Kato Kaelin, Goldman family, former lawyers react to OJ Simpson's death

Prominent figures associated with O.J. Simpson's highly publicized murder trial have reacted to his death at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.

The former football great was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the brutal 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in what was dubbed the "Trial of the Century."

Carl Douglas, one of the attorneys on Simpson's defense team in the Los Angeles murder case, said Simpson was "one of the most famous clients that I have ever represented" in his 44-year career.

"I expect our names will forever be linked together in some way," Douglas said in a statement. "My sincere condolences go out to his four children. May he rest in peace."

Alan Dershowitz, Simpson's legal "Dream Team" adviser, told The Associated Press that Simpson "played an important role in exposing the racial divisions in America."

"His trial also exposed police corruption among some officials in the Los Angeles Police Department," he told The AP. "He will leave a mixed legacy. Great athlete. Many people think he was guilty. Some think he was innocent."

Kato Kaelin, a houseguest of Simpson's at the time of the murders who became a key witness during the trial, expressed his condolences Thursday to Simpson's children and his "love and compassion" to the Brown and Goldman families.

"Nicole was a beacon of light that burned bright. May we never forget her," he said in a video statement posted on X.

Though he was acquitted of murder charges, a civil jury found Simpson liable in 1997 for wrongful death in the double murder. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families.

"I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere," attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole Brown Simpson's family, told ABC New York station WABC on Thursday. "I don't mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family and they should be remembered."

The life and trials of O.J. Simpson

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From his distinguished college football career to the highly publicized murder trial, O.J. Simpson has seldom left the public eye. At the height of his career, Simpson played in the NFL while simultaneously starring in commercials, television shows and movies. Thirteen years after his acquittal, Simpson was convicted of burglary and has been serving a 33 year sentence since 2010. Simpson was granted partial parole in 2013, and has another parole hearing scheduled for July 20, 2017. O.J. Simpson poses with the Heisman Trophy at New York's Downtown Athletic Club on Dec. 5, 1968.

AP

In 2006, a ghostwritten book titled "If I Did It," described by the publisher as a "hypothetical" confession and said to be based on interviews with Simpson, was scheduled to be published in conjunction with a TV special that would also feature Simpson. The special was canceled following widespread criticism, and the family of Goldman -- still pursuing the unpaid monetary damages awarded them in the civil trial – was awarded the rights to the book, which they retitled and published as "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer."

Goldman's family said in a statement to ABC News that Simpson's death "is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear."

"For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in 'If I Did It,' the hope for true accountability has ended," his sister, Kim Goldman, and father, Fred Goldman, said in a joint statement.

"We will continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors, ensuring our voices are heard both within and beyond the courtroom," the statement continued. "And despite his death, the mission continues; there's always more to be done. Thank you for keeping our family, and most importantly Ron, in your hearts for the last 30 years."

Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the murder case, said in a brief statement to ABC News, "I send my condolences to Mr. Simpson's family."

Simpson's family said he died on Wednesday "surrounded by his children and grandchildren" while asking for "privacy and grace."

In May 2023, Simpson posted a video on X, then known as Twitter, revealing that he had recently "caught cancer" and "had to do the whole chemo thing." He didn't specify the nature of the cancer.

ABC News' Jim Vojtech contributed to this report.