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★★★★☆
Still sickening after all these years....
Anyone who has followed this story knows OJ did it and knows OJ got away with it. The question remained: how did he get away with it? This book fills in the details to the questions the public always wanted to know.
First off let's start with the author, Mike Gilbert. He puts himself up on the chopping block and rightly so. He did everything in his power to make certain his childhood idol, OJ, did not go to prison. He is not the only one. There are endless people in OJ's circle who did whatever they could to make sure he never went to prison and that his money and assets were carefully shipped off or put in other's names so the Goldman family received as little money as possible.
This book is truthful and telling, but be careful what you wish for. Knowing the truth in details about this fateful night will still make your stomach turn, perhaps even more so. It is sickening how fame and celebrity can corrupt people. Gilbert speaks of how everybody in OJ's circle KNEW he was guilty, they just never wanted to deal with it. That plus they didn't want their MEAL TICKET shipped off to prison as most of the people who helped him get away with murder depended on OJ for their income.
Some of the highlights are:
AC and the supposed Bronco chase:
When OJ was originally arrested for the murders, he was let go. (still can't figure that one out) He was told he could turn himself in a few days later. On the day he was to turn himself in, he had AC (Al Cowlings) drive him to Nicole's grave where he was going to kill himself. After AC was sitting in the Bronco for a few minutes, not hearing a gunshot, he went over to OJ and asked him what he was doing. OJ told AC, to more or less, give him a couple minutes because he was trying to kill himself. OJ couldn't go through with it and returned to the bronco. OJ then told AC that he remembered his religious family members telling him that if he committed suicide he would go to hell. He didn't want to go to hell, he wanted to be in heaven with Nicole. Upon leaving the cemetary, AC called Los Angeles Police Department telling them that OJ was ready to turn himself in and that he was suicidal. The LAPD then sent an ESCORT to follow them to OJ's Rockingham Estate.
The whole supposed chase was not a chase at all but a police escort back to OJ's home so police could meet him there to arrest him. This would explain why police never went over a certain speed limit or tried to run them off the road and why AC was NEVER CHARGED with aiding a wanted fugitive. And why AC was never called to testify at the trial. Neither side wanted this little bit of info to get out.
The Glove:
OJ was apprehensive and anxiety ridden over putting on the gloves at trial (which he knew about before it happened). Mike Gilbert suggested a neat little trick that would work which OJ didn't quite get at first. OJ has had terribly arthritis for years and when he doesn't take his arthritis medicine, his hands swell up, especially his knuckles. OJ stopped taking his medication a few days before he was to try on the gloves and Voila! it worked.
Business Deals Behind Bars:
Little known to the average person is that apparenly one can do business while in jail at the LAPD. Well, celebrities can. Mike G., author and OJ's memorabilia dealer, visited OJ every single day and reported they made over 3 million from OJ autographing various items. Some of the guards even lifted some of the merchandise and Mike nor OJ said anything because this was just part of the deal.
OJ and Nicole:
another revealing element of the book is the turbulent relationship between the two. OJ was abusive to Nicole from the start of their nightmare relationship. The basic elements of their relationship were fighting, sex, chaos and drama, and both were addicted to it, according to the author. What is equally disturbing is how Nicole's family knew that OJ was abusing Nicole, but looked the other way and even encouraged Nicole to get back with him. The author writes that these same people who are now supporting "nicole" causes after she is dead, never gave her that much thought when she was alive. Also noted is that Nicole's father and sister both sold Nicole pics and items to the tabloids. He says Nicole's family was living the glamorous life with OJ and got all the VIP treatment perks that came along with OJ's money and fame.
Hiding of Property:
A tip from an LAPD guard to OJ's circle let them know the sheriff was coming to collect from Rockingham and elsewhere via the Goldman's lawyers and judgements against OJ. Everyone flew into high gear and got all the items worth anything out of the estate. Replaced by cheap knock-offs. Mike Gilbert admits doing all he could to make sure the Goldman's got NOTHING. He says of all the people he wants forgiveness from Fred Goldman is at the top of his list.
Double-Edged Sword:
I commend this author for doing the right thing, telling the truth about what happened. He is relieving his conscious and his debt to society. This book does not make you feel bad for him, or even sorry for him, in fact this man makes my skin crawl at the lengths he was willing to go for dirty deeds done dirt cheap. I believe what the author is saying to be true. I believe OJ confessed to him and others. I believe the details of the trial and all the missing pieces he provides.
However there is one thing I don't believe him on: Feeling bad about his part in all of this. Don't get me wrong, I think he does feel bad and this has haunted him for years, but lets get to "levels" of feeling bad. He says hiding OJ's money from the Goldmans is the one of the things he feels the most regret about, so he feels bad enough to write this book, yet not bad enough to give any of the proceeds to the Goldman family??
Let's face it, no one and no amount could ever give back to the families who lost so much, but it sure as hell couldn't hurt to give something, anything, right?
Nicole and Ron:
Of this entire saga, these two people are actually the least mentioned in all of it. Everything from racism to lawyers to football legacies to lawsuits to amounts to Broncos and everything else in between has been discussed. Yet two human beings were butchered and a murderer walks free. And this murderer is set for trial this month (september 08) for breaking into a hotel room in Las Vegas. He stands to serve time for this. Only in America can celebrities go free for murder yet end up doing time for something much less. The author of this book does not believe OJ will do time for this either.
OJ may have out smarted and conned his way past a double murder. He may have escaped the repsonsiblity of an Earthly court, but he still has to answer in God's court.
I hope and pray the families of both victims find resolve and make peace with all of this. I hope OJ comes clean, finds God and starts doing something worthwhile with his time left on Earth. It is really a shame how our justice system does not work sometimes. ( in this case, there might as well not have even been a trial, he's OJ, he's cool, he's a legend, so what if he did it, he's a celebrity and people like him) It is also a shame how millions are blinded by wealth and fame.
To Nicole and Ron: RIP
* ( I refused to contibute to this man's pockets ( no matter how sorry he may or may not be), so I got my copy from the public library)
September 2008 · Books