1968-1994
Who Was Ron Goldman?
Ron Goldman spent the early part of his short life in Illinois. He moved to California in the late 1980s after briefly attending Illinois State University. There, Goldman eventually found work as a waiter for Mezzaluna, a restaurant in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood. The 25-year-old was murdered along with friend Nicole Brown Simpson outside of her home on the night of June 12, 1994. Former pro football player and Nicole’s ex-husband O.J. Simpson was charged with the murders, but he was acquitted in a highly publicized trial. Goldman’s family later won a civil suit against Simpson for Ron’s death.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Ronald Lyle Goldman
BORN: July 2, 1968
DIED: June 12, 1994
BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, Illinois
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer
Early Life
Ronald Lyle Goldman was born July 2, 1968, in Chicago. He grew up in nearby Buffalo Grove, a suburb of the Windy City. Goldman and his younger sister, Kim, were raised by their father, Fred Goldman, after their parents divorced in 1974.
Ron went to Twin Groves Junior High School and Adlai Stevenson High School. In high school, he was known as a kind, skinny kid who played soccer and tennis. Goldman graduated in 1986 and briefly went to Illinois State University.
Dropping out after a year of college, Goldman moved to California where his family had relocated. He took on a number of different jobs as he tried to find himself. Goldman worked as a tennis instructor and as a waiter. Committed to his own health and fitness, he frequented the gym and avoided alcohol. Goldman was an occasional nightclub promoter and a onetime model, but he hoped to one day become a restauranteur. He had a vision of using an ankh, an Egyptian symbol of eternal life, as his restaurant’s name.
Untimely Death
While working as a waiter at Mezzaluna, located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, Goldman became friends with Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of football star O.J. Simpson. The pair weren’t close pals, but Brown Simpson did let Goldman try her convertible Ferrari occasionally.
On the night of June 12, 1994, 25-year-old Goldman volunteered to return a pair of glasses that Brown Simpson had left at Mezzaluna earlier that evening. He had plans to meet up with a friend and go out after stopping by her Brentwood condo, but he never made it there.
Goldman and Brown Simpson were killed outside of her home sometime between 10:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. that night. Their bodies were discovered early on the morning of June 13.
Goldman was stabbed numerous times. He was considered to be an innocent bystander who stumbled across the attack on the intended victim, Brown Simpson. Her ex-husband quickly emerged as a suspect in the grisly double homicide and was later criminally charged with both murders.
The Search for Justice
O.J. Simpson was put on trial for Ron’s murder and the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson less than six months after their gruesome deaths. The case, called the “Trial of the Century” by some, stretched on for months. Goldman’s sister, Kim, and stepmother Patti were often present at the proceedings, and his father, Fred, was vocal in the media about the case. Ultimately, the jury found the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee not guilty of the murders in October 1995.
After Simpson’s acquittal, Fred and Kim launched their own legal battle by filing a wrongful death suit against the former football player in civil court. Brown Simpson’s family also joined the legal effort. The civil trial began in October 1996, and this time, the jury deemed Simpson was responsible for Ron’s and Nicole’s death. Along with the February 1997 verdict came $8.5 million in compensatory damages for the Goldmans. An additional $25 million was granted for punitive damages, and that award was split between the two families.
To commemorate Ron, the Goldmans had an unveiling of Ron’s gravestone in June 1995, following Jewish tradition. They also established the Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice.
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