OJ Simpson’s murder trial has been discussed for years and has even been coined the “trial of the century”. Now, arguments have sparked that a knife recently submitted to the LAPD may hold the answer to who the true murderer is.

After standing accused for the slaughtering of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and unfortunate bystander Ronald Goldman, OJ Simpson was acquitted by a jury in 1995 as being innocent, despite the mountains of evidence against him. The verdict caused national outrage, and many still to this day label the former football star guilty.

However, despite the many years that have passed, a knife was recently turned into the Los Angeles police that could finally settle this cause once and for all. This information sparked much discussion as the police began to investigate its contents. Many have concluded that it holds the answer as to who killed those two victims that night in 1994.

During the demolition of OJ Simpson’s former house in Brentwood, California during 1998, a construction worker found a knife he deemed suspicious, and he promptly turned it into the LAPD. Unfortunately, the officer who received it failed to submit it as potential evidence because the Simpson case had been long closed, and the retired officer kept it as a memento for many years.

The evidence was recently turned into the LAPD and is undergoing forensic investigations to determine matches to the DNA found on the potential murder weapon.

However, according to theguardian.com, Lawrence Kobilinsky, professor of forensic sciences at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, cautioned the public, stating that it may be unlikely that they pull concrete evidence from the knife. He stated, “This is 22 years old, and evidence that is 22 years old could be greatly compromised.”

He then went on to tell TMZ, “Soil has a component that decomposes DNA.” But later, Kobilinsky added, “DNA is a very resilient substance.”

CNN.com stated, “Police are examining the knife, including for DNA and hair, but are not releasing further details. Speculation fills the void. From the Simpson trial, the public learned that the weapon used to kill Brown and Goldman was a long, serrated knife. As for the knife currently being examined, police have not said if it is long or serrated. ”

Even if the knife does contain DNA evidence from OJ or either of the victims, it is unlikely he would be convicted. Due to the double jeopardy clause, a second trial could not be held to convict him of the murders even if the evidence does lend to his guilt. In fact, according to theguardian.com, Peter Arenella, a professor of law at UCLA Law School, said that “the only person who might bear criminal liability” based on the potential new evidence is the retired police officer who turned it in.

TMZ reported recently that the knife was a dead end and that no DNA could be obtained from the potential murder weapon. In an article, the news source state, “The microbes in the soil degraded any DNA to the point it was impossible to get a meaningful result.”

Though the LAPD have yet to release their own statement confirming or denying TMZ’s claims, TMZ reports that the investigation into the knife has ended but this has yet to be confirmed by officials.

(photo provided by www.nbclosangeles.com)