THE PROSECUTION RESTS

The legal proceedings in the People vs. Orenthal James Simpson began June 17, 1994, with Simpson’s arrest in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman. On Thursday, more than a year later, the prosecution finished presenting its formal case to the jury.

OPENING STATEMENTS

“Many public men . . .also have a private side, a private life, a private face. And that is the face we will expose in this trial, the other side of J.J. Simpson, the side you never met before.”

Christopher A. Darden

“That trail of blood from Bundy [Drive, Nicole Brown Simpson’s condo] through his own Ford Bronco and into his house on Rockingham is devastating proof of his guilt.”

Marcia Clark

BLOOD EVIDENCE

Prosecutors, through DNA experts, contend that blood evidence found at Bundy Drive murder scene, inside Simpson’s Bronco and at his estate forms a trial linking the former athlete to the murders. Here are sites where blood was found and results of test, according to prosecution.

DNA Profiles

When DNA from a crime scene is profiled, the result for each sample is a series of bands that looks like a supermarket bar code. Shown are profiles for blood from the three principals, the crime scene and O.J. Simpson’s home.

O.J. Simpson

Nicole Simpson

Ronald Goldman

Sock at Rockingham

Rockingham Foyer

Bundy walkway

Goldman’s boot

Nicole Brown Simpson’s condo

1. Drops leading from bodies: O.J. Simpson likely source

2. Stain on back gate: O.J. Simpson likely source

3. Mixed bloodstains in Bronco: O.J. Simpson, ex-wife, Ronald Goldman could be sources

O.J. Simpson’s estate

4. Mixed bloodstains on glove: O.J. Simpson, ex-wife, Ronald Goldman could be sources

5. Blood leading form Bronco: Likely O.J. Simpson’s

6. Blood on sock in Simpson’s bedroom: Some spots likely Simpson’s; one likely to be Nicoles Brown Simpson’s

TIMELINE OF THE PROSECUTION CASE

The prosecution divided its case into four broad areas: testimony about domestic violence, police investigators’ explanation of the evidence-gathering process, testimony by experts on DNA and other physical evidence and the coroner’s theories about how the victims were attacked. At the end, other sundry elements were addressed.

Jan. 24--Opening statement

Jan. 25--Co-lead prosecutor William Hodgman is hospitalized. Takes background role after hospitalization.

Jan. 31--First domestic violence witness called, followed by nearly a dozen others.

Feb. 3--Denise Brown, Nicole Brown’s sister and the first member of a victim’s family to testify, takes stand, breaks down.

Feb. 9--Main police testimony begins with Robert Riske, first LAPD officer at murder scene.

Feb. 24--Prosecution case interrupted to tape testimony of defense witness Rosa Lopez.

March 9--Mark Fuhrman, detective who defense lawyers allege is a racist and planted evidence, takes stand.

March 21--Brian (Kato) Kaelin, former Simpson guest house tenant, begins testimony.

April 3--Dennis Fung, LAPD criminalist, takes stand.

April 21--Some jurors balk at coming to court, in protest of the reassignment of three bailiffs.

May 1--LAPD crime lab supervisor Gregory Matheson opens DNA section of prosecution case.

May 8--DNA lab director Robin Cotton builds on DNA test results.

May 16--State Department of Justice criminalist Gary Sims bolsters Cotton’s testimony.

June 2--County coroner testifies, underscoring brutality of crimes.

June 6--Jurors see graphic photographs from the victims’ autopsies.

June 15--Prosecution has Simpson try on murder gloves. They appear not to fit.

June 21--Prosecutors have Simpson try on new gloves similar to murder gloves. They fit.

June 23--Statistician admits error and bias in calculating probabilities of blood matches.

JURY ATTRITION

All but two of the 10 juror dismissals took place during the formal presentation of the prosecution’s case.

Jan. 18: Unnamed, 48, Hertz Corp. employee.

Jan. 18: Unnamed, 38, postal carrier.

Feb. 7: Catherine Murdoch, 63, legal secretary.

March 1: Michael Knox, 46, courier.

March 17: Tracy Kennedy, 52, Amtrak manager.

April 5: Jeanette Harris, 38, employment interviewer.

May 1: Tracy Hampton, 26, flight attendant.

May 26: Francine Florio-Bunten, 38, telephone worker.

June 5: Farron Chavarria, 28, real estate appraiser.

June 5: Willie Cravin, 54, postal manager.

KEY TESTIMONY

RONALD SHIPP: Former LAPD officer and former Simpson friend

ON STAND: Feb. 1-3

TESTIMONY: Says that on evening after murders, Simpson told him he sometimes dreamed of killing ex-wife. Informally counseled couple about domestic abuse. Says he took stand against Simpson because didn’t want Nicole Simpson’s blood on his hands.

DENISE BROWN: Sister of Nicole Simpson

ON STAND: Feb. 3-6

TESTIMONY: Recounts instances of domestic violence she says she witnessed during 17-year relationship that Simpson had with her sister.

MARK FUHRMAN: Originally assigned as a lead detective in case; later removed in favor of more experienced detectives. Found bloody glove at Simpson estate.

ON STAND: March 9-16

TESTIMONY: Vehemently denies defense allegations that he is a racist and that he framed Simpson. Defense unable to shake him. Prosecution asks him to identify a large plastic bag found in Simpson Bronco with shovel. He later admits such bags are standard issue for Broncos. Tells of 1985 incident in which Simpson attacked his wife’s Mercedes-Benz with a baseball bat.

BRIAN (KATO) KAELIN: Lived in guest house on Simpson estate at time of murders.

ON STAND: March 21-28

TESTIMONY: Heard thumping noise on outside wall of guest house where bloody glove later found. Saw Simpson on estate grounds when he went out to check noise. Said Simpson talked about his ex-wife’s short dress hours before killings. Before testimony ends, however, Clark declares him hostile witness.

ALLAN PARK: Chauffeur who took Simpson to airport night of murders.

ON STAND: March 28-29

TESTIMONY: Says he arrived at Simpson home at 10:25 p.m. on scheduled pickup and got no answer after ringing bell. Waited half an hour before being let inside gate by Kaelin. Saw person of Simpson’s height and weight cross yard and go into house. Says Simpson seemed rushed and asked that the limousine’s air-conditioner be turned on.

DENNIS FUNG: LAPD criminalist who helped collect evidence.

ON STAND: April 3-18

TESTIMONY: Concedes he didn’t collect all of evidence at murder scene and Simpson estate, as he had testified earlier. Acknowledges he and another criminalist made numerous mistakes. Shakes hands with and hugs defense lawyers at end of testimony.

ROBIN COTTON: Director of Cellmark, a DNA lab

ON STAND: May 8-15

TESTIMONY: Presents an easily understandable primer on DNA. Gives first hard evidence of “matches” of Simpson’s blood with blood of victims.

DR. LAKSHMANAN SATHYAVAGISWARAN: County coroner

ON STAND: June 2-15

ROLE: Reviewed autopsies performed by junior pathologist.

TESTIMONY: Describes in minute detail each victim’s wounds, saying they all may have been caused by a single knife and one assailant. Admits that two or even three knives could not be ruled out. Downplays numerous mistakes made by pathologist who performed autopsies.

RICHARD RUBIN: Former general manager of glove manufacturing firm

ON STAND: June 15, 16 and 21

TESTIMONY: Testifies that bloody gloves are same size Simpson wears. Presides over first demonstration in which murder gloves do not appear to fit Simpson. Insists poor fit is caused by shrinkage and because Simpson wore latex gloves underneath.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“This is the dead sister in black hair.”

--Lawyer Gerry Spence on impression of Denise Brown on stand

*

“I would like to finish this case sometime this lifetime.”

--Judge Lance A. Ito as trial entered its sixth month *

“Too tight.”

--O.J. Simpson as he tried on the bloody gloves before the jury

*

“I don’t think we were going up for the same acting parts.”

--Brian (Kato) Kaelin on whether Simpson tried to get him jobs in movie industry

*

“The prosecution is . . . saying a whole lot of nothing.”

--Jeanette Harris, after being dismissed as a juror in the case

Researched by ANDREA FORD and JACQUELYN CENACVEIRA / Los Angeles Times