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O.J. Simpson, The Tale Of Two Knives, And Why Simpson Will Not Be Tried Again [Update]

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 13:22 PST, Mar 4, 2016

Stories surrounding O.J. Simpson and the knife used to kill his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman are swirling around as if it were 1994 all over again. A story broke today that a knife that was found in the late ’90s has been in the possession of a retired LAPD traffic officer, who only turned it in finally when another officer threatened to turn him in if he didn’t promptly turn the knife in.

According to the Inquisitr, a knife was found buried on O.J. Simpson’s Rockingham estate in Brentwood when it was demolished in 1998. The knife, which was turned over by a construction worker to an off-duty LAPD traffic officer, was not turned in to the LAPD, but kept at home, and when the officer retired, he planned to have it mounted and engraved with details about the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

The New York Daily News is reporting that the LAPD is launching an all new O.J. Simpson knife investigation today into an almost 22-year-old crime. LAPD Captain Andy Neiman gave a press conference today, and didn’t even try to explain how an LAPD officer could possibly think that the knife evidence would make a good souvenir to hang on the wall, engraved with a police report number. The notorious Kato Kaelin, known back in the 1990s as the world’s most famous houseguest, was once again ready for his close-up with the new media attention. It seems that Kaelin is once again the ringleader in the crazy Simpson circus, and once again, there is a knife at the center of the controversy.

“I’m no cop but you would think page 1 in Chapter 1 of ‘Introduction to Basic Police Work’ would have a section on ‘turning in possible evidence.’ You’d think it would be near the section, ‘Do not plant evidence.'”

Kaelin finds it disgusting that anyone, let alone a police officer, would have held on to a knife that might have played a role in a double murder, as a sick memento. The officer that wanted to make a plaque out of the knife genuinely thought it was involved in the Simpson case, as it was found buried on the Simpson property. Kaelin says it will be like 1994 once again, with Simpson’s face all over the television, but the desire to finally get to the bottom of the case of the century has been reawakened.

“The media monster has been awakened again … just when you thought it was safe to go back into Brentwood.”

And yet Kato Kaelin’s name has come up again in the new chapter of the Simpson case, in an article by E! Online, and the tale of two knives. According to author Jeffrey Toobin, who wrote the book, The Run of His Life, about O.J. Simpson and the Simpson murder trial, another knife was processed as evidence during the investigation, but it never made it into the trial. One of Simpson’s lawyers was told by Simpson to look in a closet in Simpson’s Brentwood home to find a hunting knife reportedly purchased by O.J. Simpson.

“So Uelman found the knife in a box that was on a shelf behind some mirrored doors in Simpson’s master bedroom. The 15-inch folding lock-blade knife with a deer-antler handle looked to be in ‘pristine’ condition,” per the book.

So was this “the knife” or was Simpson providing this as yet another diversion in the case.

NBC Sports is now confirming that the LAPD acknowledges that a knife was indeed found in 1998 on O.J. Simpson’s property, but also verifies that double jeopardy is firmly in place to protect Simpson from any further prosecution. Captain Neiman of the LAPD is confirming that the Simpson case is indeed still open, and that they are now vetting the new evidence, and trying to find the person who gave the knife to the off-duty officer.

“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.”

Captain Neiman admits that he is not a lawyer, but says that double jeopardy is in place, and will protect O.J. Simpson. There is no word yet if the LAPD will prosecute the retired officer.

Do you think the retired officer who withheld the knife found on the Simpson property from the LAPD should be prosecuted?

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]

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