A forthcoming documentary is poised to re-examine the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, presenting a theory that O.J. Simpson may have had a mob-connected accomplice. The allegations center on Joseph "Joey" Ippolito Jr., a restaurateur with alleged ties to organized crime, according to leaked clips from the Peacock production.
Simpson was acquitted of the murders in criminal court in 1995 but was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial. The upcoming documentary, produced by Ample Entertainment, reportedly features interviews with Ippolito's brothers and discusses the possibility of his involvement with Simpson. Ippolito died in 2006.
Charles "Charlie" Ehrlich, a longtime associate of Simpson, is also interviewed in the documentary. In a clip reviewed by the Daily Mail, Ehrlich appears to deny any involvement in the murders. Previously, Ehrlich sued the Miami New Times over a report that he claimed created a false impression of his involvement in the killings. The lawsuit was settled for nearly $100,000 in 2025.
Ehrlich has maintained that he did not believe Simpson was involved in the murders. He was present in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2007 when Simpson was involved in an armed robbery of sports memorabilia, for which Simpson was convicted and served nine years in prison. Ehrlich received probation for lesser charges in that incident.
Connections to A.C. Cowlings
Ippolito's alleged connection to Simpson extends through A.C. Cowlings, a childhood friend and former teammate of Simpson. Cowlings was driving the white Ford Bronco during the infamous low-speed chase with Simpson on June 17, 1994, before Simpson surrendered at his home.
According to Cowlings' attorney in 1994, Ippolito had previously assisted Cowlings with a cocaine habit. Cowlings, in turn, had asked a federal judge to release Ippolito on bail while awaiting trial on drug charges in 1993. Federal prosecutors had claimed Ippolito was a member of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey with connections to New York's Lucchese family.
Reports from the Boston Herald at the time indicated that the FBI and federal prosecutors possessed telephone records showing calls between Ippolito's Santa Monica restaurant and Simpson's Brentwood estate. Ippolito had also walked away from a minimum-security prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, in May 1994, according to the Herald.
Past Theories and Family Skepticism
Rumors of Simpson having accomplices in the murders have circulated for years. During the 1995 criminal trial, Simpson's defense attorney, Johnnie Cochran, proposed a theory that the killings were carried out by drug dealers targeting Faye Resnick, a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson who was struggling with a cocaine addiction.
Simpson himself, in his 2007 book "If I Did It," written with ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves, described a hypothetical scenario of confronting his ex-wife with an accomplice named "Charlie." Fenjves later clarified that this "Charlie" was a fictitious character and not based on Ehrlich.
Despite the new allegations, some family members of the victims remain unconvinced. A sister of Nicole Brown Simpson stated that she has heard "conspiracy theories for years" and dismissed them as "a bunch of BS."
Peacock has not yet announced an official release date for the documentary, but it is anticipated to premiere by the end of 2026. Simpson died in 2024 at the age of 76.