A knife reportedly found on O.J. Simpson’s former property and kept by a retired police officer for more than a decade is not related to the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, according to forensic testing.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed Friday that no evidence was found to link the knife to the 1994 murders.
The knife was reportedly found on Simpson’s former L.A. property by a construction worker, who gave it to a retired cop.
The man was given the knife in 2002 or 2003, and claims he called the LAPD to report the knife at the time, Trent Copeland, an attorney for the officer told the Associated Press.
“Someone put him on hold, that person came back several minutes later, said he spoke to a supervisor who said ‘Double jeopardy is attached to this case, O.J.’s been acquitted. If that knife had blood on it there’s really nothing we can do about it, so we don’t want anything to do with this,’ ” Copeland said.
The LAPD then became aware of the knife again in February, and an investigation was launched.
News of the knife’s discovery brought with it potential new evidence to add to the case of who killed Simpson’s ex-wife and Goldman.
However, it was noted again by police that Simpson could likely not be charged for a second time due to double jeopardy.
Simpson was tried for two counts of murder in the high-profile case and acquitted in 1995. A civil court jury later found Simpson liable for the killings and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.
Simpson has maintained his innocence. He is currently behind bars for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction.
Goldman and Brown’s deaths remain unsolved. LAPD says the investigation remains open.
With a file from the Associated Press