Well, he did it: After nine years behind bars, O.J. Simpson, 70, was released from prison early Sunday. Here he goes:
Simpson will be residing near Las Vegas, not too far from where he was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in 2008, when he led a group of men into a casino to steal some sports memorabilia at gunpoint. (He argued the memorabilia belonged to him.) Before he was granted parole in July, he told board members that he personal mementos were being “fenced” in Vegas, and, well, things sort of escalated from there. From ABC News:
“As a perfect storm we all ended up in Las Vegas, you know? I was there for a wedding and [was told that] the property was there.”
He later continued, “I said, ‘Of course I would like to get the property.’ He told me the names of what he thought were the people in the room, and I realized these are friends of mine. You know? Actually guys who helped me move, helped me move and store some of this stuff.”
Simpson explained, “When I came into the [hotel] room I noticed spread out everywhere was my personal property.” “The only thing I saw that was on display that wasn’t mine was some baseballs, and I made it clear to everybody those are not mine. All I want is my property. ... I wasn’t there to steal from anybody.”
“I would never, ever pull a weapon,” he said.
Brooke Keast, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Corrections, told the station that Simpson was “upbeat and happy as he left.”
Prison officials told Simpson, “Don’t come back,” to which Simpson replied, “I don’t have any intent,” Keast said.
Simpson’s parole may keep him trapped in Nevada for now, but it seems certain he’ll be coming to a television near you in three, two, one...