Direct examination of Raymond Kilduff

📄 Direct examination of Raymond Kilduff — Thursday, July 13, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\13\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-RAYMOND-.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 114 of 167

◀ Witness sworn Cross-examination called ▶

Witness: Raymond Kilduff
Examiner: Robert Shapiro
Called by: Defense • Date: Thursday, July 13, 1995 • Utterances: 165

Robert Shapiro examines Raymond Kilduff, a Hertz VP from Chicago, who drove OJ Simpson to O'Hare airport on the morning of June 13, 1994 — the day after the murders. Kilduff testifies that Simpson appeared visibly distraught and frantic, and that he observed Simpson's bandaged left hand with blood soaking through the gauze. The testimony is notable for establishing Simpson's emotional state and the bloody left hand wound in Chicago before he flew back to Los Angeles.

# 1 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

THE JURY: Good afternoon.

DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SHAPIRO

# 2 MR. SHAPIRO:

Good afternoon, Mr. Kilduff.

# 3 MR. KILDUFF:

Good afternoon.

# 4 MR. SHAPIRO:

How are you?

# 5 MR. KILDUFF:

Good.

# 6 MR. SHAPIRO:

You've been waiting for two days to get on the witness stand here.

# 7 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I have.

# 8 MR. SHAPIRO:

We apologize for the delays. You are from Chicago?

# 9 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 10 MR. SHAPIRO:

And are you employed there?

# 11 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I am.

# 12 MR. SHAPIRO:

What is your employment, sir?

# 13 MR. KILDUFF:

The Hertz corporation.

# 14 MR. SHAPIRO:

Were you employed in the Hertz corporation on June the 13th of 1994?

# 15 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 16 MR. SHAPIRO:

Is that date of any particular significance to you?

# 17 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, it is.

# 18 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what is the significance?

# 19 MR. KILDUFF:

It was the date that Mr. Simpson came to town for the golf tournament.

# 20 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what is--what was your job at Hertz on the 13th?

# 21 MR. KILDUFF:

Division vice president, central division sales.

# 22 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what does that consist of?

# 23 MR. KILDUFF:

It consists of, I handle 17 states for the sales, the corporate side of the business. In this particular case, we bring in our corporate customers from that area to a golf outing annually.

# 24 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you have a particular duty in bringing customers to the outing?

# 25 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 26 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what was your duty on that morning?

# 27 MR. KILDUFF:

Basically, ultimately I'm responsible for it all coming together.

# 28 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you have occasion to be in the area of a hotel where your guests were staying?

# 29 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 30 MR. SHAPIRO:

What hotel is that?

# 31 MR. KILDUFF:

The O'Hare plaza.

# 32 MR. SHAPIRO:

At some time in the morning, did you see Mr. OJ Simpson there?

# 33 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 34 MR. SHAPIRO:

Where was he when you first saw him?

# 35 MR. KILDUFF:

Sitting outside on a bench.

# 36 MR. SHAPIRO:

What time was it?

# 37 MR. KILDUFF:

Approximately about 8:45 to 8:50, somewhere in that.

# 38 MR. SHAPIRO:

Would you describe for the ladies and gentlemen of the jury how he appeared?

# 39 MR. KILDUFF:

When I drove up, I saw Mr. Simpson sitting out there. I was surprised, one, because I thought he was asleep. He was obviously distraught. Once I pulled up, his hands were in his--put his hands in his face like there was something wrong. I walked out--got out of the car first, went up, introduced myself. I had met Mr. Simpson two times prior, and told him I was from the Hertz corporation, asked if he remembered me. And at that point, he stated he needed to get to the airport.

# 40 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you respond to him after he said, "I need to get to the airport"?

# 41 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did. At the same time though, I had three individuals with me, John Johnson, who is my boss, Jack Raynard, who is a customer, and Jim Hoye, who is a customer. John got out of the car and said, "Juice, what's going on?"

# 42 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. This is hearsay.

# 43 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 44 MR. SHAPIRO:

The people that were in your car, did they get out of the car?

# 45 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, they did.

# 46 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did anyone approach Mr. Simpson?

# 47 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, they did.

# 48 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did--was there some conversation?

# 49 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 50 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did Mr. Simpson respond in any way?

# 51 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 52 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you recall what his response was?

# 53 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes. He said--

# 54 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. Hearsay.

# 55 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 56 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you recall what his demeanor was when he responded? Was this to Mr. Johnson?

# 57 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 58 MR. SHAPIRO:

What was his demeanor?

# 59 MR. KILDUFF:

Upset.

# 60 MR. SHAPIRO:

What was his tone?

# 61 MR. KILDUFF:

Frantic.

# 62 MR. SHAPIRO:

And at that time, was--did you make an offer to Mr. Simpson?

# 63 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 64 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what was that?

# 65 MR. KILDUFF:

To take him to the airport.

# 66 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. Hearsay, your Honor.

# 67 THE COURT:

Overruled. What was the offer?

# 68 MR. KILDUFF:

To take him to the airport.

# 69 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did he respond?

# 70 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 71 MR. SHAPIRO:

What was his response?

# 72 MR. KILDUFF:

He asked me to take him--

# 73 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. Hearsay, your Honor.

# 74 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 75 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did he get in the vehicle?

# 76 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 77 MR. SHAPIRO:

What part of the vehicle did he get in?

# 78 MR. KILDUFF:

Passenger front seat.

# 79 MR. SHAPIRO:

And you were the driver?

# 80 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 81 MR. SHAPIRO:

Was there anyone else in the vehicle?

# 82 MR. KILDUFF:

No.

# 83 MR. SHAPIRO:

How far--did you take him to the airport?

# 84 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 85 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you ascertain what flight he was on?

# 86 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 87 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you make any calls to see what time that flight would be taking off?

# 88 MR. KILDUFF:

Two. One to--

# 89 MR. SHAPIRO:

Okay. You made two calls?

# 90 MR. KILDUFF:

Uh-huh.

# 91 MR. SHAPIRO:

And after making those calls, did you ascertain whether or not you would be able to make an earlier flight than Mr. Simpson had scheduled?

# 92 MR. KILDUFF:

I was not aware of any earlier flight Mr. Simpson had scheduled.

# 93 MR. SHAPIRO:

What flight were you trying to make?

# 94 MR. KILDUFF:

9:15.

# 95 MR. SHAPIRO:

Were you able to make that flight?

# 96 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 97 MR. SHAPIRO:

On the way to the airport, would you describe Mr. Simpson's demeanor?

# 98 MR. KILDUFF:

Very much the same. Very upset.

# 99 MR. SHAPIRO:

What was his tone of voice in the car?

# 100 MR. KILDUFF:

Upset.

# 101 MR. SHAPIRO:

Was he making any type of sounds?

# 102 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 103 MR. SHAPIRO:

What type of sounds was he making?

# 104 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. Hearsay.

# 105 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 106 MR. KILDUFF:

He was moaning. Basically he repeated a statement several times.

KEY QUOTE

# 107 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did that statement express some type of distress?

# 108 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. That's hearsay.

# 109 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 110 MR. SHAPIRO:

What did that statement convey to you?

# 111 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. It's hearsay.

# 112 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 113 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you have an occasion to observe anything unusual about Mr. Simpson's hands?

# 114 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 115 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what did you observe?

# 116 MR. KILDUFF:

That it was cut and bleeding.

# 117 MR. SHAPIRO:

Which hand did you observe that on, do you recall?

# 118 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 119 MR. SHAPIRO:

Which one was that?

# 120 MR. KILDUFF:

The left.

# 121 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you notice any type of bandage on that hand?

# 122 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 123 MR. SHAPIRO:

What type of bandage did you notice?

# 124 MR. KILDUFF:

It was a regular, you know, type of Band-Aid. I'm not sure.

# 125 MR. SHAPIRO:

And would you describe to the ladies and gentlemen of the jury the hand, the bandage and the blood that you observed?

# 126 MR. KILDUFF:

When I--Mr. Simpson was sitting against the wall, it was very sunny. I could actually see into the bandage because it was loose and it was very bloody. I could see the entire gauze area covered in blood.

KEY QUOTE

# 127 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you get Mr. Simpson to the airport?

# 128 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 129 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did he leave your presence?

# 130 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 131 MR. SHAPIRO:

Were you contacted by anyone--who were the first per--people to contact you regarding what you observed regarding Mr. Simpson?

# 132 MR. KILDUFF:

The Chicago police.

# 133 MR. SHAPIRO:

And when did they contact you?

# 134 MR. KILDUFF:

The--three days later, I believe the 16th.

# 135 MR. SHAPIRO:

How many people--did you talk to someone eventually at the Chicago police?

# 136 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes. The LAPD.

# 137 MR. SHAPIRO:

And how many people did you talk to?

# 138 MR. KILDUFF:

Two.

# 139 MR. SHAPIRO:

And for how long a period of time did you talk to them?

# 140 MR. KILDUFF:

For about 45 minutes.

# 141 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you tell them substantially what you've told us here and told the jury today?

# 142 MR. KILDUFF:

Not in this detail.

# 143 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you later talk to anyone from police departments?

# 144 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes. Mr. Hodgman and I believe he had five or six policemen.

# 145 MR. SHAPIRO:

Five or six policemen?

# 146 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 147 MR. SHAPIRO:

And where was this?

# 148 MR. KILDUFF:

In my offices.

# 149 MR. SHAPIRO:

So Mr. Hodgman came to Chicago with five or six police?

# 150 MR. KILDUFF:

Correct. It was a mixture of Chicago and LAPD.

# 151 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you have an interview with them?

# 152 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did. With Mr. Hodgman.

# 153 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did Mr. Hodgman tape-record this interview?

# 154 MR. KILDUFF:

Not to my knowledge.

# 155 MR. SHAPIRO:

Were notes taken of this interview?

# 156 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes.

# 157 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you explain to Mr. Hodgman and the five or six police officers what occurred and what your observations were?

# 158 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I did.

# 159 MR. SHAPIRO:

And was that substantially what you've told this jury?

# 160 MR. KILDUFF:

Very close.

# 161 MR. SHAPIRO:

Have you seen a report that was prepared as a result of that interview?

# 162 MR. KILDUFF:

Yes, I have.

# 163 MR. SHAPIRO:

And in that report, did that summarize what your statements were to this jury today?

# 164 MR. KILDUFF:

As a summary, yes.

# 165 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Nothing further.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Raymond Kilduff

He was obviously distraught. Once I pulled up, his hands were in his--put his hands in his face like there was something wrong.

Establishes Simpson's emotional state on the morning of June 13, consistent with someone who had just learned of the murders — but potentially also consistent with guilt.

Raymond Kilduff

When I--Mr. Simpson was sitting against the wall, it was very sunny. I could actually see into the bandage because it was loose and it was very bloody. I could see the entire gauze area covered in blood.

Direct observation of a bloody wound on Simpson's left hand in Chicago, supporting the defense narrative that the cut predated his return to Rockingham.

Raymond Kilduff

He was moaning. Basically he repeated a statement several times.

Suggests Simpson was in an agitated, repetitive state — Shapiro tried to get the content but was blocked by hearsay rulings.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Police report summarizing Kilduff's interview with Hodgman and officers in Chicago

discussed — Kilduff confirmed it accurately summarized his account

Notable Exchanges (2)

Robert Shapiro•Christopher Darden•Lance A. Ito

Darden repeatedly objected to hearsay as Shapiro tried to elicit Simpson's actual words and what his statements conveyed. Most objections were sustained, leaving only the physical observations and demeanor descriptions on the record.

strategic

Robert Shapiro•Raymond Kilduff

Shapiro establishes that prosecutor Hodgman personally traveled to Chicago with five or six officers to interview this witness, underscoring the significance of Kilduff's observations to both sides.

revealing

Light Moments (1)

Robert Shapiro

Shapiro acknowledges Kilduff waited two days to testify and apologizes for the delays.

Objections

8 objections (6 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 6823 • 165 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103