Former LA Detective Mark Fuhrman, Convicted of Perjury in O.J. Simpson Trial, Dies at 74

Mark Fuhrman’s death

Former Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman died on May 12 in Kootenai County, Idaho, at the age of 74, according to chief deputy coroner Lynn Acebedo. Fuhrman had moved to Idaho after retiring from the LAPD following the 1995 acquittal of O.J. Simpson.

Fuhrman was among the first detectives dispatched to the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. He testified that he found a bloody glove at Simpson’s home, a detail that became a focal point of the trial. However, his credibility was severely damaged when the defense presented a recording showing he had repeatedly used anti‑Black slurs, contradicting his courtroom claim that he had not used such language in the past decade. A jury subsequently found him guilty of perjury, and in 1996 he pleaded no contest to the charge.

After the trial, Fuhrman retired from the LAPD and settled on a 20‑acre farm in Idaho, where he raised chickens, goats, sheep and llamas. He later worked as a television and radio commentator and authored the book Murder in Brentwood about the case.

Alan Dershowitz, who served as a legal strategist on Simpson’s defense “Dream Team,” said Fuhrman was “a very, very aggressive detective” and that his use of the “n‑word” ultimately helped the defense. “He’s very smart, and you know, a very, very aggressive detective. Ultimately his actions helped us win the O.J. case because of his use of the ‘n’ word,” Dershowitz told reporters.

Kato Kaelin, a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson who testified at the trial, posted on X: “While we were never close personally, our lives were indelibly linked through our roles in the O.J. Simpson trial over thirty years ago. It was a deeply complex and painful chapter for everyone involved, but any loss of life is a time for reflection and solemnity.” He expressed condolences to Fuhrman’s loved ones.

Fuhrman’s death revives debate over his role in a trial that continues to influence public discussions about police bias, perjury, and the limits of criminal‑justice investigations.