OJ Simpson Juror Says Around 90% of Them Voted to Acquit Him as ‘Payback’ for One Major Event

Nearly three decades after the infamous OJ Simpson trial, new revelations have reignited debate about the case dubbed “The Trial of the Century.” A while ago, a juror candidly alleged that the decision to acquit Simpson of double homicide was influenced not just by the evidence but by deep social tensions stemming from the Rodney King case. In the ESPN documentary series O.J.: Made in America, juror Carrie Bess shocked viewers by alleging that around 90% of the jury voted to acquit Simpson as a form of ‘payback’ for the brutal, fatal 1991 beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers and their subsequent acquittal.

As per The Wrap, the King case had triggered the tragic Los Angeles riots of 1992, claiming 55 lives. When asked directly whether the jury’s decision was swayed by the King verdict, Bess, without flinching affirmed that was the case and shared that most jurors shared her sentiments. She acknowledged the verdict was ‘payback’ but brushed it off when questioned about whether it was the right thing to do. Despite compelling evidence, Simpson’s defense successfully argued that he was the victim of a racially biased LAPD.

The O.J. trial was already steeped in racial and social complexities. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman, in a brutal 1994 attack. As such, Bess also remarked, “I lose respect for any woman who’d take an ass whooping when she don’t have to…deep in my heart, I done what I felt was right at that time.”

Bess’ comments lend weight to long-standing theories that race played a major role in the trial’s outcome. The significant African American jury’s verdict of not guilty has often been viewed as a response to systematic racial injustices, with the King case serving as a focal point.

Another juror, Lionel Cryer, shared a contrasting perspective during an interview for Oxygen’s The Jury Speaks. Cryer exclaimed, “Based off the evidence as presented in the trial… the only conclusion I can come to is not guilty… It wasn't based on whether or not I really thought he did it or didn't do it… The only thing that trial did was raise reasonable doubt in my mind about whether or not he was the perpetrator or not.”

As per ABC News, Cryer confessed, citing Simpson’s later book, If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer, as pivotal in changing his opinion. Despite his changing views. Cryer also highlighted the infamous glove trial, where Simpson struggled to put on gloves allegedly worn during the crime, as a turning point that worked against the prosecution. Still, Cryer noted, “I'm probably pretty sure that he probably is the person that went over there and killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldberg.”

Though acquitted in the criminal trial, Simpson was later found liable for the murders in a civil trial, resulting in a $33.5 million judgment to the victims’ families—of which only a fraction was reportedly paid. In 2007, Simpson was convicted of armed robbery in a separate case, with many viewing his sentence as a form of retribution for the earlier acquittal.