Revelations from the men inside that tiny room with him. Room 1203 is a room youll never forget, right . Never forget that room. He said, can you get some heat . Meaning a gun. And a rare look at simpsons life in lockup. Claims from his former guard. He has a shrine to nicole. Thats the first thing he sees when he wakes up. Now his fate is in the hands of four strangers. But in the minds of many, will he be paying for one night in las vegas, or that night in los angeles . I think theres about a 52 chance that hell get parole. But if he werent o. J. Simpson, id say it would be 92. O. J. , his last play. Good evening. Im Elizabeth Vargas. And im david muir. Right here tonight, o. J. Simpson is sitting in a cell, getting into shape for what could be a walk out of prison. After nine years in prison, and the las vegas robbery has its roots in the infamous civil trial in los angeles. Tonight, 20 20, connecting all the dots. The rare interviews with the men, and what o. J. Simpson was after that night in las vegas. And what are the chances hes about to go free . Heres deborah roberts. Reporter there he is, 61yearold o. J. Simpson in a las vegas courtroom. In 2008, when a lifetime of good fortune runs dry. I thought i was confronting friends and retrieving my property. I didnt mean to steal anything from anybody and i didnt know i was doing anything illegal. So im sorry, im sorry for all of it. Reporter convicted of Armed Robbery and kidnapping after that bungled memorabilia heist in a hotel room. I was heartbroken by it. O. J. , what were you thinking . What were you thinking . All rise. Reporter walloped with a sentence that could amount to life behind bars, up to 33 years in a nevada prison. The judge saying the sentence fits this crime. Im not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else. I want that to be perfectly clear to everyone. Reporter but former simpson manager norman pardo says many see the stiff penalty less as justice, than as just desserts. I mean she made it sure, that judge did, that it was going to be a show. That this was done for a reason, mr. Simpson. This was done to show you, we can do what we want, you are guilty. Maybe not of stealing a bunch of footballs. But youre going to be guilty of murder, and we are putting yter road to that low rent las vegas caper begins nearly a dozen years earlier with one of the most controversial acquittals in history. Not guilty of murdering his exwife Nicole Brown Simpson and ron goldman in june of 1994. The white bronco, leading to the trial of the century and a cavalcade of the suddenly famous. Judge ito, marcia clark, christopher darden, kato kaelin. Cochran, kardashian, shapiro, and f. Lee bailey, the dream team. And that phrase that helped set him free. If it doesnt fit, you must acquit. We find the defendant not guilty. Reporter that not guilty verdict keeps him out of prison, but simpson soon finds himself snubbed by his old upper crust golfing buddies and scorned by many adoring fans who embraced him before the killings. We actually believed that if hes found not guilty, we all go back to our lives and we just move on. He thought hed walk right back into it. I think the vast majority of the people in brentwood thought he was guilty, and it became very uncomfortable for him to be here. Reporter rejected by much of white america, simpson turns to the black community, showing up at church services. Like this appearance at scripture cathedral in washington, d. C. , a year after the trial. As my mother told me the truth will set you free, and it did. Reporter simpson grants his first posttrial interview to ed gordon on b. E. T. Why dont you sell the brentwood estate, go away for a little while. Go where . Where, do they want me to go to africa . Is that what some of those people would want . Go where . I live in l. A. This was right after the trial . Yes, this was at his 50th birthday party. Reporter walter alexander, a minister now, was in real estate when he met simpson soon after the acquittal, inviting him to join his regular golf game. I was the person who introduced him to the black golfing community. Hollywood had pretty much turned their back on him and they didnt want him at the country club anymore. Reporter c. J. Stewart says he began golfing with simpson in 2004. Did you have any view about his guilt or innocence . Im being totally honest with you. I didnt care. I really wasnt concerned. Reporter but simpson also begins to attracting the kind of friends you dont meet on the golf course. A different o. J. Came out of that trial. The first o. J. Was a Heisman Trophy winner, the runner, the actor. And then after the trial, became the more godfather figure, and there was more of the bad guys coming up to him because they want to hang with the ultimate bad guy. Reporter the victims families sue. And the civil trial, a year after the criminal case, goes very differently. No cameras in court and simpson is forced to testify. And that changed everything. Did you ever physically hurt her . Yes. Did you ever bruise her . Yes. Reporter once o. J. Simpson had to testify himself, and his story completely fell apart, it was a totally different game. A very brief interruption, everybody. In case you havent heard the news until now, there has been a verdict in the o. J. Simpson civil trial in california. Reporter this time the jury finds simpson liable, awarding a wrongful death judgment of a whopping 33. 5 million. Todays 2 1 2 years, a little over 2 1 2 years and we finally have justice for ron and nicole. Reporter Elizabeth Vargas spoke with fred goldman. Is it justice . Not the justice i would like. But its a way of getting some justice. Reporter although simpson has always denied any involvement in the murders. His career, all those lucrative gigs. Tv pitchman. Hertz, the superstar in car rental. Reporter movie roles. That had all cratered after the first trial. And now the goldmans begin squeezing the juice. In santa monica today the judge in the o. J. Simpson trial he will order mr. Simpson to turn over more than 100 of his belongings to the court including his Heisman Trophy, and his golf clubs. Reporter the sheriff sends moving trucks to simpsons mansion, but the former running back and his supporters are ahead of them. The Sheriffs Department ese two giant moving trucks. So we knew the day before that they were coming to seize these various items. There was quite a few people, his family and friends, moving stuff out and taking it up to different homes. O. J. Was out playing golf. Deniability. I left. I had his collectibles, personal items, tiffany lamps, a carpet. Reporter mike gilbert also took things for himself, under an arrangement he says he had with simpson to accept memorabilia in lieu of payment. Although some things, he says, no one had a right to take. It bothered me when they started taking things that i didnt think was just. O. J. , my congratulations of all of us for your impeccable character. Thank you, mr. Cosell. Thank you, mrs. Simpson. Thank you. How do you take away his heisman . Reporter that trophy is sold at auction for a quarter million dollars. But other memorabilia will make its way to hotel room in las vegas, where the cops and some might say karma are about to catch up with o. J. Simpson. People have always said to us, you know, karma will get him in the end. Our effort of constantly going after him maybe pushed him, even only this much into committing Armed Robbery. Aint that wonderful . I will nevi will neverair again. Never wash my hair again now, i fuel it new pantene. 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I should take a closer look at geico. dog panting geico has a 97 Customer Satisfaction rating and fast and friendly claims service. Speaking of service . Oooo, just out. It was in. Out. In out. In what about now . That was our only shuttlecock. Take a closer look at geico. Great savings. And a whole lot more. 20 20 continues with o. J. his last play. Reporter neon signs, slots, show girls, and celine. Welcome to sin city. Its september 13th, 2007, and o. J. Simpson, now a sullied celebrity, is back on the las vegas strip. Not headed to the clubs, but rather the chapel. Hes the best man at his friend tom scottos wedding. He was more excited for me to get married than i was. My wedding was a fourday event. We had parties every night. Reporter but thats not the only reason simpsons excited. Hes gets a tip that some of his lost and valuable personal memorabilia will also be in las vegas. I got a call, it was al beardsley. Hes a 66, 300pound, o. J. Fanatic. Saying, i have all the stuff from o. J. s trophy room. He didnt pay his bills, his agent stole them. Reporter he tries to authenticate the items. As simpson will later learn, riccio likes to covertly record conversations. Between you and i, this is stuff o. J. Personally loves. Called o. J. , o. J. Said, look tom, this is not memorabilia. These are personal artifacts that were stolen from me. Reporter simpsons staying here at the palms resort and poolside, he huddles up with riccio and some other buddies and strategizes a major play to score back some of his stuff. He says to me, i need someone that i could trust to go up there or go and see what it is. Reporter meet charlie ehrlich, a Miami Strip Club promoter and part of simpsons new pack of friends. Ehrlich says simpson asks him to pose as a buyer. I said, o. J. , listen. For you, im going to do this. Reporter he leaves and later upstairs in Simpsons Hotel room, the planning continues. And so does riccios recording. Listen as the juice gets in game mode. Can you lower the tv a little bit . Its 3 30 already. So were talking about 6 00. Reporter by now, someone else has joined this company of conspirators, simpsons old golfing buddy, walter alexander. What was the plan . What did o. J. Say he wanted to do . He approached me about it he was like, hey, man will you watch my back . So i said yes. And then after i said yes, he leaned in a little closer and he said, by the way, can you get some heat . Reporter meaning a gun. Meaning a gun. And when he said that i hesitated. Reporter alexander may have hesitated, but someone else soon steps up. He runs a Security Company and has a conceal carry permit. His name . Michael mcclinton, a simpson pal from the Vegas Night Club scene. He asked me, would you go with me to be my security . Sure, ill go with you. Little did i know that it was going to turn into what it did. After he did that i look at o. J. And i say, so, o. J. You know, what if they call the police . And he looked at me and he used a fourletter word that starts with f and ends with k, the police. What they going to do, take me to jail for taking my own stuff . Reporter the stage is set, and simpsons motley crew is now four deep. Riccio, the gobetween, heads north to the Palace Station hotel to link with the memorabilia dealers. Watch, as they bring in the haul. We took the memorabilia down to the room, set it all up for this supposed buyer that was coming in. Reporter what you will see next is like a reallife version of oceans eleven, captured by the constellation of cameras dotting the hotel ceiling. A halfhour later, simpson and the others hit the road. Hes now recruited two other guys, including c. J. Stewart. He gets in the car and he says what . Man, i got 15 minutes to get there. You dont even have to get out the vehicle, just please dont leave me there. And i look around, i got two other guys in, in the vehicle with him. Reporter that would be ehrlich and another man. The pretend buyers head in first. Youre watching ehrlich on the casino floor, making a phone call to find out the room number. Two seconds later, i look down the hallway, i see o. J. , this guy clarence stewart, these two black guys, who looked like they were out of miami vice. Slicked back hair, versace glasses, suits. I go, who the [ bleep ] are these guys . Excuse my french. Im like, oh, boy. This is this is a typical o. J. Move. Reporter he takes me back to that lobby at the Palace Station hotel, which is currently undergoing significant renovation. So you come in here, you gather with all of these guys in whos whos sort of in charge of the plan . Mr. Simpson is in charge. Reporter what did he say . Well, he said that we got to wait for some guys to come from down this way. Reporter then for the first time everyone comes together. No one knew anybody. It was like going to the gunfight at the o. K. Corral. Reporter or in room 1203. Remember, mcclinton and alexander are each armed with a pistol. When we got to the door, mr. Simpson asked me to show my gun and look menacing. We all barged into the room. The guys in the room were shocked to see mr. Simpson. This guy had a face on that was just, a rage. I seen this guy getting ready to go up under the mattress. First thing went to my mind, it was a firearm. So pinned him back against the wall and said, no, dont do that. Whats going on here . Next thing, simpson, you could hear his voice coming in. Think you can steal my [ bleep ] and sell it . Reporter this is actual audio of simpson inside that room. Secretly recorded by riccio, it would be critical later in the courtroom. It was stated that i pointed the gun and i can tell you now, being honest as possible, i never pointed that gun at anybody. I did take my gun out for one, like, a split second and when i realized that the room was safe i just put it back in. Reporter did you think at that moment that that was a mistake . The minute i pulled the gun out, im like, man, this is a robbery. You know, this is going to be on national news. You are going to jail for this. Reporter nine hulking men, crammed in a small room, that barely holds a bed and a bureau. So o. J. Says, pack up the stuff. Pack up all the stuff and lets get out of here. Reporter they grab everything in sight, autographed footballs, o. J. s plaques, joe montana lithographs, baseballs signed by pete rose. And even neckties, and stuff them in pillowcases from the bed. He looked like santa claus. Walking out of the room. Reporter only thing left behind, this box and a phone book. Nothing was safe from pilfering. I actually went and snatched the cord of the phone out of the wall and i took bruces cell phone. Reporter why did you take his cell phone . Because i didnt want him to call the police. Reporter so you leave the room. Yes. Reporter what are you thinking at that point . 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Whats your body of proof . Be a powerful force. Nature valley reporter its a thursday night in las vegas, football legend o. J. The juice simpson is out celebrating over sushi and sake at the little buddha restaurant. He just made what could be his biggest score since his playing days, taking back memorabilia he believes is his. We all met at the palms and had sushi and o. J. Was there laughing and he just thought it was the funniest thing. Reporter listen to this audio of simpson that night, joking about the robbery. It was a strong arm robbery. They came in with guns. Reporter it seems there is no unrecorded moment in this caper. Yet another accomplice, michael mcclinton, secretly taping simpson because he says he doesnt trust him. At that time, i knew he was full of [ bleep ]. And i thought something was going to go down. The last thing i want is at 4 00, them [ bleep ] coming in here and arresting me. Reporter but o. J. Simpson is about to become the butt of his own joke because unbeknownst to him, the memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley has already called the cops. 911 emergency. We were just robbed at gunpoint by o. J. Simpson. Can you send police here please . Where are you . The Palace Station hotel in las vegas. We were just robbed by o. J. Simpson and four other black men at gunpoint. I need to know who were looking for. Four black men and o. J. Simpson is not enough. Im going to need to know what they were wearing. Reporter frustrated by the 911 operator, the dealers then try to report simpson in the lobby as seen here on hotel surveillance cameras. I went up to the front desk and i said, i need security. I was just robbed by o. J. Simpson, and they started laughing. Reporter Police Arrive 15 minutes later. The cops showed up, and they were really lax about it. They were like, so you were robbed. O. J. Simpson. Who else was here, al cowlings . Reporter and all that time o. J. Is thinking, no big deal. O. J. Is drunk, okay. O. J. Was inebriated. He was definitely drunk. And it was all funny to him. He just kept saying, no guns. Just say there wasnt guns. Reporter a line simpson would repeat to police who find and question him the next day, but hes not arrested and dons his tux for the wedding. Remember, he is best man for his friend tom scotto. The wedding day went perfect. O. J. Was in great spirits, in a positive mood. Reporter but simpsons wide smile will soon fade. Boom, right after the wedding, they pick him up, they lock him up. Reporter he and his buddies are about to get busted. And you knew what was happening. I knew it was going down. Reporter Police Search alexanders bag, not for a stolen football, but rather the identifying suit he was wearing. Why . They need to match his outfit to the surveillance tape. When you go to the casino youre filmed from the minute you go in the door. There was a recording of the entire caper. Reporter did it not occur to you all that there is a camera here, cameras here, cameras all over the place . That wasnt on my mind and im sure it wasnt on the other guys minds either. Reporter and soon it was headline news. Deja vu all over again, o. J. Simpson in handcuffs. And soon back in familiar territory. A courtroom. Conspiracy to commit kidn kidnapping, a felony offense. Reporter in the gallery, some familiar faces, the Goldman Family. You cant write a better story. Reporter simpson and his five pals, all under arrest and facing stiff charges. They begin to roll over on the football great, striking a plea deal for lesser charges and no jail time in exchange for testifying against their buddy o. J simpson. Im not going to prison for him, because i know he wouldnt go for me. Reporter but the star witness is tom riccio, the man who arranged the meeting between simpson and the dealers. Hes granted immunity. Remember, he secretly recorded the confrontation in room 1203, listen as its played in court. You tried to take my [ bleep ] shirt. Bag this [ bleep ] up. O. J. Got duped by tom riccio. He set o. J. Simpson up. Oh, yeah, tom riccio is a rat. Name the person i ratted on. Riccio says that it was o. J. Simpson who was giving the orders in the room. Maybe i did. All right, so im a rat. Reporter following a twoweek trial, 13 years to the day of this infamous moment, o. J. Simpsons fate is once again in the hands of a jury. The 61yearold found guilty on all 12 counts. Friend c. J. Stewart, the only one not to have cut a deal, also found guilty of Armed Robbery. When you heard those words and youre standing there in that courtroom i froze up. I asked for this. I left myself open. I wasnt no victim. I allowed myself to get caught up. Reporter you were beating yourself up at that moment. Im sorry. Reporter thats all right. Take your time. Its okay. I just wanted my personal things and i realize i was stupid. I didnt mean to hurt anyone and i didnt mean to steal from anyone. Thank you. All right mr. Simpson, im going to sentence you as follows. Count one. Reporter and then that stiff sentence up to 33 years in prison. Im not here to sentence mr. Simpson for what happened in his life previously in the criminal justice system. The judge wanted a verdict to parallel the the day of the o. J. Simpson trial, i maintain that 33year sentence echoed the 33. 5 million that was imposed in the civil case. That, in my mind, was not a coincidence. Its kinf of a bittersweet moment knowing that s. O. B. Is going to be in jail where he belongs. Reporter the onetime poster boy, now posing for a different kind of closeup. O. J. Went from a castle to a cage. Reporter next, whats life like for o. J. Simpson, behind bars after nine years. On his shelf next to his bed he has a shrine to nicole. Reporter inside the juices prison cell. Stay with us. Mmm. Thats some really good chicken. I dont think ive ever tasted chicken like this. What . Here come the accents. Blueberries and pumpkin. Wow. That was my favorite bite so far. Not even kidding. I mean that was. Oh spinach mmm. Thats like three super foods. Pretty, uh, well. Super. Now i got kind of a pumpkin, chicken thing going on. Whoop time to wrestle. avo new beneful grain free. Out with the grain, in with the farmraised chicken. Healthful. Flavorful. Beneful. My doctor recommended i switch laxatives. Stimulant laxatives make your body go by forcefully stimulating the nerves in your colon. Miralax is different. It works with the water in your body to hydrate and soften. Unblocking your system naturally. Miralax. Im going to take they sky jet. Hey katy, im going to go ahead and invade your personal space to run some things by you. Its going to look like im listening but im actually just paying attention to nugget. Cool. Ill pretend youre answering the questions i have. Ill scroll through my feed and avoid making eye contact. Im just going to keep hovering. Wouldnt it be great if everyone said what they meant . Hovering away. Boo boo boo [making noise at nugget] the citi® double cash card does. Only citi lets you earn 1 cash back when you buy, and 1 as you pay. The citi® double cash card. Double means double. 20 20 wont continues with o. J. his last play. Reporter far from the limelight of los angeles and las vegas, 90 miles from reno, nevada, is the rural city of lovelock, just two square miles, population, 2,000. Youre really essentially in the middle of nowhere. A smattering of casinos there. Cow pastures. Reporter Lovelock Correctional Center, a medium security prison almost the size of the city itself. 1,700 inmates, including prisoner number 1027820. I think hes probably the most famous inmate in the United States at this time. We just see him as inmate simpson, just like any other inmate. Reporter when he first arrived in 2008, he got a greeting from an unlikely pen pal. You wrote him a card in prison. What did it say . Welcome to your new digs, signed, the Goldman Family. Reporter simpsons friend of 20 years, dr. Henry johnson, has visited him throughout his confinement. How would you describe his fall from grace . O. J. Simpson being in that prison, coming from an 8,000squarefoot mansion on top of rockingham. Thats a very humiliating place to be. Reporter his cell, like this one at lovelock, is 90 square feet, with the standard issue bunk bed, toilet, sink, and 13inch tv. Two people live in a cell. You have a little desk area, some shelves. Some of them have hot plates. His first years at lovelock were really difficult. He kept to himself. He didnt really socialize. But after a while, he kind of acclimated to life behind bars. Reporter david ng, a reporter for the l. A. Times, spoke to former inmates about simpsons daily routine. He gets up early in the morning. He likes cold cereal for breakfast. After that, he goes to work. His job is in the prison gym. Reporter simpson describing that work in a 2013 parole hearing. I help supervise the activities in the gym. I start each day disinfecting the workout equipment in the gym, mopping floors. Former inmates who are now outside of lovelock, always noted was how popular o. J. Remains among the prison population. Everybody at the prison wants to talk to o. J. And get some juice time. Reporter Jeffrey Felix, who worked as a correctional officer at lovelock for 20 years, wrote a book called guarding the juice. Felix says simpson was lucky to land at lovelock. Lovelock is like a cruise ship with barb wire. They have pingpong. They have basketball. O. J. Is the softball commissioner of a Lovelock Correctional Center softball league. Reporter he adds that simpsons fame has led to some special treatment. O. J. Simpson, the juice, the Heisman Trophy winner does not wait on line. Hell go to the front of the clinic line, the front of the canteen line, the front of the culinary line. He talks really loud and he talks in the third party. So, like, for example, he would say, hey, the juice is hungry. Lets go to the culinary. Its kind of weird. Reporter the prison says simpson is treated like every other inmate, but felix claims the officers handle him with caution. You just cant put o. J. In handcuffs. You have to have sergeant or above approval to do that. If youre covering an area with a weapon, and theres a fight, the untold rule is, make sure the juice isnt there when you go shoot because if you shoot, you miss and you hit o. J. Simpson, its going to be a very bad day. Reporter as for passing time, felix says for o. J. Its still about sports. O. J. Simpson watches espn 24 hours a day. He read sports magazines. Reporter and he has a notable memento in his cell next to his bed. He has a shrine to nicole. Its a picture of him and nicole, and it sits on his shelf. So when o. J. Rolls over in the morning when he wakes up, thats the first thing he sees. Reporter tell me what that is like, when you walk into that visiting room and he comes out. What happens between the two of you . The show starts. Reporter the show starts . The show starts. O. J. s a showman, even in prison garb. Reporter whats the hardest thing for him . Well, i think the hardest thing is being separated from family and friends. Ive missed my two younger kids, who we worked hard getting through high school, i missed their college graduations. Ive missed my sisters, i should say, funeral. I missed all the birthdays and various things. Reporter even with simpson on the inside, outside fascination remains with programs like espns oscar winning documentary, o. J. made in america. And the fx Emmy Awardwinning series, the people vs. O. J. Simpson. People wanted to know was he watching it, what did he think . Did he like how cuba gooding jr. Portrayed him . He did not have access to watch those shows. Reporter felix says simpsons focus has been one thing, parole. Hes on his best behavior 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hes been there for nine years. Hes never had a writeup. Not getting a writeup in a prison, its kind of like being followed by Highway Patrol for nine years and never getting a citation. Reporter next, simpson at 70. In one week, will he be set free . The bookies, the ones that make bets under the table, have a bet. Will o. J. Simpson get his parole . And he has a big Time Favorite to get his parole. Reporter stay with us. This clean was like pow everything well . My teeth are glowing. They are so white. Step 1 cleans. Step 2 whitens. Crest [hd]. 6x cleaning , 6x whitening a i would switch to crest [hd] over what i was using before. Affordable paper towels that shine as bright as you do. Own your shine™. Sparkle®. Cricket has something epic for you. Our plans start at only 30 month. Weve got more 4g lte coverage than tmobile or sprint. Plus switch now, and get a brand new smartphone for free. Cricket wireless. Something to smile about. New the city mini shadow palette find your city mini state of mind. From maybelline new york. Our purest color pigments curated for city inspired looks. Maybellines new city mini shadows. Make it happen. Maybelline new york. Good morning. Good morning. Mr. Simpson, is there a statement youd like to make today . Yes. Reporter the commissioners weighing whether to parole simpson on five of the 12 charges hes convicted of. Simpson making the case as to why hes a worthy candidate. I am just sorry that i had to send the state of nevada legal system through all of this because i know its not been fun for the people involved. Reporter using a comprehensive review process, the board weighed 11 different criteria like conduct in prison, prior convictions, age, possible Gang Activity or substance abuse. It is going to measure, what is the risk to the community. What is the inmates likelihood to reoffend. I have spoken at length to both of the victims. Theyve apologized. Ive apologized. Reporter and simpson coming through with flying colors. The criteria says hes a low risk parole candidate. It does take a majority of four of the seven commissioners to grant or deny parole. Hes paroled on the five charges. But that doesnt mean simpson is a free man. The remaining charges, involving assault with a deadly weapon, ensure that he stays behind bars for at least another four years. Mr. Simpson was not eligible for release at that time. So hes now coming up for parole release on those counts. Reporter now that day of judgment is here. Next thursday, the parole board reconvenes back in that same hearing room in carson city, nevada. Given the results of the last hearing, simpson would seem a shoein for a full parole. After all, hes the only member of the robbery team to serve serious prison time. The others are all free men. Accomplice michael mcclinton, whos written a book about the case, says it is unfair for simpson to be singled out. Should he be paroled . I think so. I think that hes giving them what they asked. They asked for 9 1 2 on 33. Reporter but of course, none of his accomplices enjoy simpsons notorious reputation. Next weeks hearing will feature a live video feed with a horde of tv crews and reporters present. The parole board knows the world is watching. The questions going to be, can simpson get four to say, im just not going to let the fact that hes almost certainly a murderer impact my decision. Reporter though simpson was acquitted of the murders of br the victims families have made their thoughts on parole well known. What will that picture look like to you . Disgust. Are you tired of fighting this fight . No. You know, if it keeps him in jail. Reporter but by law, the parole board is supposed to ignore the notorious murder case. He wasnt convicted. And so that doesnt count in any way. Reporter but theres also simpsons star status to consider. Attorney bruce zucker, who specializes in parole hearings in california, says boards can be especially wary of cases involving celebrities. The celebrity factor is huge, whether the person is the defendant or the victim. And one of the things that they consider whether they admit it or not is, whats going to happen when this guy gets out and my name is on his walking papers . Reporter take the case of the infamous manson family killing of actress sharon tate. It took more than 40 years for a parole board to sign off on the release of the youngest manson follower, leslie van houten. She was a perfect example of somebody who was very unpopular, obviously. Has been a model inmate. But nobody in the california parole board is excited about signing her parole papers. And in fact, the governor of california has just vetoed it. Reporter youd think simpson might be cut some slack because of his advanced age. After all, he just turned 70. Some might even say hes due for a shawshank redemptionstyle release for the elderly. But again, in the case of simpson, all bets are off. Lets call him john simpson. 70yearold john simpson would almost certainly get parole. But this is o. J. Reporter still, former parole commissioner dorla salling has faith in the process. I know these people and theyll just look at the facts of the case to make the best decision that they can make. Reporter next thursday, simpson will either be granted parole, denied or if the board deadlocks, wait for another hearing next january. In vegas, former prison guard Jeffrey Felix says people are already betting on the outcome. The bookies have a bet. Will o. J. Simpson get his parole and he has a bigTime Favorite to get his parole. I think theres about a 52 chance that he will get parole. But if you werent o. J. Simpson, id say it would be 92 . Reporter next, what will become of simpson if he is released . Could he become a millionaire again . And will he return to his hardpartying lifestyle . After he gets out of prison hes going to go right back to his old ways. Reporter stay with us. Do yno, not really. Head shoulders . I knew that not the one you think you know the tri action formula cleans removing up to 100 of flakes protects and even moisturizes for Sofia Vergara hair with some big news about type 2 diabetes. You have type 2 diabetes, right . Yes. So let me ask you this. How does diabetes affect your heart . It doesnt, does it . Actually, it does. Type 2 diabetes can make you twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular event, like a heart attack or stroke. And with Heart Disease, your risk is even higher. You didnt know that. No. Yeah. 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Tylenol® more kinds of crab than ever, new dishes, and all your favorites. Only while crabfest lasts. Red lobster. Now this is seafood. Reporter before he became prisoner number 1027820, o. J. Simpson was doing this rapping, partying, basking in the glow of recognition and fame but at 70 years old, and with the prospect of returning to society after nine years in prison, will simpson also return to the fast life . Friend tom scotto says no. He wants to be with his kids. He wants to be with his family. And wants to play golf. Its going to be hard for him. Hes had nine years to reflect on the mistakes in his life and lets hope that his final chapter will be a peaceful one. Reporter but trading his prison mop for a 9 iron and the 90squarefoot cell for that sprawling miami mansion he left behind will come with challenges. After two years of an unpaid mortgage, simpson can no longer hang his hat in the 4,200squarefoot florida home. It was sold in foreclosure. You got a 33year sentence. What is he going to do, keep the house for 33 years . No, that wouldnt be a business decision. Reporter and if simpson decides to reenter the workforce, theres that 1997 civil lawsuit where the goldman and brown families were awarded a 33. 5 million judgment. The goldmans, theyre going to be in his head forever, because he cant make a penny without it going right to the Goldman Family to pay off that judgment. Reporter but if simpson gets excon status, chances are he wont be destitute thanks to his generous nfl pension. The goldmans cant get access to it, legally. So he gets that 25,000 a month and the goldmans cant get a penny of it. Reporter the nfl declined to comment on what simpson may receive. And in the blinding light that is o. J. s charm, chances are simpson will continue to be surrounded by adoring fans, just as he was before prison. Some who insist he is not a murderer, others who dont care. Something takes over when youre in his presence. Im 74 years old, but i want to meet o. J. And theres just a sense of wanting to believe him and go to this place where everything is still okay. Ive been waiting to meet you all my life. His friends would call it the o. J. Effect. They would say, yeah, you got o. J. d. Reporter the goldmanes are hoping his bad karma continues. For me, the only thing that would be appropriate is if he was found guilty and put the death. 20 20 reached out to o. J. Simpson about his upcoming parole hearing, but his lawyer told us he had no comment. His earliest release would be october 1st. And his cohorts in the robbery are all writing books about the incident. Thats our program for tonight. Thanks so much for watching. Im Elizabeth Vargas. Im david muir. From all of us here at 20 20 and abc news, thank you for watching. Good night. P. In an instant a life or death moment in oakland. Next, what happens in the next split second on this mom. Where all the walls echo with laughter and every room has its own chapter youve carried on your familys tradition. Let us help you prepare for your familys future. Financial guidance while youre mastering life. From chase. So you can