O.J. Simpson, the Former NFL Star Who Ignited the True-Crime Era, Left Behind an Equally Infamous Property Portfolio

O.J. Simpson via X; Getty Images; Google Maps

O.J. Simpson, who arguably kicked off the true-crime era with his story (a fascinating brew of salacious gossip, violence, sport, race, and celebrity), died of cancer on Thursday. The former NFL player was 76.

In 1994, the football Hall of Famer was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in a bloody knife attack. After a mesmerizing trial that held the nation’s collective attention, Simpson was acquitted.

If you were around in October 1995, you might remember where you were when news broke of Simpson’s acquittal.

As for where Simpson was, he returned to his mansion in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles following his release from jail. The mansion played a crucial role in the Simpson saga, but it was just one of many properties in the orbit of the infamous star.

Brentwood, CA

The home at 360 N. Rockingham Drive was where Simpson famously retreated and ultimately surrendered to authorities after a memorable slow-speed car chase. It’s also where he returned following his acquittal.

O.J. Simpson’s Rockingham Estate in Brentwood, CA, played a crucial role in the Simpson saga.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

Simpson bought the home in 1977 for $650,000. He and Nicole Brown were married at the luxury property in 1985.

But if you want a glimpse of the property, you’ll have to scour archival photos. Simpson put the five-bedroom home up for auction, selling it back to the bank in 1997 for $2.6 million. A local investor picked it up for $3.95 million in 1998 and razed the mansion. He even changed the home’s address to reduce any stigma associated with the former football star.

It’s now 380 N. Rockingham Drive, and the seven-bedroom home on the property was sold in 2005 for $13.6 million.

Satellite photo of the Rockingham mansion

Google Maps

Simpson was forced to part with the property after he lost a 1997 civil trial to the families of the murder victims. The $33.5 million judgment against him put Simpson into bankruptcy. It also forced him out of California in an effort to shield his cash from creditors.

Miami, FL

Simpson left for the Sunshine State in an effort to preserve his NFL pension from the civil judgment against him. He bought a four-bedroom home in Miami in 2000 for $575,000.

The home at 9450 SW 112th St was foreclosed on in 2012, while Simpson sat in a Nevada prison after an armed robbery conviction in 2008. (There’s no connection between this crime and his more infamous trial of the 1990s.)

Simpson’s Miami home was sold by the bank to a local investor for $513,000 in 2014. In 2023, the home was razed, mirroring the fate of his Southern California mansion.

Today, the vacant property on the city’s south side is on the market for $2.4 million. The 1.65-acre parcel is marketed as the “best priced lot per square foot in the area.”

Vacant land where O.J. Simpson’s Miami home once stood

Realtor.com

Las Vegas, NV

After his release from prison in 2017, Simpson opted to stay in the Las Vegas area.

A friend of the ex-Bills great opened up their mansion in a private, gated community near Red Rock Country Club.

I’m from the Bay and I’m going with Bay!!! Lets go @49ers pic.twitter.com/MoO9TELc8B

— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) February 11, 2024

Simpson didn’t own the place in Summerlin, but he enjoyed the luxury trappings of the five-bedroom home. Highlights of the two-story residence include a backyard putting green, pool, and access to a private golf course.

In a 2017 interview, Simpson said, “People here have really been nice to me” in Nevada and that he was playing golf every day. Las Vegas was also where Simpson died at the age of 76.

Bundy Drive murder site in Los Angeles, CA

The Brentwood townhouse where Simpson’s ex-wife lived—and died—still stands today, albeit with a different address.

Nicole Brown Simpson had purchased the four-bedroom condo at 875 S. Bundy Drive five months prior to her murder for $625,000.

Her home went back on the market in 1995 with a price of $795,000, and it was sold in 1997 for $520,000. The owner changed the home’s facade as well as the address, which is now 879 S. Bundy Drive.

The home was last sold in November 2006 for $1.72 million.

Bundy Drive home