Mark Fuhrman died on May 12, 2026, in Kootenai County, Idaho, at the age of 74, following a battle with throat cancer.
His death closes a long chapter on one of the most controversial figures in modern legal history. During the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial, Fuhrman went from being a star witness for the prosecution—having discovered the infamous bloody glove at Simpson’s estate—to the defense’s primary target.
His credibility completely collapsed when the defense introduced audio tapes of him frequently using racial slurs, directly contradicting his testimony under oath that he hadn’t used the “n-word” in the previous decade. The revelation allowed Simpson’s defense team to argue that evidence had been planted due to racial bias, which heavily contributed to the jury’s decision to acquit Simpson.
Following the trial, Fuhrman:
- Pleaded no contest to felony perjury in 1996 for lying on the stand, making him the only person criminally convicted as a result of the Simpson trial.
- Apologized publicly for his use of racist language in later interviews, though he always maintained that he never planted or fabricated evidence.
- Authored several true-crime books, including Murder in Brentwood, and worked for years as a radio host and conservative television commentator.
Regardless – OJ did it.