Fred Goldman might be on the verge of getting compensation from O.J. Simpson’s estate, nearly three decades after he won a verdict for the wrongful death of his son, Ron Goldman, who was murdered alongside Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, in June 1994.
Malcolm LaVergne, the executor of the Simpson estate, has accepted creditor claims from Goldman totaling $57,997,858.12, plus interest on the judgment, according to reports from TMZ.
This amount was reached after some negotiations between Goldman and the estate’s representatives. Initially, Goldman had sought over $117 million based on the original $33 million judgment from 1995, along with interest accumulated over the years.
At first, LaVergne disputed Goldman’s figure, proposing about half of what Goldman was asking for, but ultimately, it seems Goldman agreed to the terms.
LaVergne stated that the estate aims to pay as much of the approved amount as possible through an ongoing auction of Simpson’s possessions.
He also mentioned that some memorabilia was stolen and that he is working with his attorney to resolve the situation. Additionally, LaVergne plans to request that the court award Goldman management fees for his assistance in managing the estate.
Most claims from other creditors were rejected; only those from Goldman and the IRS were accepted. The estate intends to prioritize its obligations to the IRS before addressing other debts, including a hefty claim from California amounting to roughly $636,945.
LaVergne mentioned that, if the state seeks payment, legal action might be necessary to recover those funds.
This agreement with Goldman marks a notable shift from LaVergne’s stance following Simpson’s death last year, when he stated he would “never pay the Goldmans.” However, he later decided to entertain their claims.
On June 13, 1994, the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were discovered outside her Brentwood condominium. After a widely publicized trial, Simpson, a Hall of Fame NFL player, was acquitted of the charges against him, despite being found liable in a subsequent civil suit.
In the civil trial, Simpson denied having any involvement in the murders. However, in February 1997, a jury concluded he was responsible for the deaths, initially awarding Goldman’s family $8.5 million, followed by an additional $25 million in punitive damages just days later—in total, a judgment of $33.5 million that has rarely been paid during Simpson’s life.
So far, the families have received very little of what was awarded to them.
