THE SIMPSON MURDER CASE : VOICES

C omments regarding Friday’s events after a warrant was issued for O.J. Simpson’s arrest , and portions of a letter from Simpson:

“Mr. Simpson is a wanted murder suspect--two counts of murder, a terrible crime. We need to find him, we need to bring him to justice.”

--Los Angeles Police, Cmdr. David Gascon

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“Many of us perhaps had empathy, to some extent. We saw the fall of an American hero. . . . But let’s remember, we have two innocent people who have been brutally killed. . . . We will find Mr. Simpson and we are going to bring him to justice.”

--Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti

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“First, everyone understand, I have nothing to do with Nicole’s murder. I loved her, always have, always will. . . . I can’t go on. No matter what the outcome, people will look and point. I can’t go on like that, I can’t subject my children to that. . . . Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve had a great life, great friends. Please think of the real O.J., and not this lost person.”

--O.J. Simpson, excerpt from a letter he wrote and gave to a close friend Friday

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“First, to O.J., wherever you are, for the sake of your family, for the sake of your children, please surrender immediately. Surrender to any law enforcement official at any police station, but please do it immediately.”

--Attorney Robert Shapiro

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“Mr. Simpson has done himself no favor by failing to surrender.”

--Laurie Levenson, Loyola University law professor

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“We’re not embarrassed he didn’t turn himself in at the right time. We made arrangements, the same as we would with anyone else, to No. 1, surrender with the attorney.”

--LAPD Chief Willie L. Williams

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“We were not keeping close tabs on O.J. We were assured that he was going to turn himself in, so we lost track of where he was. . . . I’m amazed that anyone in our department let it come to this. . . . I’m discouraged and embarrassed for the Police Department.”

--LAPD Sgt. Doug Abney

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“We all have projected O.J. into our personal lives. He’s kind of the friend we all had whether we knew him or not. We don’t want to believe he’s involved in this, but the evidence is pretty overwhelming.”

--USC graduate student James Johnson, speaking in front of Simpson’s Heisman Trophy at the university

Sources: Times staff and wire reports