the bag.
# 60 A: I don't know exactly.
# 62 A: I wouldn't know. I just know on the weekend of June 12, it was in the bag. Whenever it went in, from whenever I got it, it went into the bag and it stayed in the bag.
# 63 Q: It was delivered on May 27.
# 64 A: So at some time after that, it went into the bag.
# 65 Q: How long after that?
# 66 A: Whenever I was taking mail to the office.
# 67 Q: Did you have it in your -- did you put it in your bag at any time on Friday. June 10?
# 69 Q: So it was in your bag as of June 9, then, right?
# 70 A: Certainly as of June 9, yes.
# 71 Q: And probably a lot sooner, a lot earlier than that?
# 72 A: I would say so, yes.
# 73 Q: Okay.
Now, when you left the Kardashian house -- excuse me.
When you left your house to go to the Kardashian house, you took about eight or nine thousand dollars in cash with you, right?
# 74 A: I possibly had about that much with me, yes.
# 75 Q: That money was in your bedroom, underneath some sweaters, right?
# 76 A: Maybe. When I came back from New York on Friday, I had about eight or nine thousand, I don't know. I had some checks and some cash, at least $7,000 in cash.
When I went to Chicago, I only took three or four, and I put four or five underneath my sweater.
# 77 Q: And when you came back from Chicago, after the police had searched your house, the money was still there, right?
# 78 A: We walked into the closet with Lange and with Skip, and Bob Kardashian. I raised up my sweater and said, "Boy, I'm surprised your guys didn't take the money."
# 79 Q: They did not take your money?
# 81 Q: They did not steal your money?
# 83 Q: The police did not?
# 85 Q: And you had that money with you when you were at the Kardashian house, and you had it in your possession on the morning of June 17, right?
# 86 A: I believe so, yes.
# 87 Q: And you had your passport with you that morning, as well, right?
# 88 A: I keep it in my bag, yes.
# 89 Q: You had that disguise kit, right?
# 90 A: It was, I assume, in the bag.
# 91 Q: You also had a key to Nicole's condominium, correct?
# 92 A: I'm not aware of that, no.
# 93 Q: You were aware that there was a Smokey the Bear key?
# 94 MR. BAKER: Well, I'm going to object.
# 95 Q: Excuse me. Withdrawn.
You aware there was a key on a Smokey the Bear key ring found in your black grip, correct?
# 96 A: I'm not really aware of that no.
# 97 Q: You're not aware of that?
# 98 A: I don't know, when you say Smokey the Bear from --
# 99 Q: You know, a little Smokey the Bear ring that had a key attached to it?
# 100 A: I know there was were numerous keys in my bag, yes.
# 101 Q: Are you aware there was one such key that was attached to a Smokey the Bear key ring?
# 102 A: I can't say that I do know about it. I can't say that I know about a Smokey the Bear key ring.
# 103 Q: You didn't know you had it?
# 104 A: I knew I had key rings in there; I just don't recall any Smokey the Bear.
# 105 Q: Isn't it true that you had a key to Nicole's condominium in your possession on June 17?
# 106 A: That's inaccurate.
That is not true.
# 107 Q: Now, after you were informed that the police were coming to arrest you on the 17th, you decided to take off, true?
# 108 A: At one point, yes.
# 109 Q: You knew the police were coming to arrest you for the murders of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, correct?
# 111 Q: You knew that you were going to jail?
# 113 Q: And you decided rather than submit to the arrest, that you would flee, right?
# 114 A: I would go to Nicole's grave, yes.
KEY QUOTE # 115 Q: You decided to leave, right?
# 116 A: I decided to go to Nicole's grave site.
# 117 Q: You decided to leave the Kardashian house without informing the authorities, true?
# 119 Q: And you left sometime around noontime, right?
# 120 A: I really don't know.
# 121 Q: And you left with your friend, boyhood friend, Al Cowlings?
# 123 Q: And you had with you, your black grip, right?
# 125 Q: In other words, you say you were going to Nicole's grave, right?
# 127 Q: But you took your black grip with you, right?
# 128 A: It was the only way I could carry the pictures that I put in there.
# 129 Q: Well, you could have just taken the pictures, right?
# 130 A: I guess I could have.
But I also had a gun.
KEY QUOTE # 131 Q: And -- but you took the grip that had a lot of other stuff in it, right?
# 132 A: Yeah. I'm sure there was other stuff in there, yes.
# 133 Q: And it had the disguise in there, right?
# 134 A: It had the little goatee and mustache in there, yes.
# 135 Q: And it had the passport, and you had the money between Al Cowlings and you, right?
# 136 A: No. I had maybe $2 on me.
# 137 Q: You gave Cowlings the money, right?
# 138 A: I gave him the money earlier that day, yes.
# 139 Q: So he had it, right?
# 140 A: I assume so. I don't know. I gave him the cash and told him to give it to my older kids.
# 141 Q: Now, before you left the house, when you knew the police were coming and you wrote out a letter, right?
# 142 A: I believe so, yes.
# 143 Q: And you gave that letter to Bob Kardashian and said "you'll know when to read it," right, or words to that effect?
# 144 A: I think I gave it to AC, and maybe he gave it to Bob Kardashian.
# 145 Q: And your state of mind in writing that letter was that you were contemplating killing yourself, right?
# 147 Q: And the reason you were contemplating killing yourself is because you were distraught that the media were attacking you, right?
# 148 A: I was in a lot of pain; that's why -- that may have been a part of it, the media.
# 149 Q: The media part of it was that they were saying things about you that you felt were untrue, correct?
# 150 A: I knew were untrue.
# 151 Q: And you remember, in the deposition, I asked you to tell me all the things they were saying about you that were untrue; do you recall that?
# 153 Q: And your testimony was that the only thing you could remember that whole week was a story by a reporter named Jim Avila, that you were loud and boisterous when you got to Chicago on the morning of the 13th?
# 154 A: That was the first story I heard. And it got worse as the week went on.
# 155 Q: That was really the only thing you were able to tell me at the deposition?
# 156 A: It was the only thing I recall. All you have to do is look at tapes of the media that week.
# 157 Q: The only thing you could recall when you -- when you gave testimony in your deposition, right?
# 158 A: That was the first thing after -- before the weeks, so...
# 159 Q: This particular report really bothered you, accusing you of being loud and boisterous when you got to Chicago, as though you were putting on some kind of act, right?
# 160 A: I don't know. It was just what was happening, the pain I was feeling.
I couldn't understand why he would lie like that.
# 161 Q: And one of the reasons that it hurt you so much is because your image means everything to you, correct, Mr. Simpson?
# 162 A: That's not even close.
# 163 Q: And in your autobiography, Education of a Rookie, do you remember what the name of the chapter -- do you remember what the name of the first chapter, chapter 1 of your book is? Do you remember the name --
# 167 Q: Well, if I were to tell you that the name of that chapter was "A Question of Image" --
# 169 Q: -- would that refresh your recollection?
# 170 A: No, it wouldn't.
And I didn't write any of the chapter titles.
# 171 Q: Well, you're not disavowing that book now, are you, sir?
# 173 Q: And you never will, right?
# 175 Q: Now, a good part of your letter that you wrote, the so-called suicide letter, had to do with sort of defending your good name and reputation and image, correct?
# 176 A: I don't know. I don't know how you would characterize it.
# 177 Q: There isn't a single word in all those pages, for example, expressing any sorrow about Nicole's death, true?
# 178 A: I think I started off by saying that I did not commit those crimes.
# 179 Q: But there isn't a single word in those pages that you wrote, contemplating killing yourself, in which you express sorrow over Nicole's death; is that true?
# 180 A: I think the whole act of what --
# 182 A: -- of what I was doing was because of that.
# 183 Q: Is that true, sir?
# 184 A: Because -- is what, sir?
# 185 Q: There's not a single word in that document expressing sorrow for Nicole's death?
# 186 A: Probably not, no.
But I feel the whole letter went to my sorrow.
# 189 Q: Yeah.
Now, there were a bunch of other items in Al Cowlings' car, by the way, like items of your clothing, right?
# 190 A: I don't know about that, no.
# 191 Q: In the back of the car?
# 192 A: I'm not aware of that.
# 193 Q: A windbreaker, socks, underwear, shirts --
# 194 A: I'm not aware of that, no.
# 195 Q: Okay.
And you had a gun, right?
# 197 Q: And then you started to become -- your infamous ride in the Bronco with Mr. Cowlings, correct?
# 198 MR. BAKER: I object to the characterization. It's argumentative.
# 199 THE COURT: I'll sustain it.
# 200 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) You took off in the Bronco, Cowlings' Bronco, right?
# 202 Q: And you ended up returning to Rockingham some eight or nine hours later, right?
# 203 A: I really was kind of lost time, so I don't know how long it was.
# 204 Q: And there was a time near the end there, near the end there, sir, when you were on the phone quite a bit with Detective Tom Lange, correct?
# 206 Q: Do -- you don't you recall Mr. Lange calling you while you were on the cell phone and you spoke to him?
# 207 A: I remember -- I didn't know Mr. Lange from anyone else, and I do remember somebody from the police talking to me at the time.
# 208 Q: Do you recall Detective Tom Lange urging you, begging you not to harm yourself, sir, with the gun?
# 209 A: I believe that was what whoever I was talking to was trying to tell me.
# 210 Q: Do you recall Detective Tom Lange trying to convince you to just put the gun down and come on home?
Do you remember all that?
# 211 MR. BAKER: I object to relevance, Your Honor.
# 212 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 213 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Do you remember that, sir?
# 214 A: I believe whoever I was talking to, that was the substance of what they were saying.
# 215 Q: And remember, you're saying the following:
"Just tell them all I'm sorry. You can tell them later on today and tomorrow that I was sorry and that I'm sorry that I did this to the police department."
Do you remember saying that?
# 216 A: And I also remember telling them --
# 218 A: -- I didn't do it.
# 219 Q: Do you remember saying that?
# 220 A: No, I don't remember that, no. But I probably did.
# 221 Q: Excuse me. Just answer the questions; we'll get through this.
# 223 Q: Do you remember saying the following to Tom Lange:
"Hey, you've been a good guy too, man, Lange. Thanks. You let me tell you, I know you're doing your job. You've been honest with me right from the beginning. Mr. Lange, I appreciate that."
And you said -- just saying, you're doing your job; I know you're doing a good job.
Do you remember saying that to Detective Lange?
# 224 A: I don't recall it, but that would be something that I would say.
# 225 Q: And do you recall Detective Lange saying to you, "And nobody's going to get hurt."
And you replied, "I'm the only one that deserves it." Do you recall saying that, sir?
# 227 Q: You deny saying that?
# 228 A: I don't recall saying that at all.
# 229 Q: If it's on a tape, you wouldn't dispute it, would you?
# 230 A: Let me hear the tape.
# 231 Q: And you recall telling Mr. Lange near the end, you've been a good guy, man, you really have. I know you're just doing your job, like you told me. You're a good guy. You did your job well.
# 232 MR. BAKER: I object to the relevance of this.
# 233 Q: MR. PETROCELLI: Now, do you recall saying that?
# 234 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 235 A: I don't recall saying it, but I think that's the way I was feeling towards the police at the time, yes.
# 236 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Now, Mr. Simpson, at no time did you tell Detective Lange on the phone, "Why are you framing me?"
You never said that, did you?
# 239 A: I didn't know what they were doing.
I know I told them I didn't do it on numerous occasions on that ride.
# 240 Q: At no time did you say, why have you planted all this evidence against me?
# 241 MR. BAKER: Your Honor --
# 242 A: I had no idea what the evidence was.
# 243 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 244 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) You said none of those things to Detective Lange, did you?
# 245 A: I had no idea what the evidence was.
# 246 Q: You knew there was blood; you knew there was -- there were gloves; you knew those things, right?
# 248 Q: You knew there was blood found on your property, and you knew there was blood found in your car, and you knew there was blood found on Bundy as of June 17, when they were going to arrest you, right?
# 249 A: I knew there was blood, yes.
# 250 Q: And at no time did you ever utter a word to Detective Lange, why aren't you out looking for the real killer? Why didn't you -- why did you plant all this evidence against me?
# 251 MR. BAKER: This is argument.
# 252 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Why did you frame me?
You never said any of those things to Detective Lange, true?
# 253 MR. BAKER: Objection; compound, argumentative.
# 254 THE COURT: It is compound, argumentative. Sustained.
# 255 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) You never accused Detective Lange of being framed by the police department, true?
# 256 A: I had no idea who Detective Lange was and I didn't know what had taken place at all.
# 257 Q: You never accused whoever you spoke to on the phone of framing you?
# 260 A: All I can do is say -- and I told him time and time again, I didn't do this.
# 261 MR. PETROCELLI: Move to strike as nonresponsive.
# 262 THE COURT: Stricken as nonresponsive.
# 263 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Please.
And the question -- you never accused the person on the telephone from the police department when you were talking of planting evidence against you, correct?
# 265 Q: Or framing you for a murder that you did not commit? Correct?
# 267 Q: And the reason you didn't do so, Mr. Simpson, is because you knew you committed those murders, correct?
# 268 A: That's incorrect.
# 269 Q: And that is why you were going to kill yourself, because you knew you were going to spend the rest of your life in jail, correct?
# 270 A: That's incorrect.
# 271 Q: And you knew that you dropped the blood at Bundy, correct?
# 272 A: That's incorrect.
# 273 Q: And knew, sir, that you went there that night and you confronted Nicole and you killed her --
# 274 MR. BAKER: Your Honor, I'm going to object.
# 275 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) -- correct?
# 276 MR. BAKER: This has been asked and a speech is already --
# 277 Q: (BY MR. PETROCELLI) Correct?
# 278 MR. BAKER: It's already been asked and answered.
# 279 THE COURT: Overruled.
You may answer.
# 280 A: No, Mr. Petrocelli. That's totally, absolutely incorrect.
# 281 Q: And Ronald Goldman came upon you when you were there with Nicole, and you did not expect him that night, correct?
# 282 MR. BAKER: I'm going to object.
# 283 A: I don't know Ron Goldman.
# 284 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 285 Q: And Ronald Goldman got into a fight with you as he tried to stop you, and you cut him and you slashed him until he died, collapsed in your arms. True or untrue?
# 287 Q: And you left him there to die, Mr. Simpson, with his eyes open, looking right at you. True or untrue?
# 289 MR. PETROCELLI: I have no further questions.