Today, the title of O.J. Simpson’s book “If I did It” rings even more false than it did back when its planned publication was announced in 2006. Recently released archival interview footage shot after his not guilty verdict appears to show the loveable Hall of Fame running back, actor, and celebrity confessing to the killing of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, reinforcing the belief of many Americans that he did indeed get away with murder. This blockbuster interview derives from the aborted publicity campaign that was planned to coincide with the 2006 release of “If I did It,” the book that featured his hypothetical scenario about the events that transpired on the night of the double murder. The book was destined to be a big seller, but thanks to an earlier civil suit filed by the family of Ron Goldman and outraged public backlash, publication was halted after ReganBooks printed 400,000 copies that never reached a bookstore shelf. Virtually every one of these books was destroyed, and the manuscript was later released by the Goldman family under the title If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.

Simpson’s disturbing hypothetical murder scenario begins on page 135, starting with a night out at McDonald’s with Kato Kaelin and then descends into a sinister description of the brutal knife murder of Nicole and Ron, executed with the assistance of a fictitious friend named “Charlie.” The book’s cover, which thankfully never reached your local bookseller, features a courtroom close up of Simpson glancing conspiratorially over his shoulder with “IF I DID IT” printed on the bottom, the “If” in white letters and the remainder in a deep, blood red. The back cover irreverently features photographs of his two victims, Nicole and Ron, along with a montage of his sad car chase and chilling booking mug shot. Opposite of the cover page is an author’s note that arrogantly states, “If I did it, this is what happened.” Given the sensitive and disturbing content of the book, it is not surprising that the book was never released and the original copies were destroyed. However, according to legend, a small number did survive: one reportedly was saved by News Corporation (the original publisher) and one was auctioned off on eBay in 2007 for a stated amount of $65,000. The winner of this lot will clearly possess a rare piece of history regarding events that captured the country’s imaginations and created a racial divide that still festers to this day.

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