OJ's Statement to the LAPD

NOTE: The following statement was uploaded to alt.fan.oj-simpson by cpsidfw@onramp.net (Dave), also known as H.S.S. Dave. This transcript was laboriously typed by an anonymous lurker on the news group and emailed to Dave.

 
>From November 29, 1994 issue of STAR 
 
This interrogation was conducted by Philip Vannatter (VA) and 
Thomas Lange (TL), the Los Angeles Police Department's chief 
investigators of the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. 
 
 
VA      ...my partner, Detective Lange, and we're in an interview 
        room in Parker Center.  The date is June 13th, 1994, and 
        the time is 13:35 hours.  And we're here with O.J. Simpson. 
        Is that Orenthal James Simpson? 
 
OJ      Orenthal James Simpson 
 
VA      And what is your birthdate, Mr. Simpson? 
 
OJ      July 9th, 1947. 
 
VA      OK.  Prior to us talking to you, as we agreed with your 
        attorney, I'm going to give you your constitutional rights. 
        An I would like you to listen carefully.  If you don't 
        understand anything, tell me, OK? 
 
OJ      All right 
 
VA      OK.  Mr. Simpson, you have the right to remain silent.  If 
        you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can 
        and will be used against you in a court of law.  You have the 
        right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present 
        during the questioning.  If you so desire and cannot afford one, 
        an attorney will be appointed for you without charge before 
        questioning.  Do you understand your rights? 
 
OJ      Yes, I do. 
 
VA      Are there any questions about that? 
 
OJ      (unintelligible) 
 
VA      OK, you've got to speak up louder than that... 
 
OJ      OK, no. 
 
VA      OK, do you wish to give up your right to remain silent and 
        talk to us? 
 
OJ      Ah, yes. 
 
VA      OK, and you give up your right to have an attorney present 
        while we talk? 
 
OJ      Mmm hmm.  Yes. 
 
VA      OK.  All right, what we're gonna do is, we want to...We're 
        investigating, obviously, the death of your ex-wife and 
        another man. 
 
TL      Someone told us that. 
 
VA      Yeah, and we're going to need to talk to you about that.   
        Are you divorced from her now? 
 
OJ      Yes. 
 
VA      How long have you been divorced? 
 
OJ      Officially?  Probably close to two years, but we've been 
        apart for a little over two years. 
 
VA      Have you? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      What was your relationship with her?  What was the... 
 
OJ      Well, we tried to get back together, and it just didn't work. 
        It wasn't working, and so we were going our separate ways. 
 
VA      Recently you tried to get back together? 
 
OJ      We tried to get back together for about a year, you know, 
        where we started dating each other and seeing each other. 
        She came back and wanted us to get back together, and... 
 
VA:     Within the last year, you're talking about? 
 
OJ      She came back about a year and four months ago about us trying 
        to get back together, and we gave it a shot.  We gave it a  
        shot the better part of a year.  And I think we both knew it 
        wasn't working, and probably three weeks ago or so, we said 
        it just wasn't working, and we went our separate ways. 
 
VA      OK, the two children are yours? 
 
OJ      Yes. 
 
TL      She have custody? 
 
OJ      We have joint custody. 
 
TL      Through the courts? 
 
OJ      We went through the courts and everything.  Everything is 
        done.  We have no problems with the kids, we do everything 
        together, you know, with the kids. 
 
VA      How was your separation?  What that a...? 
 
OJ      The first separation? 
 
VA      Yeah, was there problems with that? 
 
OJ      For me, it was big problems.  I loved her, I didn't want us 
        to separate. 
 
VA      Uh huh.  I understand she had made a couple of crime...crime 
        reports or something? 
 
OJ      Ah, we have a big fight about six years ago on New Year's, 
        you know, she made a report.  I didn't make a report.  And 
        then we had an altercation about a year ago maybe.  It wasn't  
        a physical argument.  I kicked her door or something. 
         
VA      And she made a police report on those two occasions? 
 
OJ      Mmm hmm.  And I stayed right there until the police came, 
        talked to them. 
 
TL      Were you arrested at one time for something? 
 
OJ      No.  I mean, five years ago we had a big fight, six years 
        ago.  I don't know.  I know I ended up doing community 
        service. 
 
VA      So you weren't arrested? 
 
OJ      No, I was never really arrested. 
 
TL      They never booked you or... 
 
OJ      No. 
 
VA      Can I ask you, when's the last time you've slept? 
 
OJ      I got a couple of hours sleep last night.  I mean, you know, 
        I slept a little on the plane, not much, and when I got to 
        the hotel I was asleep a few hours when the phone call came. 
 
TL      Did Nicole have a housemaid that lived there? 
 
OJ      I believe so, yes. 
 
TL      Do you know her name at all? 
 
OJ      Evia, Elvia, something like that. 
 
VA      We didn't see her there.  Did she have the day off perhaps? 
 
OJ      I don't know.  I don't know what schedule she's on. 
 
TL      Phil, what do you think?  We can maybe just recount last 
        night... 
 
VA      Yeah.  When was the last time you saw Nicole? 
 
OJ      We were leaving a dance recital.  She took off and I was 
        talking to her parents. 
 
VA      Where was the dance recital? 
 
OJ      Paul Revere High School. 
 
VA      And was that for one of your children? 
 
OJ      Yeah, for my daughter Sydney. 
 
VA      And what time was that yesterday? 
 
OJ      It ended about 6:30, quarter to seven, something like that, 
        you know, in the ballpark, right in that area.  And they 
        took off. 
 
VA      They? 
 
OJ      Her and her family -- her mother and father, sisters, my 
        kids, you know. 
 
VA      And then you went your own separate way? 
 
OJ      Yeah, actually she left, and then they came back and her 
        mother got in a car with her, and the kids all piled 
        into her sister's car, and they... 
 
VA      Was Nicole driving? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      What kind of car was she driving? 
 
OJ      Her black car, a Cherokee, a Jeep Cherokee. 
 
VA      What were you driving? 
 
OJ      My Rolls-Royce, my Bentley. 
 
VA      Do you own that Ford Bronco that sits outside? 
 
OJ      Hertz owns it, and Hertz lets me use it. 
 
VA      So that's your vehicle, the one that was parked there on 
        the street? 
 
OJ      Mmm hmm. 
 
VA      And it's actually owned by Hertz? 
 
OJ      Hertz, yeah. 
 
VA      Who's the primary driver on that?  You? 
 
OJ      I drive it, the housekeeper drives it, you know, it's 
        kind of a... 
 
VA      All-purpose type vehicle? 
 
OJ      All-purpose, yeah.  It's the only one that my insurance will 
        allow me to let anyone else drive. 
 
VA      OK 
 
TL      When you drive it, where do you park it at home?  Where it is 
        now, it was in the street or something? 
 
OJ      I always park it on the street. 
 
TL      You never take it in the... 
 
OJ      Oh, rarely.  I mean, I'll bring it in -- and switch the 
        stuff, you know, and stuff like that.  I did that yesterday, 
        you know. 
 
TL      When did you last drive it? 
 
OJ      Yesterday 
 
VA      What time yesterday? 
 
OJ      In the morning, in the afternoon. 
 
VA      OK, you left her, you're saying, about 6:30 or 7, or 
        she left the recital? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      And you spoke with her parents? 
 
OJ      Yeah, we were just sitting there talking. 
 
VA      OK, what time did you leave the recital? 
 
OJ      Right about that time.  We were all leaving.  We were all 
        leaving then.  Her mother said something about me joining 
        them for dinner, and I said no thanks. 
 
VA      Where did you go from there, OJ? 
 
OJ      Ah, home, home for a while, got my car for a while, tried 
        to find my girlfriend for a while, came back to the house. 
 
VA      Who was home when you got home? 
 
OJ      Kato. 
 
VA      Kato?  Anybody else?  Was your daughter there, Arnelle? 
 
OJ      No. 
 
VA      Isn't that her name, Arnelle? 
 
OJ      Arnelle, yeah. 
 
VA      So what time do you think you got back home, actually 
        physically got home? 
 
OJ      Seven-something. 
 
VA      Seven-something?  And then you left, and... 
 
OJ      Yeah, I'm trying to think, did I leave?  You know, I'm always 
        ...I had to run and get my daughter some flowers.  I was 
        actually doing the recital, so I rushed and got her some  
        flowers, and I came home, and then I called Paula as I was 
        going to her house, and Paula wasn't home. 
 
VA      Paula is your girlfriend? 
 
OJ      Girlfriend, yeah. 
 
VA      Paula who? 
 
OJ      Barbieri. 
 
VA      Could you spell that for me? 
 
OJ      B-A-R-B-I-E-R-I. 
 
VA      Do you know an address on her? 
 
OJ      No, she lives on Wilshire, but I think she's out of town. 
 
VA      You got a phone number? 
 
OJ      Yeah (number deleted by STAR). 
 
VA      So you didn't see her last night? 
 
OJ      No, we'd been to a big affair the night before, and then I 
        came back home.  I was basically at home.  I mean, any time 
        I was...whatever time it took me to get to the recital and  
        back, to get to the flower shop and back, I mean, that's the 
        time I was out of the house. 
 
VA      Were you scheduled to play golf this morning, some place? 
 
OJ      In Chicago. 
 
VA      What kind of tournament was it? 
 
OJ      Ah, it was Hertz, with special clients. 
 
VA      Oh, OK.  What time did you leave last night, leave the 
        house? 
 
OJ      To go to the airport? 
 
VA      Mmm hmm. 
 
OJ      About...the limo was supposed to be there at 10:45. 
        Normally, they get there a little earlier.  I was rushing 
        around -- somewhere between there and 11. 
 
VA      So approximately 10:45 to 11. 
 
OJ      Eleven o'clock, yea, somewhere in that area. 
 
VA      And you went by limo? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      Who's the limo service? 
 
OJ      Ah, you have to ask my office. 
 
TL      Did you converse with the driver at all?  Did you talk to him? 
 
OJ      No, he was a new driver.  Normally, I have a regular driver 
        I drive with and converse.  No, just about rushing to the 
        airport, about how I live my life on airplanes, and hotels, 
        that type of thing. 
 
TL      What time did the plane leave? 
 
OJ      Ah, 11:45 the flight took off. 
 
VA      What airline was it? 
 
OJ      American. 
 
VA      American?  And it was 11:45 to Chicago? 
 
OJ      Chicago. 
 
TL      So yesterday you did drive the white Bronco? 
 
OJ      Mmm hmm. 
 
TL      And where did you park it when you brought it home? 
 
OJ      Ah, the first time probably by the mailbox.  I'm trying 
        to think, or did I bring it in the driveway?  Normally, 
        I will park it by the mailbox, sometimes... 
 
TL      On Ashford, or Ashland? 
 
OJ      On Ashford, yeah. 
 
TL      Where did you park yesterday for the last time, do you 
        remember? 
 
OJ      Right where it is. 
 
TL      Where it is now? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
TL      Where, on...? 
 
OJ      Right on the street there. 
 
TL      On Ashford? 
 
OJ      No, on Rockingham. 
 
TL      You parked it there? 
 
OJ      Yes. 
 
TL      About what time was that? 
 
OJ      Eight-something, seven...eight, nine o'clock, I don't 
        know, right in that area. 
 
TL      Did you take it to the recital? 
 
OJ      No. 
 
TL      What time was the recital? 
 
OJ      Over at about 6:30.  Like I said, I came home, I got my car, 
        I was going to see my girlfriend.  I was calling her and she 
        wasn't around. 
 
TL      So you drove the...you came home in the Rolls, and then you 
        got in the Bronco... 
 
OJ      In the Bronco, 'cause my phone was in the Bronco.  And because 
        it's a Bronco.  It's a Bronco, it's what I drive, you know. 
        I'd rather drive it than any other car.  And, you know, as I 
        was going over there, I called her a couple of times and she  
        wasn't there, and I left a message, and then I checked my 
        messages, and there were no new messages.  She wasn't there, 
        and she may have to leave town.  Then I came back and ended up 
        sitting with Kato. 
 
TL      OK, what time was this again that you parked the Bronco? 
 
OJ      Eight-something, maybe.  He hadn't done a Jacuzzi, we had... 
        went and got a burger, and I'd come home and kind of 
        leisurely got ready to go.  I mean, we'd done a few things... 
 
TL      You weren't in a hurry when you came back with the Bronco. 
 
OJ      No 
 
TL      The reason I asked you, the cars were parked kind of at a 
        funny angle, stuck out in the street. 
 
OJ      Well, it's parked because...I don't know if it's a funny 
        angle or what.  It's parked because when I was hustling at 
        the end of the day to get all my stuff, and I was getting 
        my phone and everything off it, when I just pulled it out 
        of the gate there, it's like it's a tight turn. 
 
TL      So you had it inside the compound, then? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
TL      Oh, OK. 
 
OJ      I brought it inside the compound to get my stuff out of it, 
        and then I put it out, and I'd run back inside the gate before 
        the gate closes. 
 
VA      OJ, what's you office phone number? 
 
OJ      (number deleted by STAR) 
 
VA      And is that area code 310? 
 
OJ      Yes. 
 
VA      How did you get the injury on your hand? 
 
OJ      I don't know.  The first time, when I was in Chicago and all, 
        but at the house I was just running around. 
 
VA      How did you do it in Chicago? 
 
OJ      I broke a glass.  One of you guys had just called me, and  
        I was in the bathroom, and I just kind of went bonkers for 
        a little bit. 
 
TL      Is that how you cut it? 
 
OJ      Mmm, it was cut before, but I think I just opened it again, 
        I'm not sure. 
 
TL      Do you recall bleeding at all in your truck, in the Bronco? 
 
OJ      I recall bleeding at my house and then I went to the Bronco. 
        The last thing I did before I left, when I was rushing, was 
        went and got my phone out of the Bronco. 
 
TL      Mmm hmm.  Where's the phone now? 
 
OJ      In my bag. 
 
TL      You have it...? 
 
OJ      In that black bag. 
 
TL      You brought a bag with you here? 
 
OJ      Yeah, it's... 
 
TL      So do you recall bleeding at all? 
 
OJ      Yeah, I mean, I knew I was bleeding, but it was no big 
        deal.  I bleed all the time.  I play golf and stuff, so 
        there's always something, nicks and stuff here and there. 
 
TL      So did you do anything?  When did you put the Band-Aid on it? 
 
OJ      Actually, I asked the girl this morning for it. 
 
TL      And she got it? 
 
OJ      Yeah, 'cause last night with Kato, when I was leaving, he 
        was saying something to me, and I was rushing to get my 
        phone, and I put a little thing on it, and it stopped. 
 
VA      Do you have the keys to that Bronco? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      OK.  We've impounded the Bronco.  I don't know if you know 
        that or not. 
 
OJ      No. 
 
VA      ...take a look at it.  Other than you, who's the last person 
        to drive it. 
 
OJ      Probably Gigi.  When I'm out of town, I don't know who drives 
        the car, maybe my daughter, maybe Kato. 
 
VA      The keys are available? 
 
OJ      I leave the keys there, you know, when Gigi's there because 
        sometimes she needs it, or Gigi was off and wasn't coming 
        back until today, and I was coming back tonight. 
 
VA      So you don't mind if Gigi uses it, or... 
 
OJ      This is the only one I can let her use.  When she doesn't 
        have her car, 'cause sometimes her husband takes her car, 
        I let her use the car. 
 
TL      When was the last time you were at Nicole's house? 
 
OJ      I don't go in, I won't go in her house.  I haven't been in 
        her house in a week, maybe five days.  I go to her house a 
        lot.  I mean, I'm always dropping the kids off, picking the 
        kids up, fooling around with the dog, you know. 
 
VA      How does that usually work?  Do you drop them at the porch, 
        or do you go in with them? 
 
OJ      No, I don't go in the house. 
 
VA      Is there a kind of gate out front? 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      But you never go inside the house? 
 
OJ      Up until about five days, six days ago, I haven't been in 
        the house.  Once I started seeing Paula again, I kind of 
        avoid Nicole. 
 
VA      Is Nicole seeing anybody else that you... 
 
OJ      I have no idea.  I really have absolutely no idea.  I don't 
        ask her.  I don't know.  Her and her girlfriends, they go out, 
        you know, they've got some things going on right now with her 
        girlfriends, so I'm assuming something's happening because one 
        of the girlfriends is having a big problem with her husband 
        because she's always saying she's with Nicole until three or 
        four in the morning.  She's not.  You know, Nicole tells me 
        she leaves her at 1:30 or 2 or 2:30, and the girl doesn't get 
        home until 5, and she only lives a few blocks away. 
 
VA      Something's going on, huh? 
 
TL      Do you know where they went, the family, for dinner last night? 
 
OJ      No.  Well, no, I didn't ask. 
 
TL      I just thought maybe there's a regular place that they go. 
 
OJ      No.  If I was with them, we'd go to Toscano.  I mean, not 
        Toscano, Poponi's. 
 
VA      You haven't had any problems with her lately, have you, OJ? 
 
OJ      I always have problems with her, you know?  Our relationship 
        has been a problem relationship.  Probably lately for me, and I 
        say this only because I said it to Ron yesterday at the -- 
        Ron Fishman, whose wife is Cora -- at the dance recital, when 
        he came up to me and went, "Oooh, boy, what's going on?" and 
        everybody was beefing with everybody.  And I said, "Well, I'm 
        just glad I'm out of the mix."  You know, because I was like 
        dealing with him and his problems with his wife and Nicole and 
        evidently some new problems that a guy named Christian was 
        having with his girl, and he was staying at Nicole's house, 
        and something was going on, but I don't think it's pertinent to 
        this.  
 
VA      Did Nicole have words with you last night? 
 
OJ      Pardon me? 
 
VA      Did Nicole have words with you last night? 
 
OJ      No, not at all. 
 
VA      Did you talk to her last night? 
 
OJ      To ask to speak to my daughter, to congratulate my daughter, 
        and everything. 
 
VA      But you didn't have a conversation with her? 
 
OJ      No, no. 
 
VA      What were you wearing last night, OJ? 
 
OJ      What did I wear on the golf course yesterday?  Some of 
        these kind of pants, some of these kind of pants -- I mean 
        I changed different for whatever it was.  I just had on some... 
 
VA      Just these black pants. 
 
OJ      Just these...They're called Bugle Boy. 
 
VA      These aren't the pants? 
 
OJ      No. 
 
VA      Where ar the pants that you wore? 
 
OJ      They're hanging in my closet. 
 
VA      These are washable, right?  You just throw them in the  
        laundry? 
 
OJ      Yeah, I got 100 pair.  They give them to me free, Bugle Boys, 
        so I've got a bunch of them. 
 
VA      Do you recall coming home and hanging them up, or...? 
 
OJ      I always hang up my clothes.  I mean, it's rare that I don't 
        hang up my clothes unless I'm laying them in my bathroom for 
        her to do something with them, but those are the only things 
        I don't hang up.  But when you play golf, you don't necessarily 
        dirty pants. 
 
TL      What kind of shoes were you wearing? 
 
OJ      Tennis shoes. 
 
TL      Tennis shoes?  Do you know what kind? 
 
OJ      Probably Reebok, that's all I wear. 
 
TL      Are they at home, too? 
 
OJ      Yeah 
 
TL      Was this supposed to be a short trip to Chicago, so you didn't 
        take a whole lot? 
 
OJ      Yeah, I was coming back today. 
 
TL      Just overnight?   
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      That's a hectic schedule, drive back here to play golf and 
        come back. 
 
OJ      Yeah, but I do it all the time. 
 
VA      Do you? 
 
OJ      Yeah.  That's what I was complaining with the driver about, 
        you know, about my whole life is on and off airplanes. 
 
VA      OJ, we've got sort of a problem. 
 
OJ      Mmm hmm. 
 
VA      We've got some blood on and in your car, we've got some blood 
        at your house, and sort of a problem. 
 
OJ      Well, take my blood test. 
 
TL      Well, we'd like to do that.  We've got, of course, the cut  
        on your finger that you aren't real clear on.  Do you recall 
        having that cut on your finger the last time you were at 
        Nicole's house? 
 
OJ      A week ago? 
 
TL      Yeah. 
 
OJ      No.  It was last night. 
 
TL      OK, so last night you cut it. 
 
VA      Somewhere after the recital? 
 
OJ      Somewhere when I was rushing to get out of my house. 
 
VA      OK, after the recital. 
 
OJ      Yeah. 
 
VA      What do you think happened?  Do you have any idea? 
 
OJ      I have no idea, man.  You guys haven't told me anything. 
        I have no idea.  When you said to my daughter, who said  
        something to me today, that somebody else might have been 
        involved, I have absolutely no idea what happened.  I don't 
        know how, why or what.  But you guys haven't told me anything. 
        Every time I ask you guys, you say you're going to tell me in 
        a bit. 
 
VA      Well, we don't know a lot of answers to these questions yet 
        ourselves, OJ, OK? 
 
OJ      I've got a bunch of guns, guns all over the place.  You can 
        take them, they're all there.  I mean, you can see them. 
        I keep them in my car for an incident that happened a  
        month ago that my in-laws, my wife and everybody knows about 
        that. 
 
VA      What was that? 
 
OJ      Going down to...and cops down there know about it because  
        I've told two marshals about it.  At a mall, I was going down 
        for a christening, and I had just left -- and it was like 
        3:30 in the morning, and I'm in a lane, and also the car in 
        front of me is going real slow, and I'm slowing down 'cause 
        I figure he sees a cop, 'cause we were all going pretty fast. 
        And I'm going to change lanes, but there's a car next to me, 
        and I can't change lanes.  Then that goes for a while, and I'm 
        going to slow down and go around him but the car butts up to 
        me, and I'm like caught between three cars.  They were Oriental 
        guys, and they were not letting me go anywhere.  And finally I 
        went on the shoulder, and I sped up, and then I held my phone 
        up so they could see the light part of it, you know, 'cause I 
        have tinted windows, and they kind of scattered, and I chased 
        one of them for a while to make him think I was chasing him 
        before I took off. 
 
TL      Were you in the Bronco? 
 
OJ      No. 
 
TL      What were you driving? 
 
OJ      My Bentley.  It has tinted windows and all, so I figured they 
        thought they had a nice little touch... 
 
TL      Did you think they were trying to rip you off? 
 
OJ      Definitely, they were.  And then the next thing, you know, 
        Nicole and I went home.  At four in the morning I got there 
        to Laguna, and when we woke up, I told her about it, and 
        told her parents about it, told everybody about it, you know? 
        And when I saw two marshals at a mall, I walked up and told 
        them about it. 
 
VA      What did they do, make a report on it? 
 
OJ      They didn't know nothing.  I mean, they'll remember me and 
        remember I told them. 
 
VA      Did Nicole mention that she'd been getting any threats lately 
        to you?  Anything she was concerned about or the kids' safety? 
 
OJ      To her? 
 
VA      Yes. 
 
OJ      From? 
 
VA      From anybody. 
 
OJ      No, not at all. 
 
VA      Was she very security conscious?  Did she keep that house 
        locked up? 
 
OJ      Very. 
 
VA      The intercom didn't work apparently, right? 
 
OJ      I thought it worked. 
 
VA      Oh, OK.  Does the electronic buzzer work? 
 
OJ      The electronic buzzer works to let people in. 
 
VA      Do you ever park in the rear when you go over there? 
 
OJ      Most of the time. 
 
VA      You do park in the rear. 
 
OJ      Most times when I'm taking the kids there, I come right 
        into the driveway, blow the horn, and she, or a lot of 
        times the housekeeper, either the housekeeper opens or  
        they'll keep a garage door open up on the top of the 
        thing, you know, but that's when I'm dropping the kids off, 
        and I'm not going in. --- times I go to the front because the 
        kids have to hit the buzzer and stuff. 
 
VA      Did you say before that up until about three weeks ago you guys 
        were going out again and trying to... 
 
OJ      No, we'd been going out for about a year, and then the last 
        six months we've had...it ain't been working, so we tried 
        various things to see if we can make it work.  We started 
        trying to date, and that wasn't working, and so, you know, 
        we just said the hell with it, you know. 
 
VA      And that was about three weeks ago? 
 
OJ      Yeah, about three weeks ago. 
 
VA      So you were seeing her up to that point? 
 
OJ      It's, it's...seeing her, yeah, I mean, yeah.  It was a done 
        deal.  It just wasn't happening.  I mean, I was gone.  I was 
        in San Juan doing a film, and I don't think we had sex since 
        I've been back from San Juan, and that was like two months ago. 
        So it's been like...for the kids we tried to do things together, 
        you know, we didn't really date each other.  Then we decided 
        let's try to date each other.  We went out one night, and it 
        just didn't work. 
 
VA      When you say it didn't work, what do you mean? 
 
OJ      Ah, the night we went out it was fun.  Then the next night 
        we went out it was actually when I was down in Laguna, and 
        she didn't want to go out.  And I said, "Well, let's go out 
        'cause I came all the way down here to go out," and we kind 
        of had a beef.  And it just didn't work after that, you know? 
        We were only trying to date to see if we could bring some 
        romance back into our relationship.  We just said, let's treat 
        each other like boyfriend and girlfriend instead of, you know, 
        like 17-year-old married people.  I mean, 17 years together, 
        whatever that is. 
 
VA      How long were you together? 
 
OJ      Seventeen years. 
 
VA      Seventeen years.  Did you ever hit her, OJ? 
 
OJ      Ah, one night we had a fight.  We had a fight, and she hit me. 
        And they never took my statement, they never wanted to hear my 
        side, and they never wanted to hear the housekeeper's side. 
        Nicole was drunk.  She did her thing, she started tearing up 
        my house, you know?  I didn't punch her or anything, but I... 
 
VA      ...slapped her a couple of times. 
 
OJ      No, no, I wrestled her, is what I did.  I didn't slap her 
        at all.  I mean, Nicole's a strong girl.  She's a...one of 
        the most conditioned women.  Since that period of time, she's 
        hit me a few times, but I've never touched her after that, 
        and I'm telling you, it's five-six years ago. 
 
VA      What is her birth date? 
 
OJ      May 19th. 
 
VA      Did you get together with her on her birthday? 
 
OJ      Yeah, her and I and the kids, I believe. 
 
VA      Did you give her a gift? 
 
OJ      I gave her a gift. 
 
VA      What did you give her? 
 
OJ      I gave her either a bracelet or the earrings. 
 
VA      Did she keep them or... 
 
OJ      Oh, no, when we split she gave me both the earrings and the 
        bracelet back.  I bought her a very nice bracelet -- I don't 
        know if it was Mother's Day or her birthday -- and I bought 
        her the earrings for the other thing, and when we split -- 
        and it's a credit to her -- she felt that it wasn't right 
        that she had it, and I said good because I want them back. 
 
VA      Was that the very day of her birthday, May 19, or was it a 
        few days later? 
 
OJ      What do you mean? 
 
VA      You gave it to her on the 19th of May, her birthday, right, 
        this bracelet? 
 
OJ      I may have given her the earrings.  No, the bracelet,  
        May 19th.  When was Mother's Day? 
 
VA      Mother's Day was around that... 
 
OJ      No, it was probably her birthday, yes. 
 
VA      And did she return it the same day? 
 
OJ      Oh, no, she...I'm in a funny place here on this, all 
        right?  She returned it -- both of them -- three weeks 
        ago or so, because when I say I'm in a funny place on this 
        it was because I gave it to my girlfriend and told her it 
        was for her, and that was three weeks ago.  I told her I 
        bought it for her.  You know?  What am I going to do with 
        it? 
 
TL      Did Mr. Weitzman, your attorney, talk to you anything about 
        this polygraph we brought up before?  What are your  
        thoughts on that? 
 
OJ      Should I talk about my thoughts on that?  I'm sure 
        eventually I'll do it, but it's like I've got some 
        weird thoughts now.  I've had weird thoughts...you know 
        when you've been with a person for 17 years, you think 
        everything.  I've got to understand what this thing is. 
        If it's true blue, I don't mind doing it. 
 
TL      Well, you're not compelled at all to take this thing, 
        number one, and number two -- I don't know if Mr. Weitzman 
        explained it to you -- this goes to the exclusion of someone 
        as much as the inclusion so we can eliminate people.  And 
        just to get things straight. 
 
OJ      But does it work for elimination? 
 
TL      Oh, yes.  We use it for elimination more than anything. 
 
OJ      Well, I'll talk to him about it. 
 
TL      Understand, the reason we're talking to you is because  
        you're the ex-husband. 
 
OJ      I know, I'm the number one target, and now you tell me I've 
        got blood all over the place. 
 
TL      Well, there's blood at your house in the driveway, and we've 
        got a search warrant, and we're going to go get the blood. 
        We found some in your house.  Is that your blood that's there? 
 
OJ      If it's dripped, it's what I dripped running around trying to 
        leave. 
 
TL      Last night? 
 
OJ      Yeah, and I wasn't aware that it was...I was aware that I... 
        You know, I was trying to get out of the house.  I didn't 
        even pay any attention to it, I saw it when I was in the  
        kitchen, and I grabbed a napkin or something, and that was 
        it.  I didn't think about it after that. 
 
VA      That was last night after you got home from the recital, 
        when you were rushing? 
 
OJ      That was last night when I was...I don't know what I was... 
        I was in the car getting my junk out of the car.  I was in 
        the house throwing hangers and stuff in my suitcase.  I was 
        doing my little crazy what I do...I mean, I do it everywhere. 
        Anybody who has ever picked me up says that OJ's a whirlwind, 
        he's running, he's grabbing things, and that's what I was doing. 
 
VA      Well, I'm going to step out and I'm going to get a photographer 
        to come down and photograph your hand there.  And then here 
        pretty soon we're going to take you downstairs and get some 
        blood from you.  OK?  I'll be right back. 
 
TL      So it was about five days ago you last saw Nicole?  Was it at 
        the house? 
 
OJ      OK, the last time I saw Nicole, physically saw Nicole...I 
        saw her obviously last night.  The time before, I'm trying 
        to think...I went to Washington, DC, so I didn't see her, 
        so I'm trying to think...I haven't seen her since I went to 
        Washington -- what's the date today? 
 
TL      Today's Monday, the 13th of June. 
 
OJ      OK, I went to Washington on maybe Wednesday.  Thursday I 
        think I was in...Thursday I was in Connecticut, then 
        Long Island Thursday afternoon and all of Friday.  I got 
        home Friday night, Friday afternoon.  I played, you know... 
        Paula picked me up at the airport.  I played golf Saturday, 
        and when I came home I think my son was there.  So I did 
        something with my son.  I don't think I saw Nicole at all 
        then.  And then I went to a big affair with Paula Saturday 
        night, and I got up and played golf Sunday which pissed Paula 
        off, and I saw Nicole at...It was about a week before, I saw 
        her at the... 
 
TL      OK, the last time you saw Nicole, was that at her house? 
 
OJ      I don't remember.  I wasn't in her house, so it couldn't 
        have been at her house, so it was, you know, I don't 
        physically remember the last time I saw her.  I may have 
        seen her even jogging one day. 
 
TL      Let me get this straight.  You've never physically been inside 
        the house? 
 
OJ      Not in the last week. 
 
TL      Ever.  I mean, how long has she lived there?  About six months? 
 
OJ      Oh, Christ, I've slept(ital) at the house many, many, many 
        times, you know?  I've done everything at the house, you know? 
        I'm just saying,...You're talking in the last week or so. 
 
TL      Well, whatever.  Six months she's lived there? 
 
OJ      I don't know.  Roughly.  I was at her house maybe two weeks  
        ago, 10 days ago.  One night her and I had a long talk, you 
        know, about how can we make it better for the kids, and I told 
        her we'd do things better.  And, OK, I can almost say when  
        that was.  That was when I...I don't know, it was about 10 
        days ago.  And then we...The next day I had her have her dog 
        do a flea bath or something with me.  Oh, I'll tell you, I did 
        see her one day.  One day I went...I don't know if this was  
        the early part of last week, I went 'cause my son had to go 
        and get something, and he ran in, and she came to the gate, 
        and the dog ran out, and her friend Faye and I went looking 
        for the dog.  That may have been a week ago, I don't know. 
 
TL      (To Vannatter)  Got a photographer coming? 
 
VA      No, we're going to take him up there. 
 
TL      We're ready to terminate this at 14:07. 
 
[ Well, there it is.  It is interesting, and I'm sure there will be many 
different interpretations of what was meant by what was said.  Still, 
though, the most interesting fact of all, to me, is that the prosecution 
does not want it entered into evidence.] 
 
H.S.S. Dave