11-month spectacle that pitted o.j. s highly paid all star legal team, johnny cochran and the famous, if it don t fit, you must acquit line, against a floundering team of city prosecutors and a tarnished lapd. happening just two years after the l.a. riots and the acquittal of a group of white officers who were caught on camera beating up rodney king, he made a lasting if not so flattering impact on the city, the legal system and the news business. o.j. simpson dead today at the age of 76. joining us now, nbc news senior investigative legal correspondent cynthia mcfadden. she covered the trial. long time columnist for the los angeles time, pat morrison, she covered l.a. during the time and the civil trial, and cofounder of los angeles news service and one of the journalists who followed the bronco from the sky, marieka, who also happens to be my mom. why does this loom so large? part of it is people who were alive at the time participated. 95 million people watched televisio
it s good to be back with you in this second hour of chris jansing reports. the death of one of the most talked about men in america, o.j. simpson has died at 76 after a battle with cancer. the rise and star of the football star accused and acquitting of murdering his ex-wife and a friend. plus, the mug shot, the chilling image just released of the former virginia assistant principal charged for her lack of action when one of her students shot his first grade teacher. what we know about her unprecedented court hearing. plus, the new rule from the white house. it s aimed at limiting who can legally get guns. and what one key piece of economic data just released tells us about the fight against inflation. our nbc news reporters are following all of the latest developments. we begin with nbc s chloe melas in los angeles on the death of o.j. simpson, what more do we know? reporter: hey there, i got off the phone with keith, he dated nicole brown simpson after his divorce