Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 9, 1994 TAG: 9407120035
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After six days of testimony, Municipal Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell ordered Simpson held without bail and set arraignment for July 22.
Simpson, who turns 47 today, stared ahead as the judge announced her ruling. Members of Nicole Simpson's family cried as they left the courtroom.
Kennedy-Powell noted that the prosecution only had to show probable cause for Simpson to answer to the charges, not guilt beyond a reasonable doubt - the standard they will be held to at trial.
District Attorney Gil Garcetti said after the ruling that prosecutors had not decided whether to seek the death penalty, and acknowledged it will be hard to find an impartial jury.
``Be honest about it. We know there is sympathy out there. People do not want to believe this is possible,'' Garcetti said.
The judge's decision capped an emotion-packed day during which Simpson wept as a coroner described how his ex-wife's throat was slashed to her spine. The prosecution also presented evidence placing Simpson's blood type at the murder scene.
In final arguments, defense attorney Robert Shapiro had urged the judge to dismiss the case, contending it was based on weak, circumstantial evidence. The defense declined to put on its own case.
Deputy District Attorney Marcia Clark said the ``physical evidence case'' had everything from blood drops to a pair of bloody gloves linking Simpson to the murders.
Earlier, Deputy Medical Examiner Irwin Golden used drawings of bodies with vivid red slash marks to show a hushed courtroom how ``gaping'' knife wounds killed Simpson, 35, and Ronald Goldman, 25.
Golden's diagrams and testimony showed Goldman was slashed repeatedly in the head and body in an apparent struggle with his attacker. Goldman's sister and stepmother cried quietly and held hands. His father left before the testimony.
Golden, who conducted the autopsies, said a knife similar to one Simpson allegedly bought in May could have inflicted the wounds, but added he needed to do more extensive tests before making a positive finding. Under cross-examination, he also said two weapons could have been used, including a single-edged knife and a double-edged knife.
In less dramatic but potentially more incriminating testimony, a police blood expert said Simpson's blood type matched drops found alongside bloody shoeprints leaving the murder scene.
Gregory Matheson said three tests on blood samples excluded Goldman and Nicole Simpson as the source of the blood spots, and that only 0.43 percent of the population could have left that blood drop.
An investigator has theorized that the attacker suffered a cut during the attacks and bled from the left side. Simpson was found to have a cut on his left middle finger.
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