O.J. Simpson Released on Parole After Nine Years in Jail
O.J. Simpson walked out to nighttime Nevada, having been released on parole after nine years behind bars for kidnapping and armed robbery. The former NFL star was released just past midnight local time, in an effort to avoid drawing media attention.
The former inmate was picked up by a friend when he walked out of the facility, according to CNN. Brooke Keast, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Corrections, shared a few details on his release.
"Our biggest concern was our safety and the public's safety and not wanting anybody, paparazzi, to follow him," Keast explained. Simpson's quiet midnight release was intended to cut down on unwanted media attention, according to the facility representative.
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"He left through a big blue door through the front gatehouse and exited quietly. He looked down because he didn't want to be photographed," she added. Despite the rushed exit, Simpson looked happy and eager to start a new life, Keast claimed.
"I told him, 'Don't come back,' and he responded, 'I don't intend to,'" the corrections representative said. The 70-year-old took with him his papers and just over a couple of boxes that contains items such as his shower things, a hot plate and some clothing.
The former TV celebrity had a huge career in the NFL, where he is considered one of the all-time greats in his time with the Buffalo Bills. As his NFL career wound down, he found renewed success as a rising movie star, as he appeared in the "Naked Gun" series, did football commentaries and made TV ads, according to The Guardian.
He was the focus of a highly publicized trial that sparked debates around the country about the police, the justice system, and race, before a jury acquitted him for the alleged murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, a restaurant waiter.
On Sep.16, 2007, Simpson and five men went into the Palace Station casino in Las Vegas, where he claimed that a few items stolen from him were kept. Two of his companions were armed, leading the court to give him a prison sentence in 2008.
His parole release was approved unanimously earlier in July.
