Nothing is important but the victims: Father of Ron Goldman, stabbed next to Nicole Brown, speaks on OJ death

The father of Ron Goldman, who was murdered alongside his friend Nicole Brown 30 years ago, said the news of OJ Simpson’s death was a further reminder of how long his son has been gone, and how much he is missed.

Goldman, 25, and Brown, 35, were stabbed to death on 12 June 1994 outside Brown’s home in Brentwood, California.

Simpson, Brown’s ex-husband, was charged with their murders but acquitted in what was dubbed the “trial of the century”. A civil court later found Simpson, a former NFL player and actor, liable for their deaths.

Ronald Goldman was murdered while returning Nicole Brown’s mother’s sunglasses (Getty)

Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, 83, told The Independent on Thursday that he was focused on remembering the victims following the news that Simpon had died.

“The only thing I have to say is that today is just a further reminder of how long my son has been gone,” Mr Goldman said. “And how many years, and how much he’s been missed. And the only thing that is important today are the victims. Nothing else is important today.”

Mr Goldman earlier told NBC News that Simpson’s death was “no great loss to the world”.

The Goldman family’s attorney, David Cook, told The Independent that Simpson had “died without penance”.

“When people die without penance, it means they are really stuck. If they die without penance they will still not see God,” said Mr Cook.

Fred Goldman (centre), wife Pattie (left) and daughter Kim (right) in court during the 1994 murder trial of OJ Simpson, who was later aquitted of the murder of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown (AFP via Getty Images)

Ronald Lyle Goldman grew up in a Chicago suburb, where he and his sister, Kim, were raised by their father. Ron moved to California with his family when he was 18, and worked as a model, tennis coach, recruiter and waiter. He had aspirations to open his own restaurant and bar.

On the night that he died, Ron had gone to Brown’s condo to return prescription sunglasses that her mother had left at a restaurant, Mezzaluna, where he worked. Fred Goldman told People magazine in 2019 that it “was one of those acts of decency and kindness that ultimately cost him his life”.

When reached by phone on Thursday, Nicole Brown’s youngest sister, Tanya Brown, told The Independent that she had no comment to make on Simpson’s death.

Gloria Allred, who represented Nicole Brown’s family during the trial, told TMZ: “Simpson’s death reminds us that the legal system, even 30 years later, is still failing battered women, and that the power of celebrity men to avoid true justice for the harm that they inflict on their wives or significant others is still a major obstacle to the right of women to be free of the gender violence to which they are still subjected.”

Simpson, 76, died on Wednesday following a battle with prostate cancer, according to his family.

Nicole Brown died brutally at age 35 in 1994 alongside her friend Ron Goldman (AFP via Getty)

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family said in a statement. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”

Simpson’s 1995 murder trial became a public spectacle. It made the former footballer a notorious figure in US culture, and his reputation never recovered.

Although he was acquitted, by a mostly Black jury, he was later ordered to pay $33.5m to the victim’s families in civil court. He only paid some of the debt before his death.

Simpson is believed to have been worth $3m at his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

The former NFL player was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping following a 2007 incident related to the sale of sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room. He served nine years in prison.

Simpson is survived by his children Arnelle, Jason, Sydney and Justin Simpson, and three grandchildren.

Sheila Flynn contributed to this report

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