Inside the Mind of O.J. Simpson

Sept. 18, 2007 — -- O.J. Simpson is back in the headlines, and once again he's sparked intense speculation about whether he did it, and if so, why. His actions have set in motion a battalion of pundits and mental health experts seeking to explain his behavior.

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and he has not been convicted of a crime in connection with a recent incident in a Las Vegas hotel in which police say he robbed two sports memorabilia dealers. He was charged Tuesday with 10 felony counts, including robbery with a deadly weapon and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Some see a pattern in Simpson's repeated brushes with the law. Psychologists and psychiatrists who spoke with ABC News said Simpson's actions suggest a person who thinks he can do what he pleases with few, if any, consequences.

"I don't think he expected to get arrested," said Dr. Michael Welner, a forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant. "He does things because he thinks he can, and he thinks he can get what he wants."

The experts who spoke with ABC News had not interviewed Simpson and only speculated on the reasons for his behavior based on his actions and public statements.

But, based on observing Simpson throughout his years in the public spotlight, they said Simpson seems to carry a sense of entitlement and appears to show little concern for other people. One clinical psychologist views Simpson as a sociopath, someone who has little or no regard for moral or legal standards and an inability to follow societal rules.

"The hallmark is someone who fails to show empathy for other individuals, even the people he allegedly cares about, and, of course, a person who acts without a conscience," said Patricia Saunders, clinical director at the Metropolitan Center for Mental Health in New York.

Two sports memorabilia dealers have accused Simpson and several of his associates of robbing them at gunpoint. Simpson has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was only retrieving belongings that were stolen from him. He said no guns were used in the confrontation, which he called a "sting operation."