O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders

One of ’s friends still thinks he’s innocent of the 1994 murders of his former wife and her friend .

“I never believed he was involved. Never, ever believed he was involved in the killing of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman,” exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, April 11, one day after Simpson died at age 76 following a battle with cancer. “I once brought it up and he had tears in his eyes. … I knew in my heart that he has nothing to do with it. … I just know.”

Ehrlich was part of a group of men led by Simpson who entered a Las Vegas hotel room in September 2007 and took sports memorabilia from sports dealer at gunpoint. Simpson was subsequently charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. He was convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2008 and released from prison in 2017.

Ehrlich’s charges were reduced to attempted accessory to robbery and attempted burglary after he agreed to testify against Simpson in the trial, and he was sentenced to probation.

Related: O.J. Simpson Through The Years: His Life and ControversiesO.J. Simpson originally rose to fame as a football standout. After winning the 1968 Heisman Trophy at the University of Southern California, he was selected by the Buffalo Bills as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 draft. Simpson retired from the NFL in 1979 after playing 11 seasons, pivoting his career to take […] Nicole Brown and O.J. Simpson in 1984. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Ehrlich noted that he had previously been “very close to [O.J.] and his family” and “spent Christmases” and holidays at his home, but that changed.

“After the Las Vegas situation I was not in contact with [O.J.],” Ehrlich told Us. “I never had ill feelings toward him. Time passed and it is what it is and life goes on, what are you going to say? I know he didn’t want me to be in a bad situation when we went to the hotel room. He knew I didn’t know that they brought weapons. It was a debacle. Unfortunately, it happened the way it happened. Even though things went bad for me and him I never had ill feelings toward him.”

Although Simpson was found liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman and battery against Brown in February 1997 — he was infamously acquitted of the crimes during his criminal trial in 1995 — Ehrlich doesn’t think Simpson was violent or capable of murder.

Related: O.J. Simpson's Murder Trial Key Players: Where Are They Now?MYUNG J. CHUN-/POOL/AFP via Getty Images NFL star O.J. Simpson was infamously acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman following a high-profile trial in the ‘90s. The legal battle was one of the most notorious criminal trials in American history, and a defining moment of the 1990s. Brown Simpson […]

“I never saw him angry and I never saw him yell or be inappropriate or in any way being an angry individual. And in his home he has pictures of his wife Nicole all over his house,” Ehrlich said. “Someone who could do something so terrible and horrific would not want to remember his wife. He had pictures everywhere of her with him and her and the kids. He would mention her to me, how much he loved her, so the media outlets can say what they want. I wasn’t there, I don’t know, but knowing him the way I did, no way. There are murderers [still] out there.”

Simpson was an immediate person of interest in the 1994 murders after he pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge against Brown in 1989. He was fined and placed on probation.

Ronald Goldman Lee Celano/WireImage

Simpson and Brown shared daughter Sydney, now 38, and Justin, now 35. Simpson also shared three children with his first wife, : daughter Arnelle, 55, son Jason, 53, and daughter Aaren, who died one month shy of her 2nd birthday in 1979 after drowning in the family’s swimming pool.

Related: O.J. Simpson's Family Guide: All About His 5 Kids, Former SpousesThe late O.J. Simpson was father of five children, whom he shared with his two former spouses. The former athlete tied the knot with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, in 1967. Prior to their 1979 split, the pair welcomed three kids together: Arnelle, Jason and Aaren. Simpson went on to wed Nicole Brown Simpson in […]

Simpson’s family announced his death in a statement shared via X on Thursday.

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“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” the statement read. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”

Goldman’s father, , reacted to the news in a statement shared with Us.

“The only thing I have to say that today is a further reminder of how long Ron has been gone and how long we have missed him,” Fred said. “The only thing that is truly important today are the victims.”

In this articleOJ Simpson

O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders

O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders

O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders

O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders

O.J. Simpson's Close Friend Still Thinks He's Innocent of 1994 Murders