Simpson Displayed No Grief, Vannatter Testifies

Reiterating testimony that came under fierce attack in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, retired Los Angeles Police Det. Philip L. Vannatter said he suspected “something was wrong” when Simpson did not ask probing questions or show grief during an interview the day after his ex-wife and her friend were murdered.

Lawyers defending Simpson in a civil lawsuit tried to contradict that testimony by reading Vannatter a transcript of the interview, in which Simpson complained: “You guys haven’t told me anything. Every time I ask you guys, you say you are going to tell me in a bit.”

But Vannatter, testifying under oath in a pretrial deposition May 22, insisted that Simpson “didn’t appear to me to be upset because of this murder and the fact that his children had been taken by the police.” Later, he added: “that’s a clear signal that this person is not being up-and-up with you.”

Vannatter also repeated his contention that he did not consider Simpson a suspect when a fellow officer leaped over a wall onto Simpson’s property during the early hours of the investigation. That foray yielded key evidence, including a bloody glove matching one found at the murder scene. Defense lawyers repeatedly pressed Vannatter about whether he had “any suspicion” that Simpson could have been involved in the crimes at that time. The veteran detective said he could not give a yes or no, according to transcripts reviewed Friday.