Newly unsealed federal court records are renewing questions about the murder weapon that was never recovered in the 1994 killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
The records, reviewed by The New York Times, describe information provided by Joseph “Joey” Ippolito, a federal informant and associate of O.J. Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings. A federal prosecutor said Ippolito had information relevant to the case, including Simpson’s alleged disposal of the murder weapon. The filing does not reveal what Ippolito specifically told authorities or where the weapon may have been taken.
Ippolito had escaped from a Florida prison in 1994 and was later arrested in August 1995. By then, prosecutors in Los Angeles had already rested their case against Simpson. A federal prosecutor later described Ippolito as a valuable source and said his information had been helpful to Los Angeles authorities. Ippolito was not called as a witness in the murder trial.
The documents do not establish that Ippolito took part in the killings or confirm that he knew the weapon’s location. His reported connection to the case has also drawn conflicting accounts.
Ippolito’s brother, Sam, initially told the Times that Joey left their apartment on the night of the killings to help a friend. Sam said his brother returned with what appeared to be blood on his hands and a bag containing a heavy object, then asked him to dispose of it. Sam later said he had heard Joey say he was “helping” Simpson. But Sam subsequently recanted his account after the newspaper declined his request for payment. He also told ABC News that his brother was not involved in the killings.
There were other reasons for caution. Lead prosecutor Marcia Clark told the Times she had not known about Ippolito and said she would have been informed if he had relevant, credible information. The Times also reported that Simpson’s defense team investigated Ippolito at the time and concluded he was not involved in the murders.
Simpson was acquitted of the murders in 1995. In a separate civil case in 1997, he was found liable for the deaths. Simpson died in 2024. The Los Angeles Police Department has said the case remains open and that detectives will pursue new investigative leads if evidence emerges.
