THE SIMPSON MURDER CASE : Twists and Turns Keep Radio Fans Talking About Simpson

Some played amateur detective. Some vented their rage at the suspect, at the police, at the media, at society. Some joked while others lamented. And many wondered how, where and if it would all end.

As the twists and turns of the murder case involving former football great O.J. Simpson further unraveled Friday with his flight from justice, talk radio fans continued their weeklong bombardment of calls to local stations, expressing a myriad of emotions and opinions that reflected a public gripped in a real-life murder mystery.

“I feel bad for society,” said Karen from San Diego during a Friday afternoon call to the John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou show on KFI-AM (640). “Our heroes have fallen.”

Darnell from Los Angeles thought the case was botched by both the police and the media: “The police and the media were leaking too much information. They need to put a grip on that. O.J. is smarter than they think.”

Robert from Bellflower told Joe Crummey of KMPC-AM (710) that the circus-like coverage of the case by hungry hordes of journalists camped out in front of Simpson’s home and at the funeral was reprehensible: “It’s all about getting the first scoop. The media have no regard for how O.J. is feeling. How could the families mourn at the funeral with all the press there?”

All week, talk radio hosts at KMPC-AM, KFI-AM and KABC-AM said the callers seemed consumed by the mystery, wanting to discuss little else. A majority of the callers declared immediately that Simpson was guilty, citing clues and circumstances. But a smaller group of callers vehemently defended the athlete, saying that media speculation and police leaks were inappropriate.

As the week progressed, callers became increasingly caught up in the drama, commenting on every twist and turn of the case. Some of the hosts, such as KMPC’s Tom Leykis and KFI’s Chiampou and Kobylt, broadcast shows commenting on the harried atmosphere from the front of Simpson’s Brentwood residence.

These discussions are “like what goes on around the dinner table,” Kobylt said. “You’re all arguing over it. We’re just doing that on the radio. It’s just human nature. We can’t help ourselves but talk about it. That’s the nature of the talk radio beast.”

Among the discussions were musings by listeners and the hosts on numerous aspects of the case: Racial implications. The battering of women. How society builds icons and then seems to delight in tearing them down.

Some hosts made a point of treading carefully about the case during most of the week. Long-time KABC talk show host Michael Jackson, who had blasted the media circus surrounding the case, persisted in his “wait-and-see” attitude through the week. Even on Friday, after news reports revealed that Simpson would be charged in the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman, cautioned listeners that “we have to remember he is innocent until proven guilty.”

KABC host Gloria Allred said: “Every caller seemed emotionally involved. They had a morbid fascination (and) at the same time they were condemning the press for giving them information.”

But by late Friday, many of the hosts--and the callers--had abandoned that cautious stance.

And as the bizarre events of Friday were reported, afternoon calls to the stations focused largely on blame: The Police Department for letting Simpson slip through their fingers. The media for rampant speculation. Callers themselves wondered aloud whether Simpson had fled the country or committed suicide.

Some of the theories were hard to figure. One KFI caller said she thought the police had Simpson in protective custody. Another speculated that the police let Simpson go purposely because of the LAPD’s ongoing salary dispute with the city.

Even by the end of the day Simpson still had his supporters.

Said Warren from Hollywood to Chiampou and Kobylt: “I still can’t accept the fact that he did it. I don’t see how anyone can do it. I’m just an average Joe. Call me crazy.”