O. J. Simpson case: Unsealed records reveal informant details

Newly unsealed court records have revealed that a government informant may have possessed critical information regarding the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The documents identify Joseph “Joey” Ippolito, a convicted drug trafficker with organized crime ties, as a valuable federal informant who provided information about the potential disposal of the missing murder weapon.

According to the investigation, Ippolito’s brother, Sam Ippolito, claimed that Joey returned to a Los Angeles apartment on the night of the killings with blood on his hands and a heavy bag. Sam alleged that Joey instructed him to dispose of the bag in a dumpster on Doheny Drive. While Sam initially provided this account, he later attempted to retract parts of his statement.

Federal prosecutors described Ippolito as a “remarkable source of information” in a 1996 memorandum, noting his knowledge of Simpson’s alleged domestic violence and the disposal of the weapon. However, this information was shared with Los Angeles prosecutors late in the criminal trial, and Ippolito was never called to testify. Although Simpson was acquitted in his criminal trial, he was later found liable for the deaths in a civil proceeding. The Los Angeles Police Department stated the case remains an open investigation.