Three decades after the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial, new insights are emerging from individuals who were close to the case but never called to testify. A new Netflix docuseries, American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, explores key moments from both the investigation and trial, including the notorious low-speed police chase and the courtroom spectacle of Simpson trying on a blood-stained glove. However, the series also sheds light on lesser-known details and witnesses who could have played crucial roles in the case.
Simpson was acquitted in 1995 for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman, who were both brutally stabbed outside Nicole’s condo in Brentwood, California, on June 12, 1994. The docuseries, which premieres on January 29, 2025, dives deep into the case, featuring interviews with people who were never called to testify in court but saw Simpson on the night of the murders.
Director Floyd Russ explains the aim of the docuseries: "The audience gets to listen to witnesses who were not called and consider evidence... I want them to feel like the jury."
One of the key individuals featured in the docuseries is Jill Shively, who recounts a strange encounter with Simpson on the night of the murders. Shively, who was recovering from the flu, had left her Santa Monica apartment around 11 p.m. to visit a nearby market in Brentwood. As she drove down San Vicente Boulevard, she nearly collided with a white Ford Bronco without its headlights on. The vehicle had swerved onto the median to avoid another car.
“I could see who it was and I knew it was a football player, but I wasn't sure who,” recalls Shively, now 63. “He was yelling at another driver, ‘Move, move.’ I recognized his voice because I had just seen a Naked Gun movie. It was O.J. Simpson.” Despite this potentially crucial sighting, Shively's testimony was never heard in court. She later sold her story to the tabloid show Hard Copy, which led to the prosecution's decision not to call her as a witness.
Another individual with crucial information was Skip Junis, who witnessed Simpson outside Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) just after 11:30 p.m. on the night of the murders. Junis, an advertising executive and former UCLA baseball player, recognized Simpson immediately and noticed something odd. Simpson was holding a gym bag, which he placed on top of a trash can. “What was really peculiar is when he unzipped the bag, he pulled out a long item that was covered with a white rag or cloth and put it in the trash can,” Junis recalls.
After learning that Simpson was a suspect in the murders, Junis contacted both the prosecution and defence teams, but neither returned his calls. He eventually spoke to LAPD detective Philip Vannatter, who took him to the prosecutor’s office to sketch the bag he had seen Simpson carrying. However, despite being told he would be called as a witness, Junis was never brought to testify. “I think Marcia Clark forgot about me,” he says.
Years later, Junis was told that Clark had decided not to call him as a witness because she couldn’t corroborate his story. He still reflects on that night and what Simpson might have been trying to discard. “I have spent many, many years now thinking of what he would have had in the bag to throw away without looking at it. Why would he have brought it from his house? It just doesn’t make sense."
The American Manhunt docuseries not only revisits the major moments of the O.J. Simpson case but also provides fresh perspectives from those who were involved but never heard in the courtroom. As viewers watch, they’ll hear from these witnesses who could have influenced the outcome of one of the most sensational trials in American history.
The docuseries provides a deeper look at the evidence that jurors never saw, including hastily opened first-aid supplies, an empty knife box, and still-damp clothes found in Simpson’s home. The series offers viewers a chance to step into the shoes of the jury and consider new, underexplored details of the case.
For more on the O.J. Simpson trial and the witnesses whose voices went unheard, the docuseries American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson is now streaming on Netflix.
