Simpson Speaks

Since the day after his acquittal, O.J. Simpson has steadfastly maintained his innocence in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman through television, radio and newspaper interviews.

* Oct. 4: In a surprise phone call, Simpson tracks down veteran Associated Press court reporter Linda Deutsch while she is vacationing on the East Coast. He says he appreciated her fairness in the way she reported the double murder trial and asks her to ask the media to give him a break. Later that day, he makes a call to CNN’s “Larry King Live,” saying he was the “shadowy figure” limousine driver Allan Park saw, but he was bringing his luggage out. He also criticizes prosecutors, television commentators and legal analysts for promoting misconceptions about trial testimony.

* Oct. 11: After Simpson abruptly cancels his planned interview with NBC because he fears it would be a “confrontation” rather than a “conversation,” he opts for a surprise telephone call to a New York Times reporter who did not cover the trial. “Maybe I’m a little cocky,” he says, “but in my heart I feel I can have a conversation with anyone.” He talks of wanting to debate prosecutor Marcia Clark, to “knock that chip off” her shoulder. He reiterates his statements of innocence and acknowledges that he had been wrong to “get physical” with his wife during a 1989 altercation.

* Jan. 11: A 2 1/2-hour video of Simpson talking to former KCOP-TV anchorman Ross Becker about the murder trial, evidence presented against him, his alibi on the night of the killings, his acquittal, his breakup with girlfriend Paula Barbieri and his search for the so-called real killers becomes available through mail order for $29.95.

* Jan. 24: Less than four months after his acquittal, in a 60-minute live interview with journalist Ed Gordon of Black Entertainment Television, Simpson discusses the case for the first time on television, but deflects gentle questions about the murders and finishes the session without addressing the case’s lingering mysteries.

* Feb. 5: Simpson forcefully reasserts his innocence in a wide-ranging interview with Times reporters at his Brentwood mansion. The interview comes after he complains in a live phone call to CNN about the paper’s exclusive reports on the sworn testimony he gave in a five-day incomplete deposition. In his interview with CNN, Simpson suggests that the murders were connected to Nicole Brown’s friend Faye Resnick, not him.

* Feb. 6: Simpson calls radio station KKBT-FM (92.3), known as “The Beat,” and answers questions about his love life and how his ex-wife seemed to be the one doing the “stalking” in their relationship. Simpson later calls the hosts of CNN’s “Burden of Proof,” attorneys Greta Van Susteren and Roger Cossack, and reiterates many of his statements of the last few days.