OJ Simpson 'kept the knife he used to kill his wife Nicole and friend Ron Goldman and is now trying to sell it for $5 MILLION'



OJ Simpson kept the knife he used to kill his ex-wife and friend and is now planning on selling it for $5 million to a wealthy memorabilia collector, according to reports.

Almost 20 years after the brutal murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman in which the murder weapon was never found, claims have emerged that OJ - who is currently serving time for kidnapping and armed robbery - actually stashed the knife.

An insider told the National Enquirer: 'OJ wants the deal to be a well-kept secret. He's looking for a strictly cash deal so that the money can be deposited in offshore accounts and can't be traced directly to him.

Incarcerated: O.J. Simpson was sentenced on 12 charges, including felony kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy related to a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel Open case: After 18 years, the brutal murders of Nicole Brown Simpson (left) and her friend Ron Goldman (right) have not been officially solved Knife: Though the murder weapon was never found, forensic evidence at the trial pointed to the fact it was similar to this one

Because police were not able to find the knife in the 1994 double murder, they could only speculate what it might have been from forensic evidence.

Prosecutors at the trial said it was likely a German stiletto with a bronze heel and a blade that measured more than six inches long. The missing knife was an integral part of OJ's acquittal.



It was long speculated that OJ had dumped it in a trash bin at LAX before getting on a plane, therefore it ended up in a landfill site.

Other theories suggested the former NFL star took it with him to Chicago and disposed of it in a park near his hotel.



According to the National Inquirer's source, OJ will not tell the wealthy collector where it is stashed until the money goes through but did say he initially kept it hidden at his Rockingham Estate and then moved it to Pacific Palisades, California, where he rented a house after he was acquitted.

'They think it's hidden someplace where it's safe and still under his control. OJ said he's reveal the location once a firm deal was reached,' the source said.

Though the former NFL player is not eligible for parole until 2017 and therefore cannot use the money until then, the source said he wants to get one over on the police and Ron Goldman's family - who won a $33.5million settlement after they filed a civil suit against OJ in 1997.



'It’s not just about the money. OJ will get a sick satisfaction from putting one over on the cops and Ron Goldman’s family. He’d love to think he’s outsmarted them.'



Last month, Kato Kaelin, a star witness at the Simpson trial, backtracked on his testimony and said he never confirmed the disgraced former footballer killed his ex-wife.



In a recent interview, Kaelin, who gave evidence for four days in front of millions glued to their TVs, said Simpson was guilty of butchering Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman - but that he was 'too scared' to say so during the 1994 hearing.



Bronco chase: Simpson, in a white Ford Bronco, is pursued by the LAPD shortly after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in the infamous photo Celebration: O.J. Simpson (C) cheers while standing with his attorneys F. Lee Bailey (L) and Johnnie Cochan Jr (R), after hearing the not guilty verdict in his criminal murder trial

However Kato has now flip-flopped on these reported statements and told TMZ: 'I would never say something like this... I have no first hand knowledge.'



He said he was shocked by the alleged interview with the New York Post and that it did not take place.



Kaelin allegedly told the New York Post’s Cindy Adams: 'The statute of limitations has now passed... so I can now say... yes, he did it.'



Asked why he let Simpson get away with it, he said: 'I was too scared. I was terrified.'



The bodies of Brown Simpson and Goldman were found at her home, the victims of a vicious knife attack in front of her Los Angeles condominium.



SIMPSON TRIAL EVIDENCE

GLOVES:

Glove found behind Simpson's house* appeared to contain genetic markers of Simpson and the victims'

A blond hair similar to ex-wife was also found on that glove

Gloves didn't appear to fit Simpson

SOCKS:

Bloody socks* found in Simpson's bedroom found with genetic markers of Simpson and his ex-wife

FOOTPRINTS:

Bloody footprints from bodies found with match between Simpson's genetic markers** and victims'

Prints matched size 12 Bruno Maglis, a relatively rare and expensive Italian-made model

Simpson wears size 12 shoes

No evidence presented that Simpson owned such shoes

HAT :

Hairs found in a dark knit cap were similar to Simpson's

Defense argued hair meant assailant was possibly black, as is roughly 10 per cent of Los Angeles' population

*Defense argued framed by police **DNA evidence found unreliable due to handling in lab

Over the years, Kaelin's claims implied that O.J. Simpson could know more details about the case that have not yet become public.



Simpson starred in dozens of film and TV roles both during and after his NFL career, and was most famous for his three-film stint as Detective Nordberg in the 'Naked Gun' series.



For 17 years, doubt has hung over his innocence despite the acquittal, and a $33.5million civil case later found him liable for her death and the death of Goldman.



The Simpson case recently returned to the headlines when one of the original prosecutors alleged that the lead defense lawyer tampered with a crucial piece of evidence.



Former Los Angeles deputy district attorney Christopher Darden accused the late Johnnie Cochran of 'manipulating' one of the infamous gloves that the prosecution said linked Simpson to the crime.



After Simpson struggled to fit the gloves on his hands - in one of the defining moments of the racially-charged trial that captivated the nation - Cochran famously admonished the jury: 'If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.'



A private investigator blamed OJ's son Jason for the murders in his book 'OJ is Innocent and I Can Prove It,' claims he knows who really killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman in 1994. And it wasn't OJ Simpson.



In a new book, William C. Dear alleges Simpson went on trial, and was acquitted of murder, in an effort to deflect attention from the true killer: His son Jason.

Dear says Simpson was at the crime scene -- but not until after his ex-wife and her friend had been stabbed to death.

During the screening of his film in 2011 he displayed a suspected murder weapon from the night of June 12, 1994 at the DocMiami Film Festival.

Dear says two months before the murders, Jason Simpson assaulted his girlfriend. The chef also deals with 'intermittent rage disorder,' according to the New York Post.



'That person who was wielding and welding that knife, had to know exactly what he was doing and he certainly had to be familiar with a knife. OJ wasn't,' Mr Dear said in his documentary.

Despite these alleged findings, Jason Simpson's DNA and fingerprints were never compared to those found at the crime scene. He was never interviewed by police, either, the Post reports.



No arrests other than Simpson's were made in the murders.

OJ Simpson was the prime suspect for the murders because he helped to cover up his son's crimes and, in effect, allowed himself to take the fall, the book claims.



'The LAPD and the district attorney had made a rush to judgement,' Mr Dear said.

Evidence: Investigator and author William 'Bill' Dear presents a suspected murder weapon from the crime at the DocMiami Film Festival in 2011

Went free: Simpson's acquittal at trial was a controversial issue at the time -- with most of the public believing he was guilty