O.J. Simpson Taking a Paternity Test For Khloe Kardashian?
10News reporter Jim Matheny has more on how an infamous car will make its way to East Tennessee. (6/16/16)
Jim Matheny, WBIR7:03 PM. EST June 16, 2016
The white Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on June 17, 1994. (Photo: NBC)
PIGEON FORGE - One of the most famous, and infamous, vehicles in United States history will soon have a designated long-term parking spot in Pigeon Forge.
Millions of Americans can tell you exactly where they were on June 17, 1994, by merely stating the vehicle"s color, make, and model: white Ford Bronco.
Friday marks 22 years since Al Cowlings drove the vehicle slowly along the interstate in California while his best friend, O.J. Simpson, reportedly contemplated suicide as dozens of law enforcement vehicles trailed a safe distance behind the white Ford Bronco.
Police slowly follow a safe distance behind the white Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on June 17, 1994. (Photo: NBC)
"You"ve got to tell the police to back off, he"s still alive, but he"s got a gun to his head," said Cowlings to a 911 dispatcher while continuing to drive.
The nation watched the slow-speed pursuit on live television as it continued for two hours and 60 miles before Simpson peacefully surrendered and was arrested on double-murder charges for the deaths of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
"I can tell you exactly where I was. I was in Orlando watching the chase at a bar and restaurant with a group of friends," said JanineVaccarello, chief operating officer of the Alcatraz East Crime Museum set to open this fall in Pigeon Forge. "I have not seen the Bronco yet, but I will very soon. It is really exciting that we"ll be able to have the Bronco on display at the museum. The O.J. chase in the white Ford Bronco is on lists with events like The Challenger [shuttle disaster] in terms of people being able to recall where they were when it happened."
Vaccarellosaid the museum will lease the vehicle from O.J. Simpson"s former agent Mike Gilbert. Gilbert is one of three people who co-own the white Ford Bronco after buying it from Cowlings in the1990s.
View of the white Ford Bronco through the sideview mirror of a vehicle in front of the slow-speed pursuit on June 17, 1994. (Photo: NBC)
If construction goes as planned,Vaccarellois hopeful the museum can open by the end of November 2016 at The Island commercial development in Pigeon Forge. As its name implies, the outer facade of the building will resemble the architecture of the famous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco. Inside Alcatraz East, the museum will tell the tales of crimes and investigations throughout U.S. history.
"I always say it"s America"s favorite subject. Most movies and most TV shows touch upon crime," saidVaccarello. "We"ll have artifacts from Al Capone, John Dillinger, and the car used in the Bonnie and Clyde movie. We also focus heavily on law enforcement, forensics, and crime fighting through the years."
Along with the white Ford Bronco, other O.J. Simpson items have been purchased.
"We have the Hertz golf set that was given to O.J. [by the rental car company]. As most people know, he was a spokesperson for Hertz," saidVaccarello.
Artist drawing of the upcoming Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. (Photo: NBC)
Prosecutors, and even the title of a book written by Gilbert, claim Simpson got away with murder. His trial and acquittal put a national spotlight on forensics, changing how investigators and prosecutors collect and present scientific evidence.
"The L.A. Police Department changed a lot of their ways after that case. There was a public fascination with forensics after the O.J. trial. It really was a big part of history, not just because he was a famous football player."
The fascination with the O.J. Simpson case continues long after a verdict was delivered. This year several mini-series and documentaries on Simpson have garnered great ratings for television networks.
The popularity of Simpson topics this many years after-the-fact trial is also interesting considering the appeal to younger people.
O.J. Simpson leaves the LAPD after being questioned on June 13, 1994. (Photo: NBC)
For those who are old enough to remember the police pursuing O.J. Simpsons white Ford Bronco, consider this for a make you feel old moment: Most college seniors were not born when the chase took place June 17, 1994. A scan of the roster for the University of Tennessee football team shows there are only six players who were born before the chase. All of those players are 5th-year redshirt Seniors.
( 2016 WBIR)
Source: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/infamous-oj-simpson-case-white-ford-bronco-bound-for-pigeon-forge-museum/246312115
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