If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer

by O.J. Simpson

Book Overview

All author royalties from the sale of this book are awarded to the Goldman Family.

In 1994, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were brutally murdered at her home in Brentwood, California. O.J. Simpson was tried for the crime in a case that captured the attention of the American people, but he was ultimately acquitted of criminal charges. The victims' families brought a civil case against Simpson, which found him liable for willfully...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825305934
• ISBN13: 9780825305931
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

I can not believe this guy got away with murder!

I must say I was very interested to read this book because I wanted to see if he actually confesses to the murders! He is a liar and this whole book is just trash to be honest with you.. He leaves out alot of information that actually happened when you watch his trails. It is sad to know that he actually got away with murder and that he had to try so hard to make himself look so innocent on paper!

The Only Reason Im Buying This Book Is So The Browns And Goldmans Can Try And Recoup Some Of The Mil

A "hypothetical confession" recorded by a meticulous ghostwriter. Bravo to the Goldmans for releasi

O.J. Simpson's 2007 hypothetical murder confession is worth your attention, not as a confession, but as a glimpse inside the man who is O.J. Simpson, the celebrity who flaunted getting away with murder. IF I DID IT: CONFESSIONS OF THE KILLER provides a new perspective on the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. As published, this book is truly the story of the Goldman family. The family wrote the forward, explaining their reasons for publishing the manuscript; the afterword was written by renowned crime journalist and close Goldman family friend Dominick Dunne. The eight-chapter story of the Brown-Simpson marriage and year preceding Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman's murders constitutes the bulk of this text, but that narrative is best read in the context provided by this publication. Simpson's version of events places blame on Nicole Brown Simpson, who is portrayed herein as an emotionally unstable drug addict. He describes the two famous 911 calls during their seventeen-year marriage as isolated incidents for which both parties were responsible. He adamantly denies being an abuser; in Simpson's portrayal of the marriage, he is the stable, responsible one who reacted to Nicole's mood swings. A classic wife abuser, Simpson blames the victim, an unstable woman who drove him to extremes. The pair separated two years before the murders but had been in reconciliation discussions for the last year. By Simpson's description, Nicole was prone to violent mood swings and changed her mind about reconciliation on a daily basis. Co-author Pablo Fenjves, a Brentwood neighbor of O.J. Simpson and witness at the murder trial, interviewed Simpson over a matter of weeks to ghostwrite the confession. The sports star was forthcoming about his marital troubles and opinions on Nicole's cocaine-using friends, but froze when it came to the material for "Chapter 6: The Night in Question." Fenjves claims that Simpson wanted to exclude that material from the book, despite the fact that Simpson's handlers had promised publisher Judith Regan that this would be a confession in every manner. When the project came to light, Simpson attempted to distance himself from the actual confession, but Fenjves is adamant that he has included only the words and sentiments of the man himself, and Simpson did sign off on the final manuscript. O.J. Simpson's hypothetical confession to the Simpson-Goldman murders reveals details that only the killer could know. It is worthwhile to note that the hypothetical confession never contradicts any of the case evidence, and in fact, it explains several discrepancies which existed in the prosecution's theory of the murder. O.J. reveals that after leaving his ex-wife's house, he stripped and wrapped his clothes in a ball, which would explain the lack of blood evidence in the vehicle he was driving. He also discloses that his point of entry was a broken rear gate to the mansion and that he had an encounter w

A Must Read for Anyone Interested in the Case

Like many people, I bought "If I Did It" because I support the Goldman family's efforts to get some sort of justice. The man who murdered Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown went free. But, by being awarded the "If I Did It" manuscript in a bankruptcy case involving Simpson's corporation, the Goldmans have finally been able to collect, to a small extent, on the judgment they were awarded in Simpson's civil trial. The more money the Goldmans make on this book, the more money they will have "taken" from Simpson. The book begins with an introduction in which "the Goldman Family" explain how they came to be awarded the rights to "If I Did It" by the bankruptcy court and why they decided to publish it. As they point out, they (like me) would much rather see Simpson in jail, serving the life sentence he should have received. But since that is now impossible, they must settle for the next best thing -- doing whatever is legally permissible to punish Simpson by seizing his assets. The book's ghostwriter, Pablo Fenjves, also provides an introduction, where he describes his involvement in the book project and his interviews of Simpson. Fenjves's intro actually contained what was, for me, the most chilling part of the book: When Simpson's narrative reached the moment of the actual murders, he looked at Fenjves and said, "I don't know what the hell you want from me . . . I'm not going to tell you that I sliced my ex-wife's neck and watched her eyes roll up into her head." Somehow, that strikes me as more of a confession than anything else in the book. The "If I Did It" memoir itself takes up 196 pages. The first five chapters -- 115 pages -- deal with Simpson's relationship with Nicole Brown: how they met and dated, how she finally persuaded him to marry her, their good years, their separation, and their failed attempt at a reconciliation. This part of the book is somewhat dull, but it does serve to flesh out a motive for murder. It becomes apparent that Simpson resented Nicole for pestering him, coming between him and their two children, and making it difficult for him to have a serious relationship with Paula Barbieri. As Simpson puts it at one point (p. 120), "[I]t seemed like every day it took a little more energy, and Nicole was sapping a lot of my goddamn energy." Chapters 6, 7, and 8 (about 80 pages) are what will hold the most interest for most readers. Here, Simpson describes the night of the murders, the first interrogation by police, and the freeway "chase" when he threatened to kill himself. The description of the murders -- which is presented as "hypothetical" (p. 123) -- includes a mysterious companion referred to as "Charlie." Fenjves's theory, explained in his intro, is that Charlie was invented by Simpson to enable him to gain some psychological distance when recounting the crime. The murder description also includes a blackout that some reviewers have complained about. But it's not a big deal: all the blackout covers are th

What Jack says about Jill...!

OJ's rambling narrative is his attempt to re-write the history of his physical abuse and infidelities (bad for his public image) prior to Nicole's divorcing him. Through endless repetiton he so sweetly and with enormous concern and affection paints the worst possible picture of Nicole. He contradicts himself throughout, but he always remains, of course, The Loving Father and Family Man of the Year. He then asks readers to understand that he could NEVER cut the throat of the mother of his children from ear to ear and stand watching as her eyes rolled back in her head. Absolutely chilling that he would include that detail. (Hypothetically, you see, he doesn't remember anything about the actual killings). And, of course, there's Charlie, his "audience", for the actual murders. OJ's need for constant attention and his obsession with being the center of the universe apparently supply this phantom. He shows more pride and affection for the knife he used than he ever does for Nicole. "What Jack says about Jill says more about Jack than it does about Jill" certainly applies to this man and this book. His portrayal of Nicole is a crude attempt to justify her murder, the slaughter of Ron Goldman a vicious and pathetic demonstration of how the older, spurned husband bests the handsome younger man. Jealousy lurks on every page, and he protests far too often about "moving on." This was a tough read, but worth it if you want to understand the arrogance and cruelty that launched OJ at his victims. His smugness at the outcome of his trial is almost unbearable. I bought this out of curiosity, but now understand and applaud the Goldmans' continuing campaign to seek the only justice they will ever see for Ron's murder, which is to thwart OJ's attempts at generating income for himself.

All Doubts will Be Put to Rest

Why 5 Stars? To start, the book is compelling. You do not have the urge to put this book down. Simpson's arrogance, denial and absolute disrespect for his victims dances across the pages. The contradictions he makes throughout the book are shocking...i found myself flipping back through the pages to make sure situations were contradictions, and every time I was correct. If you have any doubts about his guilt, this book will put them to rest. I found the Goldman's introduction so heartfelt...sad, for so many reasons, but mostly due to the backlash they received when they announced they were to publish this book. They did the right thing. They honored their fight, for their son...tell me, what else would a child want from a parent? I find it sad that Sidney and Justin will more than likely read this book one day. Who on this earth would write a "hypothetical" regarding the near decapitation of their former wife and her friend? Who does that? Not an innocent person, that's for sure. As you will see, the only "non-fiction" part of this book is the chapter on the murders. However, that is Simpson's take. For me, it is the true account of what happened that horrible night. It saddens me for everyone involved. Highly recommend this read.

A Revealing Look at the Sociopathic Mind

I would have bought this book even if I hadn't been interested in its contents, because I so like the idea of taking money out of O.J.'s pockets and putting it into the pockets of the family of one of his victims. But the content of this book is invaluable. It provides as realistic, unvarnished, shameless, and appalling a look into the workings of the sociopathic mind as we are likely to have. On the surface, the book is smooth, glib, and likable--even convincing. Like your average sociopath's mask of sanity. But beneath, this book is a cauldron of numerous things: Hatred, for one. This book simmers with Simpson's hatred of everything and everyone--particularly his ex-wife Nicole--who gets in his way or makes him feel bad. Bald-faced lies. Simpson insists--over and over again!--that he's not violent. Oh, he took a baseball bat to a car and once--ONCE--struck Nicole. But he's not a wife-beater! And oh, how the assertion that he's a violent person makes him feel violent! Gaping omissions. Simpson's (largely absent) father was a homosexual who died of AIDS--the macho Simpson asserts that he played an active role in family affairs and died of cancer. When Simpson began his relationship with Nicole and ended his first marriage, his first wife became pregnant. Two years later, the child drowned in the swimming pool at Simpson's Rockingham estate. Yet Simpson never mentions this (presumably) traumatic event. The child was a nuisance, a hindrance, and death took her out of the way--no need even to mention her name. Simpson wrote his nearly illiterate "suicide note" two days before his famous Bronco car chase--here he insists that he wrote a much more literate note on the day of the chase. On and on, contradicting nearly every established fact of his case, as if he can rewrite history--as in his mind, he doubtless thinks he can. (For a thorough and objective history of the case, Jeffrey Toobin's THE RUN OF HIS LIFE is still unsurpassed.) And as for his "confession" to the murders of Nicole and Ron Goldman--they're outrageous, sickening--and outrageously transparent. They remind me of serial killer Ted Bundy's third-person "confessions" to authors Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth, chronicled in their book THE ONLY LIVING WITNESS. They drive home the true horror and inhumanity of the crimes as nothing else could. And to think that the murders might have been averted if only Ron Goldman hadn't arrived on the scene, returning a pair of glasses! I have no doubt that Simpson really did attack Goldman verbally before he attacked him physically, as he details here. What a profanation! The man doesn't deserve to speak Goldman's name. But he does have an obligation to speak the truth. And, under camoflague, that is what Simpson does here. We must all be grateful to him--yes, grateful--for this look at the barrenness, banality, and brutality of pathological narcissism and its terrible consequences. These "confessions," as appalli