O.J.'s Canceled Book Details Hypothetical Account of Goldman-Simpson Murders

Jan. 15, 2007 — -- After "If I Did It," O.J. Simpson's unpublished book, caused an uproar last year, Newsweek got an exclusive look at the book's crucial chapter, Simpson's fictional account of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

"If I Did It" was to be published and an interview was to be aired in November by News Corp.-owned HarperCollins and Fox News respectively.

After public backlash and criticism within Fox from Geraldo Rivera and Bill O'Reilly, however, News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch called off the project, apologizing for any pain that it had caused the Goldman and Brown families.

Simpson was acquitted of the June 1994 slayings, but suspicion over whether he got away with the slayings have dogged him.

So does Simpson's "hypothetical" account of the killings match the prosecution's version of what happened? In many ways, yes, Newsweek says.

According to Newsweek, Simpson writes that on the night of the murders he drove to Brown Simpson's Brentwood, Calif., home and saw Goldman in her courtyard.

When her dog greets Goldman with a familiar wagging tail, Simpson screams Goldman, "You've been here before."

Simpson then writes, "Then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can't tell you exactly how."

Prosecutors always contended that violent jealousy -- like the feelings that Simpson describes -- led to the slayings.

Simpson's story differs from the prosecution's theory, though. In the book, he writes that there is someone with him during his wife's killing -- a friend he calls Charlie -- who repeatedly urges him to stop.

Both sides agree that Simpson strips off his blood-soaked clothing down to his socks. Police later discovered those socks, and they became important evidence. His other clothing was never found.

So how did he get home? Simpson writes that he sneaked onto his property, and tripped over an air conditioner behind the guest house where Kato Kaelin stayed, making a huge racket. That's exactly what Kaelin told the court during Simpson's trail.