The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson Recap: Episodes 3, 4

Lifetime’s docuseries The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson concluded by recapping O.J. Simpson‘s infamous murder trial, his life in the aftermath and highlighting the impact Nicole Brown Simpson left behind.

The final two installments of the four-part docuseries, which premiered on Sunday, June 2, used interviews with key witnesses, excerpts from Nicole’s diary and court documents that revealed what happened to O.J. and his kids after the scandal.

Despite reaching stardom with his NFL career, O.J. was most well-known for his tumultuous relationship with Nicole. O.J., who was married to Nicole from 1985 to 1992, was accused of murder after Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside of her Los Angeles home in 1994.

O.J. was acquitted after a high-profile trial but was later found liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman in a civil suit filed by Goldman’s family and ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

The athlete’s legal issues continued when he moved to Florida with his and Nicole’s kids: Sydney, now 38, and Justin, now 35. O.J. was found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery in 2007 in Las Vegas. He served nine years in a Nevada prison before being granted an early release in July 2017. After a private battle with cancer, O.J.’s family announced in April 2024 that he died at age 76.

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson gave her family a platform to reflect on the person Nicole was before her death as well as advocate for more awareness about domestic violence.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of revelations from part 3 and 4 of The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson:

Honoring Ron Goldman

The third episode started with Nicole’s friend Faye Resnick recalling how the duo originally met, saying, “I actually introduced her to Ron, hence a lot of other pain that I have. We used to go to Starbucks all the time. I introduced them one day and then they created a friendship with each other.”

The Goldman family didn’t take part in the docuseries but did release a statement earlier this year after O.J.’s death.

“The only thing I have to say is that today is a further reminder of how long Ron has been gone and how long we have missed him,” Ron’s dad, Fred Goldman, told Us Weekly in April. “The only thing that is truly important today are the victims.”

What Stood Out About O.J.’s Behavior in the Aftermath of the Murder

After Nicole and Ron’s death in 1994, O.J. was immediately a person of interest. Homicide detective Tom Lange recalled the details that stood out to him as he started looking into the homicide case.

“Initially [O.J.] was not arrested,” Lange recalled. “I don’t know that he even realized when I first met Simpson that his left hand was bleeding — from a finger on his left hand. There were a lot of things that subsequently stood out to us. The way that he talks — jumping around when we ask about his bleeding finger.”

Audio footage featured in the doc included O.J. claiming he injured his hand when he was in Chicago — the same night as Nicole’s murder. He thought he broke a glass in the bathroom but couldn’t remember any details except that it was cut before and he reopened the wounds recently.

“Blood is at the core of what we are going to be doing. It’s at the core of this evidence,” Lange continued. “If his blood is at that crime scene and we have blood on those gloves and we have blood in his car, which all seems to be true, then he is now a suspect.”

O.J.’s behavior continued to stand out when the Brown family laid Nicole to rest. Nicole’s friend Robin Greer discussed his emotional reaction at the funeral.

“He just stood over the coffin, looking at her and saying he was sorry,” she explained. “He sat next to me and he looked at me and said, ‘I am so sorry, girl.’ He was just admitting that he did it and he was sorry. And I’m sure he was.”

Meanwhile, Nicole’s sister Dominique Brown recounted how O.J. asked her to kneel in front of Nicole’s open casket with him. He subsequently made contact with Nicole’s mother, Juditha Anne Brown, that day as well, according to family friend D’Anne Purcilly.

“He got in the car with Nicole’s mother. Dita turned to him at one point and said, ‘Did you do this?’ And he leaned forward, looked down and said, ‘I loved her too much,'” Purcilly recalled. “He didn’t tell her he did it but kept saying he loved her too much.”

The tragic day got even worse when Nicole’s sister Denise Brown was approached by O.J.’s attorney, Robert Shapiro.

“Then all of a sudden I went outside and Shapiro came up to me — this is the f—ked up part. Shapiro goes, ‘Can we exhume the body?’ And I said, ‘What does that mean?'” she said while getting emotional. “I said, ‘F—k, she’s not even buried yet. How can you want to exhume her when she isn’t even buried. She just died.’ I couldn’t believe he would ask me something like that.”

Nicole’s body was taken to a cemetery, which O.J. allegedly visited later on his own. The Brown family got a call about how O.J. was spotted by employees at the cemetery screaming at Nicole’s grave.

How Nicole Brown Simpson’s Family Interacted With O.J. Simpson Days After Her Death

While breaking down the days after Nicole’s death, Dominique found it strange how her father, Louis Hezekiel Brown, and O.J.’s friend, Al Cowlings, didn’t want her discussing the murder.

“My dad and AC lectured me and said, ‘You can’t tell anybody that O.J. did it because we don’t know. And I said I didn’t [know]. I got reprimanded — I thought that was so weird,” she admitted. “I know where it came from. I know precisely where it came from. It just came down the chain of command. So no one would say anything bad [about O.J.].”

Family friend Purcilly also had an encounter with Cowlings that struck her, adding, “[During the funeral], AC was out directing traffic and we walked right up to him and said, ‘What do you think? Did he do it?’ He said, ‘I don’t know. I just don’t know.'”

Purcilly continued: “Don’t you think he would say, ‘Absolutely not?’ That is not what he said to us. Now we found out later that he denied he said that.”

The Arrest — and the Infamous Bronco Chase

Five days after the murders, detectives recommended that O.J. be charged with two counts of first-degree murder and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued. O.J., however, didn’t turn himself in and instead was involved in a low speed Bronco chase through the city of and highways around Los Angeles before he surrendered to the police.

The Brown family said O.J. called Nicole’s mother, which is what triggered Purcilly and Nicole’s sister Tanya Brown to alert the authorities about O.J.’s apparent plans to flee. Denise and Dominique even got in their car and attempted to catch O.J. before returning home instead.

Detective Lange offered insight into his phone call with O.J. amid the chase.

“We start talking about his kids and anything else I can bring up. He didn’t seem overly concerned about his kids,” Lange said as audio from the conversation played and O.J. noted that he already “said goodbye” to his kids.

Lange listed the items that were found in the Bronco once O.J. was apprehended, adding, “Later we find out the gun is there and there’s a travel bag. It had a disguise kit in it and a passport, his hall of fame ring in it and keys. I think there’s a possibility these may be the keys Nicole complained Simpson had taken. Those keys along with several other things were never brought in as evidence.”

The police were able to confirm that the keys matched the ones Nicole lost shortly before her death. In video footage from his 1996 civil trial deposition, O.J. denied having keys to Nicole’s home.

The Robert Kardashian Footage

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson played a clip from the 1994 press conference where O.J.’s attorney Robert Kardashian read a note the athlete left behind before his infamous car chase. In the letter, O.J. stated, “First everyone understand I had nothing to do with Nicole’s murder.”

The letter was interpreted as a suicide note, which Shapiro said O.J.’s psychiatrists agreed with at the time. Shapiro pleaded with O.J. to surrender during the televised press conference.

Breaking Down the Trial

Several witnesses were interviewed — with some explaining why they ultimately weren’t allowed to testify at the trial. Jill Shively was someone who reported O.J. for drunk driving the night of Nicole’s murder after he nearly drove into her at an intersection near his ex-wife’s house.

Shively called the police about the incident and followed up once Nicole’s murder made headlines. However, Shively’s name was subsequently leaked because she heard O.J. had connections. She later suffered from the high-profile attention when she lost her job and couldn’t bring in any income. Shively decided to do a paid interview about what she saw, but since the exchange of money is considered a conflict of interest, lead prosecutor Marcia Clark couldn’t include her in the trial.

The doc also interviewed Allan Park, who was a limo driver that chauffeured O.J. to the airport the night of Nicole’s death. He recalled giving his version of events to O.J.’s attorneys without knowing that he was recorded. Clark was able to obtain a copy of the recording, which she played to Park.

“At the very end of the tape, we hang up the phone. But they leave the tape going and it is still recording. They say, ‘That’s funny, that is not what O.J. is telling us. Are you normally sweaty when you get out of the shower?'” Park said about how O.J.’s lawyers questioned their client’s testimony.

Before the trial, the police discovered a safe deposit box where Nicole kept photos of her injuries and a diary recounting the abuse. An excerpt was mentioned on screen from an event in 1978 when Nicole recalled O.J. hitting her inside their wine cellar before locking her in there. O.J. also allegedly abused Nicole while he was having sex with her and beat her so badly before she welcomed their second child that they had to lie when she went in for an X-ray.

Law enforcement showed O.J. the photos of Nicole’s abuse and he immediately responded, “That was New Year’s Eve.” (Nicole previously called the police in 1989 over New Year’s after a fight with O.J. escalated. He pleaded no contest to spousal battery charges) Shapiro told O.J. to be quiet, according to the detectives interviewed.

In the doc, every family member, friend and even the authorities seemed certain O.J. was involved in Nicole’s murder. Her sister Dominique was the only one who didn’t want to directly address her thoughts.

“There are kids involved and they don’t have their mother. I know someone is to blame and somehow there was involvement,” she noted. “I didn’t know to what extent. I didn’t. I still don’t know.”

Kris Jenner and Faye Resnick Speak Again

In separate interviews, Kris Jenner and Resnick recalled their last conversations with Nicole.

“Right before Nicole died, two days before, I relapsed. She put me into treatment. I was stressed out beyond belief,” Resnick detailed. “She loved me and she wanted me to be healthy.”

Resnick said it was difficult when Jenner’s ex-husband Kardashian joined O.J.’s defense team.

“I didn’t know how to cope with everything. When we found out that Robert was working with O.J. Simpson and they were coming up with a story that it must be drug dealers that come to murder me and instead mistakes me for Nicole. Like what?” she continued. “Because O.J. knew Nicole took me to treatment. She told him she was taking me. And he was watching the kids. It was the perfect alibi for him.”

Resnick, who wrote a book about Nicole after her death, ultimately wasn’t allowed to testify in the trial because she had “credibility issues” after being in treatment.

“She always thought he was going to hurt her,” Resnick recalled. “She always knew it.”

Meanwhile, Jenner didn’t discuss Nicole’s trial after previously speaking out about the rift it created in her family. (The reality star was married to Kardashian from 1978 to 1991 and they shared four kids: Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian and Rob Kardashian. Robert died in 2003 after a battle with esophageal cancer.)

Jenner, instead, chose to reveal her final conversation with Nicole.

“Nicole said, ‘We are going to go visit Faye and make sure somebody is there for her every day.’ So she made a schedule for us. I remember it was Nicole’s day and we spoke and she goes, ‘Faye is having a good day. I am leaving. Your day is tomorrow,'” she noted. “That is the last time I spoke with her.”

While crying over Nicole’s death, Jenner added, “You never get over losing a friend that way. I think I packed it down so far deep inside. It has been 30 years and one of the worst days I ever experienced.”

O.J. Simpson’s Attorney Offers His Perspective

During the trial, O.J. created a “dream team” of attorneys to help with his defense. The group included Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert, Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas and Gerald Uelmen.

Robert Blasier was also part of the group and he was the only lawyer interviewed for the doc.

“I am a defense attorney. I was one of the attorneys in both the criminal and civil [case]. The evidence seemed to be pretty clear that Nicole and O.J. had a very violent situation between the two of them,” Blasier said. “There wasn’t one person who was dominant while the other was submissive. They were both very forceful. In situations where there is domestic violence, homicides generally don’t result.”

When asked whether he thought O.J. was involved in Nicole’s murder, Blasier replied, “I don’t think anybody knows [what happened]. Weird things happen all the time that can’t be explained and don’t see logic. I can’t say that isn’t the situation here.”

Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson’s Kids’ Perspective

Since neither Sydney nor Justin took part in the doc, their relatives were the ones who spoke about their experiences.

Nicole’s sister Denise recalled Sydney’s response to her mother’s death, saying, “There was a shock and a stare and nothing. There was no tears, no reaction and there was just staring.”

In the months after Nicole’s passing, Sydney had nightmares while Justin wrote a story about a murder. Sydney and Justin, however, both vocalized their love for their father despite the accusations against him.

The Brown family attempted to be nice to O.J. after he was found not guilty in the criminal trial because they wanted to remain close to the kids. Family friend Purcilly and Denise were the ones more outspoken to Sydney and Justin about not trusting O.J.

O.J. received custody of his kids after the 1994 trial. He decided to move his family to Florida, which separated Sydney and Justin from their grandparents, aunts and other family members.

According to interviews over the years, Nicole’s sister Dominique has remained in contact with Sydney and Justin while her sister Tanya hasn’t. Denise admitted in the doc that her decision to be outspoken about O.J. in an effort to raise awareness about domestic violence, made it hard sometimes to remain close with Nicole’s children. Purcilly, for her part, was told by the offscreen producers that Sydney and Justin have become parents to their own kids in recent years.

O.J. Simpson’s Life After the Trial

The move to Florida didn’t stop O.J.’s legal woes. Denise was told that producers of the Lifetime special were able to track down court documents confirming multiple issues with the law.

“By our count, there was close to 17 police reports we found. There was a series of 911 calls about violence inside the house,” the offscreen producer mentioned. “These were anonymous calls. They couldn’t do anything because they couldn’t determine where there was any truth to it.”

O.J. was also revealed to be at the center of an FBI raid in connection to drug smuggling. Gary Loeffert and Chris Piersza discussed how their work on the case led them to O.J. They initially had someone who was money laundering, which is how they started to do wiretaps and pen registers with suspect Andrew Anderson. Their findings brought them to O.J., who was close to Anderson and allegedly received MDMA from him.

“OJ Simpson did receive MDMA ecstasy and other narcotics from Andrew. He was a user,” the FBI agents claimed.

There was a raid planned in 2001, but when the authorities got to O.J.’s house, a reporter was there already. Loeffert and Piersza realized their case was compromised through a leaker who likely tipped O.J. off about the search. They subsequently only found traces of marijuana and no other drugs on the property.

Remembering Nicole Brown Simpson

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson ended with several people reflecting on the memories they had of Nicole. They specifically wanted her to be remembered for her life and not for the way she died.

“She was a beautiful, vibrant, authentic daughter, wife and mother,” family friend Judie Manto shared. “Someone to be admired for all her good qualities.”

Jenner, meanwhile, got emotional about her friendship with Nicole, saying, “She was just so generous and so willing to give of herself and her heart and her time and help anybody that needed it.”

Nicole’s friend Jim Mitchell called her “humble, fun and a true friend” while Brian “Kato” Kaelin referred to her as “mom of the year.” In her interview, Greer expressed hope that “by keeping her memory alive” they could “help someone else out there.”

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The doc ended with Nicole’s three sisters talking about how the experience shaped them. Denise specifically recalled being angry for 13 years, which created a divide in the family. Tanya, meanwhile, said it was hard to think about what she missed out on with Nicole over the years.

An In Memoriam montage honored Nicole, her mother and her father. Louis’ son from a previous relationship Rolf Baur was also mentioned, as was Domonique’s son Aaron Brown who passed away in 2022 at age 33.

If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

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