Nine fingerprints recovered during the investigation into the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman remain unidentified. A filmmaker behind a documentary series examining the case says updated forensic technology and larger databases could potentially produce new matches. The Los Angeles Police Department says the investigation remains open, although it has not disclosed whether the prints have been retested.
The fingerprints are part of renewed discussion about whether O.J. Simpson acted alone. Simpson was acquitted in the criminal trial but was found liable for the deaths in a later civil case.
| 1) | The unidentified prints from the Bundy Drive scene |
|---|---|
| 2) | How modern fingerprint databases could change the search |
| 3) | What investigators and prosecutors have said |
| 4) | The disputed theory of a possible accomplice |
| 5) | The case’s legal history and continuing questions |
The unidentified prints from the Bundy Drive scene
Investigators recovered nine identifiable fingerprints at the Bundy Drive condominium in Los Angeles, where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed on June 12, 1994. During the 1995 murder trial, fingerprint specialist Gilbert Aguilar testified that the prints could not be matched to known samples.
The comparisons included prints from O.J. Simpson, the victims, and 58 friends, relatives, and acquaintances. According to trial testimony, none of the unidentified prints matched those individuals or the fingerprint databases searched at the time. Simpson’s defense argued that unknown attackers could have been responsible.
How modern fingerprint databases could change the search
Ari Mark, co-director of a documentary series revisiting the case, said technology and databases have advanced substantially since 1994. He argued that the prints should be submitted for a new examination because more people have entered federal, state, and local systems over the past three decades.
At the time of the original investigation, searches moved through local and selected regional systems. Gilbert Aguilar explained that a person whose fingerprints had been collected in a jurisdiction outside the systems searched might not have generated a match. Modern analysis may also extract information from latent prints that was unavailable to examiners in the 1990s, although no new identification has been publicly reported.
“The fact that there’s nine fingerprints sitting around that nobody wants to put through a system that’s very updated … that just seems unnecessary,” Ari Mark said.
What investigators and prosecutors have said
The Los Angeles Police Department said the case remains an open and ongoing investigation. The department stated that detectives would pursue investigative leads if new evidence were found, but it released no further information about the fingerprints or any retesting.
The documentary’s producers said they asked the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to reexamine the prints and received no response. It is therefore unclear whether the evidence has been reviewed with current technology. Defense investigator Pat McKenna, who worked on Simpson’s trial team, said the prints should be sent to a laboratory for additional analysis.
The disputed theory of a possible accomplice
The documentary also examines claims involving Joey Ippolito, a convicted drug trafficker and Simpson associate who had connections to organized crime. His brother, Sam Ippolito, said Joey returned to a Los Angeles apartment around midnight on the night of the murders with a bag containing a heavy object and appeared to have blood on his hands.
Sam Ippolito said he was told to dispose of the bag and later gave a similar account to a documentary team. However, his account has been challenged. He sought compensation for his story and later attempted to retract his statements after a newspaper declined his payment request. Friends and relatives disputed suggestions that Joey participated in the killings.
Joey Ippolito became a federal informant after his 1995 arrest and died in 2006. A 1996 federal memorandum described him as a valuable source with information about Simpson’s alleged efforts to dispose of the murder weapon and flee authorities. Former federal prosecutor David Kelley later said he did not believe Ippolito took part in the murders.
The case’s legal history and continuing questions
O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson married in 1985, had two children, and divorced in 1992. Brown Simpson and Goldman were found stabbed to death two years later. Simpson was acquitted in the criminal trial in 1995, while a civil jury found him liable for the deaths in 1997.
Mark said the documentary’s purpose was to encourage an objective second look, while acknowledging the impact on the victims’ families. Tanya Brown, Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister, rejected the theory that Simpson had an accomplice and said she believed Simpson alone was responsible. Simpson died in April 2024 at age 76.
| Number | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nine fingerprints from the crime scene were not matched during the original investigation. |
| 2 | Updated forensic systems could provide additional comparison opportunities, but no new match has been announced. |
| 3 | Claims that Simpson had an accomplice remain disputed and unproven. |
Summary
The nine unidentified fingerprints remain a potential investigative lead, but their significance cannot be established without a documented retest and a verified match. Modern databases may expand the search, yet the available evidence does not establish that another person participated in the murders. The Los Angeles Police Department says the investigation remains open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unidentified fingerprints were recovered?
Nine fingerprints recovered at the Bundy Drive crime scene could not be matched to known samples during the original investigation.
Have the fingerprints been retested?
It is unclear whether investigators have reexamined them using modern forensic technology or expanded databases.
Does the evidence prove Simpson had an accomplice?
No. The possible-accomplice theory remains disputed, and the unidentified fingerprints have not been publicly linked to another suspect.
