The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

O.J. Simpson dead at 76

Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.
Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.

O.J. Simpson, former football running back and actor accused of murdering his wife, died at the age of 76.

According to a post on X by Simpson’s family, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.”

Simpson began his NFL career in 1969 when he played for the Buffalo Bills. Throughout his time playing for the Bills, Simpson made five first-team All-Pro squads, six Pro Bowls and was named NFL MVP in 1973. 

Simpson played for the Bills for a total of nine years before leaving to play for the San Francisco 49ers. In 1985, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In one of the biggest trials of the 20th century, Simpson was acquitted of stabbing and killing his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

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Despite being found not guilty of the murders, Simpson was later found liable in a civil suit brought on by the victims’ families.

Thirteen years after this case, Simpson went to trial again for robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint with five other men.

Because of this, Simpson was convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, ending up with a sentence of 33 years in prison. Simpson was released on parole in October 2017 and was later discharged from parole in 2021.

Simpson first shared that he was dealing with cancer in May 2023 via a post on X. 

 

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