Police testing knife purportedly found at O.J. Simpson estate

Los Angeles police confirmed Friday that homicide investigators are examining a knife purportedly found years ago on the property where O.J. Simpson was living at the time his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.

Capt. Andrew Neiman said a construction worker purportedly found the knife buried on the Simpson estate in Brentwood in the 1990s and apparently handed it to an off-duty or retired LAPD officer who was providing security during the filming of a movie nearby.

Neiman, cautioning the story could be "bogus from the get-go," said police learned of the existence of the knife "in the last month" and recovered it from the now-retired officer. The Simpson house was demolished in 1998 by a new owner.

Nieman, speaking to reporters at a news conference, declined to further describe the knife or identify the retired officer.

He said it was already being examined by experts and would be tested for any hair or DNA samples it might yield. He did not say how long the testing would take.

It was not clear why the officer did not come forward earlier, but Neiman said it was his understanding the officer may have erroneously thought the case of the double homicide was closed.
“I was really surprised,” Neiman said. “I would think that an LAPD officer would know that any time you come into contact with evidence, you should and shall submit that to investigators.”

He said it was unlikely the officer would face any administrative charges because he is retired and is no longer working for the LAPD.  Neiman said police do not know the identity of the person who turned over the knife and asked him or her to come forward.