1 day ago
49
OJ Simpson may have had a mob-linked accomplice in the brutal killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman, according to a theory at the center of a yet-to-be-revealed Peacock documentary.
Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in October 1995, only to be found financially liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown and Goldman at a civil trial 16 months later.
Neither trial focused on the late Joseph 'Joey' Ippolito Jr, but after years of being tied to the case through various reports and rumors, the ex-con restaurateur's potential involvement in the murders is now being examined.
The Daily Mail has reviewed unauthorized clips leaked without the consent of Peacock, its parent company NBC or Ample Entertainment, which produced the documentary. That footage contains interviews with two brothers of Ippolito, who died in 2006. And as one source with knowledge of the project told the Daily Mail, the possibility that Ippolito committed the crimes with Simpson is discussed at length in the documentary.
Longtime Simpson associate Charles 'Charlie' Ehrlich is also interviewed about the case, and he appears to deny any involvement in one clip reviewed by the Daily Mail.
The 72-year-old Ehrlich confirmed his contribution to the documentary when contacted by the Daily Mail before moving to end the conversation. Asked during a second phone call if he had any involvement in the murders of Brown or Goldman, Ehrlich told the Daily Mail: 'No comment.'
OJ Simpson denied murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown (right) and her friend Ronald Goldman
Joseph Ippolito Jr was arrested for drug trafficking prior to the Goldman-Brown murders and according to federal prosecutors, the restaurateur had mob ties. He died in 2006
Goldman wasn't believed to be an intended target, but was nonetheless murdered with Brown
This is not the first time Ehrlich has faced questions about the 1994 stabbings of Brown and Goldman outside her LA condominium. He previously filed a defamation lawsuit against the Miami New Times for reporting on the existence of a movie script that Ehrlich believed gave a false impression he was involved in the murders.
That defamation lawsuit survived a summary judgement motion and was headed to trial before the Miami New Times settled with Ehrlich in 2025. His attorney, Robert J Hantman, told the Daily Mail that the settlement was close to $100,000. An attorney for the Miami New Times did not respond to a request for comment.
Ehrlich has other ties to Simpson, who continued to deny any involvement in the Brown-Goldman murders until his death from cancer at age 76 in 2024. Ehrlich, too, told US Magazine in 2024 he 'never believed' his friend Simpson 'was involved' in the killings.
A convicted former cocaine trafficker and longtime Florida strip club manager, Ehrlich was in the Las Vegas hotel room where Simpson stole sports memorabilia at gunpoint in 2007. Simpson was later convicted on 12 counts and served nine years in a Nevada prison, while Ehrlich was sentenced to probation after pleading down to lesser charges.
Simpson with Charlie Ehrlich during their 2007 robbery trial
Meanwhile, Ippolito was close with AC Cowlings, the lifelong friend and former teammate of Simpson. It was Cowlings who led LAPD on a low-speed chase with Simpson in the back seat of a white Ford Bronco on June 17, 1994 before Simpson ultimately surrendered at his Brentwood mansion.
As confirmed by Cowlings' attorney to the Boston Herald in August 1994, Ippolito once helped Cowlings kick a freebase cocaine habit and in return, Cowlings asked a federal judge to release Ippolito on bail as he awaited trial on drug charges in 1993.
Later, after being sentenced to 10 years behind bars, Ippolito walked away from a minimum-security style prison camp on a military base in Pensacola, Florida on May 6, 1994, according to a Boston Herald report at the time.
The Herald also reported that the FBI and federal prosecutors had telephone records showing calls from Ippolito's Santa Monica restaurant to Simpson's Brentwood estate.
As for Ippolito's alleged mafia connections, federal law enforcement officials claimed he was a member of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey with ties to New York's Lucchese family.
Spokespeople for both NBC and Ample Entertainment declined to comment to the Daily Mail for this story.
Motorists stop and wave as police cars pursue the Ford Bronco driven by Al Cowlings, carrying OJ Simpson, on a 90-minute slow-speed car chase June 17, 1994 on the 405 freeway in LA
OJ is pictured during the 1995 double-murder trial. He was ultimately acquitted by the jury
Another documentary, 'O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil,' premiered on ID and HBO Max this week. It includes a clip from Simpson's unaired hidden-camera prank show in which producers tried – and failed – to catch him confessing on tape.
Simpson authored a hypothetical account of the 1994 murders with the help of ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves in 2007 titled: 'If I Did It.'
In the hypothetical description offered by Simpson, he intended to go to 'scare the s*** out of' Nicole by confronting her at her condominium with an accomplice named 'Charlie' on June 12, 1994.
But rather than being based on Ehrlich, this 'Charlie' was simply a fictitious friend who was bestowed the name by Fenjves, the ghostwriter has since explained.
Simpson pretends to sell a white Ford Bronco during production of his doomed prank show
OJ Simpson defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (center) posited a theory that Brown and Goldman were murdered by drug dealers who were looking for her friend, Faye Resnick
There have long been rumors that Simpson may have committed the 1994 murders with one or two accomplices.
Simpson defense attorney Johnnie Cochran posited a theory during the murder trial that Brown and Goldman may have been killed by drug dealers looking for her friend, Faye Resnick, who was battling a cocaine problem.
However, at least one member of Brown's family remains skeptical that Simpson had an accomplice.
'I've heard about the conspiracy theory for years,' Brown's sister told the Daily Mail by email. 'To me it's a bunch of BS.'
An exact date for Peacock's documentary has not been revealed, but it is expected to run by the end of 2026.
