O.J. Simpson's infamous car chase on a Los Angeles freeway in 1994 was broadcast live by nearly 100 million Americans.
The white Bronco that glued Americans to their television screens on June 17, 1994, as disgraced former American football star O.J. Simpson died of prostate cancer on Wednesday, April 10. The search for a chase on a Los Angeles freeway set the internet on fire.
Almost 30 years later, this 90-minute chase still stands as the iconic television moment in which the NFL megastar went on the run after the double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend, waiter Ronald Goldman. remains as.
Simpson's death at age 76 has revived memories of the “slow chase” watched by 95 million Americans and the sensational “trial of the century” that followed.
Mr. Simpson's murder trial, in which he was represented by a so-called “dream team” of lawyers, was the first courtroom to be watched in real time by a large audience around the world.
O.J. Simpson: Bronco car chase day…
The day of low-speed chases and arrests began when police announced that the former champion football player and former running back was the main suspect in the murders of his ex-wife and Goldman.
This followed a tragic incident four days earlier in which a bloody body was found outside her Brentwood condominium.
A few hours later, Simpson was spotted driving on a freeway outside Los Angeles with his football friend Al Cowlings. Starr had a gun in his possession, and authorities feared he might use it to commit suicide.
The unfolding real-life drama was broadcast by several television stations, and unsurprisingly, it was also Domino's Pizza's busiest day ever, according to the State Journal-Register.
“There are some turning points in American culture that change our worldview, and I think that chase was certainly one of those moments,” legal expert Marcellus McRae told AFP. Ta.
“That was a reality show.”
“It was a surreal spectacle. It was almost Shakespearean. It was a reality show,” he added.
According to McRae, television viewers were hypnotized by the story “because it's not Hollywood, it's real life, and it's about people you actually know.”
Real-time, 24-hour television broadcasting was in its infancy 30 years ago. , according to journalist Jim Newton, who covered the Bronco chase from a helicopter. Los Angeles Times.
“This was the precursor to reality shows,” says journalist Jim Newton, who covered the Bronco chase from a news helicopter. Los Angeles Timeshe told AFP.
A television news helicopter followed Simpson to the gate of his home, where he turned himself in after hours of negotiations with police.
Watch: OJ Simpson Bronco Chase
Simpson acquitted of murder charge
The high-profile trial, which began in January 1995, lasted nine months and left the world with some iconic moments, including a former athlete trying on bloodstained gloves found at the crime scene. Ta.
The gloves turned out to be too small, undermining the prosecution's key argument.
On October 3, 1995, a whopping 145 million people tuned in to see him declared innocent of all charges.
variety Simpson was not found guilty in the death, but was found responsible in a civil suit brought by the victim's family three years after the criminal trial.
Also read: O.J. Simpson's lost murder 'confession' resurfaces
Hype builds for true crime mystery
Simpson murder trial was televised, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's 10-part film was released, and our obsession with real-life crime mysteries grew. The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story In FX in 2016.
The series was a dramatic behind-the-scenes look at the period between the heinous crime and Simpson's acquittal.
By overlapping it, OJ: Made in America The film, directed by producer and director Ezra Edelman, follows Simpson's descent into cocaine use and debauchery in Florida.
“No matter what anyone thinks about this murder, I found myself feeling sorry for the man as he moved further and further away from being a great man,” said Newton, a former Los Angeles reporter. vulture When asked about his views on this documentary.
“Another revelation [was] The idea that he was signing all these memorabilia while in custody. I know it was mentioned in the novel, but [Made in America] He talked about the millions of dollars he earned while in custody. He had no idea,” Newton said.
Watch: 'OJ: Made in America' trailer
There's no escape from the law: O.J. Simpson ends up serving a prison sentence
In 2007, the former NFL football player and actor who has appeared in several films was arrested along with a group of men in Las Vegas on suspicion of armed robbery and kidnapping.
Simpson was found guilty and sentenced to 9 to 33 years in prison.
He ultimately served a nine-year sentence.
Also read: Disgraced O.J. Simpson released from prison
Simpson's family announced his death on the official X account on Thursday.
“On April 10th, our father, Orental James Simpson, passed away after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren…”
- Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
