Starve.Org White Noise Usenet Archive: "GOLDMAN FIRST CONTACTED"

GENERAL:

When I wrote, "It was while Goldman was at the intercom, by the
mailbox, that he was first contacted by his assailant," I realized, of
course, that it was provocative to say, and I expected to be
challenged. You have been kind enough to oblige me. Thank you.

Specifically, you have said [and I directly answer], "You are making a
big assumption without any evidence to support it. [Wrong. See WHERE
DID GOLDMAN DIE? below.] What makes you think he was attacked by the
mailbox? [Op. cit.] Are you saying that he was attacked before he came
through the gate? [Yes.] That would mean that O.J. followed him up the
front walk. [Not at all. See GOLDMAN FIRST CONTACTED, below.] What
evidence is there of that? [See INDICATIONS, below.] O.J. parked in
the rear, and I think most people agree that he came in the back gate
and attacked Nicole when she came out to open the gate for Ron. [What a
scrambling of truths. See immediately next.]

LAST THINGS FIRST. "O.J. parked in the rear..." I have never heard --
and do not myself believe -- any idea to the contrary. "...and I think
most people agree..." This is between you and me, General; I can not
address "most people." But, I take it that these comments are yours,
too. "...that [Simpson] came in the back gate..." I agree with that,
too. "...and attacked Nicole when she came out to open the gate for
Ron."

I am both dismayed and delighted by this last part. If you had said,
"the killer attacked Nicole when she came out to open the gate for Ron,"
I would completely agree. But you have jumped to the conclusion that
the killer is Simpson, and so your beautiful idea falls to pieces. So
sorry. (Which is not to say Simpson could not also have been the
killer, only that it has not yet been proven.)

WHERE DID GOLDMAN DIE? Your confusion begins with a common
misunderstanding: that Goldman's body was found where he died (Marcia
Clark lives on.) I have previously posted here articles (e.g., "RON'S
BODY HEAVED," 7/18/98 NG_310) which showed that there are many
indications that Goldman's body was heaved into the alcove where it was
found. He did not die in there.

Now, if Goldman did not die in the alcove, where did he die? When he
was dead, he was covered with blood, and was profusely dripping blood.
(The irreverent among us have said that he was "leaking like a torn sack
of garbage.") So, any place that his corpse was dragged or carried, it
would have left a trail. The steps to the gate are bounded on the north
and south by concrete walls, and if Goldman was killed to the west of
Nicole's final position, there would be blood indications on the steps.
But there are none. That means that he was killed in the same position
that Nicole's body was found, or some place to the east (toward the
sidewalk) of that. There is no indication of blood on the sidewalk
itself, other than the dog's prints, so that indicates Goldman was
killed some place between the sidewalk and the first step of the
stairs. There are low shrubs on both sides of the walk east of the gate
that show no signs of being the site of a struggle, so he was not killed
outside the bounds of the walk.

This leaves the walk itself, from the first step to a point about eight
feet to the east, where the blood stains become too thin to be a
credible site for his murder. (There is also a small shrub-free area to
the south of the walk around the mailbox, but this is dirt covered, and
no great amount of dirt was found on Goldman's clothing.) I believe
that the two victims were killed concurrently, in which case they could
not have been killed in the same place. This then means that Goldman
was killed just east of the gate on the walk. But, maybe you think the
victims were killed serially. If so, and Nicole was killed first, you
are still led to the same conclusion, because her spot was already
occupied when Goldman was killed.

GOLDMAN FIRST CONTACTED: You told me that you thought Nicole was
accosted as she came to open the gate for Goldman. I believe that,
too. That means that Goldman was at the intercom shortly (17 seconds)
before Nicole was initially contacted. I believe that Goldman's
attacker expected him, and had concealed himself -- either in the tall
shrubs along the wall immediately south of the mailbox, or by laying
beside the low shrubs that bounded the south side of the walk.
Immediately when the intercom conversation was done, he sprung behind
Goldman, put his left hand over Goldman's mouth, and menaced Goldman's
throat with a knife held in his right hand. Promising to spare him if
he cooperated, and demonstrating two "threatening wounds to his throat"
if he did not, the assailant got Goldman to move three feet north to the
walk and three feet east on the walk, and there to sit, strait-legged.
The assailant squatted behind Goldman, and waited for his partner to
drag a feebly resisting Nicole to the foot of the stairs. (The front
gate had previously been rigged so that it appeared to be latched, but
was not. It could be dragged and kicked open with the foot of Goldman's
assailant as he herded his victim past that point.)

When these conditions were established, Goldman's assailant began to
try to kill him. But he had several disadvantages that Nicole's killer
did not have: 1.) Goldman was younger, stronger, and male; he fought
furiously, 2.) The initial contact put Goldman in an awake and aware
position when his killer began serious efforts, 3.) The left side of
Goldman's neck was facing north, with virtually no light on it;
contrasted with Nicole, whose left neck was probably facing toward the
porch light, 4.) The attack on Goldman occurred somewhat closer to the
sidewalk, and his attacker was probably more concerned about being
overseen. However, Goldman's attacker (the amateur) was able to keep
his victim immobile and quiet for the 45 seconds it took for his partner
to get Nicole in position and kill her. He also inflicted wounds which,
if untreated, would probably have killed Goldman in less than half an
hour.

At 55 seconds after the operation began, Nicole's killer (the
professional) was done, and he came the few steps to help with Goldman.
That victim was already gravely wounded, and the pro administered a
superficial testing wound to Goldman's cheek, thereby determining that
Goldman was not yet dead. Holding his knife as a stabbing instrument,
the pro took a wide armed swing toward Goldman's torso, but the victim
flung up his leg, taking the knife in his thigh. The killer made a
second testing wound, and stabbed Goldman in the abdomen. A third
testing wound and a stab into the chest. A fourth testing wound and
Goldman was still not dead, so there was another stab to the chest. A
final, fifth, testing wound convinced the killer that Goldman was dead.
In this way, there were produced the five testing wounds and four deep
penetrating stab wounds that were seen on Goldman at autopsy.

The pro, standing to the south of Goldman's body, put his right arm
under Goldman's legs and his left arm under Goldman's shirt (transfer of
Nicole's blood and hair indicate this) and lifted him up. The killer
walked three steps west to the entrance of the alcove and heaved
Goldman's body in. At that point, it was 70 seconds after Ron ended the
page to Nicole, and both victims were dead. All that remained was for
the pro to plant the evidence -- the left glove he still wore, and the
knit cap that had been dangling from his belt throughout, under the
agapanthus beside his right foot, and the right hand glove from his hand
to Nicole's shoulder, which was within reach without taking a step. At
80 seconds after Ron's page, both killers were back on the street,
headed for the car.

INDICATIONS: There are a number of indications that this is what
happened. From the wounds to Goldman (numerous injuries around the left
side of his head and neck; left ear nearly cut off) it appears that his
attacker was trying to probe for the carotid artery in the same way that
Nicole's attacker was, and we can believe that a lack of light was one
of the factors that made him fail at this. The least light was coming
from the north, and with Goldman's left side to the north, he would have
been facing east. Also, an east-west orientation on the walk (head to
the west) would be the same as the orientation in which Goldman's body
was found, not requiring any rotation before the body was heaved.

In the photographs of Goldman's clothes, we see that there are globs
and streaks of blood on the front, but the back of Goldman's slacks are
uniformly covered with a thin layer of blood from seat to cuff, and from
inseam to outer seam on both legs. This is consistent with a posture in
which Goldman was seated straight legged, rocking and writing, on a
bloody surface, such as the walk. Also, there was no conspicuous amount
of grass clippings, other plant debris, or dirt in these stains (not
enough to be mentioned in the trial.) There are corresponding diffuse
blood stains on the walk just east of the gate, which can be seen in the
areas not covered by the flow from Nicole's neck wound.

MICROTIMELINE: The following sequence of events and times are
consistent with a two-killer scenario (times are from the end of the
intercom conversation between Ron and Nicole):

2 Seconds Ron is grabbed from behind, gate is kicked open
5 Ron is repositioned, sitting on walk facing east
13 Nicole at front door (52' from intercom in kitchen)
17 Nicole grabbed as she passes knee in condo north wall (7' from
door)
18 Determined attack on Ron begins
29 Nicole at bottom of stairs (24' from being grabbed)
45 Nicole dead
52 Nicole repositioned
55 Pro moves to Ron, begins final phase of attack on him
62 Ron is dead
70 Ron is heaved into alcove
75 Evidence is planted
80 Killers are at sidewalk, on way to their car

At that time of the night, I would guess that there is about one chance
in fifteen or 1/20 that a pedestrian would happen by during the minute
and a half that this takes. Pretty good odds, I should say.

BUT, O.J. DID IT. I INSIST: Of course, the important question is not
what happened, or how the evidence can be explained. The important
issue is proving that Simpson is guilty. Well, good news, General.
Even though I think that this was a two-killer crime, and I have
described a sequence consistent with that, there is no proof that it
could not have been some other way in which the precious concept that
Simpson is guilty can be preserved. (However, it becomes increasingly
tortured to do so.) I would agree with any scenario in which Goldman
was killed on the front walk east of the gate, and his body thrown dead
into the alcove. But, it has to be quick; someone will eventually pass
by this place. And (for reasons not discussed here) it has to be
accomplished at an early time: between 10:05 and 10:15.

In trying to understand the crime, do not be confused by irrefutable
evidence that Simpson was present there. He was, but that may be
because he was the killer, or it may be for other reasons. The cause of
his being at the crime scene is a separate issue. First, figure out
what the killer did, then determine whether Simpson was that person.

Dick Wagner ( Van Nuys, CA (11/27/98) NG_486