Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister, Denise, recently opened up about the painful moment the Brown family found out about Nicole’s infamous murder.
During a recent sit down with PEOPLE, Denise reflected on the painful moment her and Nicole’s mother, Juditha, found out about the June 12, 1994 murder.
“The moment my mom got the phone call, I heard this screaming from my parents’ bedroom,” Denise recalled. “It was gut-wrenching. I had never heard anything like it before.”
Denise then said that she immediately ran into her parent’s room. “I just said, ‘Oh my God.’ My mom was on her knees and she had the phone in her hand. My dad was on his elbow looking at my mom, and she says, ‘Your sister’s dead.’ I said, ‘What?’ I thought it was a prank.”
Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister admitted she honestly thought someone was playing a sick joke on the family. “We had just seen her the night before,” Denise pointed out. “I grabbed the phone, and the detective said, ‘Your sister’s been killed.’ I said, ‘Oh my God, he did it, he finally did it.’”
When revealed who she was referring to, Denise said, “I knew in my heart [it was O.J. Simpson].”
Nicole Brown Simpson Endured Horrific Abuse From O.J. Simpson Before Her Horrific Murder
Nicole and O.J. Simpson married in 1985 and shared two children. They were together for seven years before their divorce in 1992. During their marriage, Simpson increasingly became abusive towards Nicole. Even after they were divorced, Simpson allegedly continued his abusive behavior and even started stalking Nicole.
Hours after the former spouses were spotted at their daughter’s recital, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were discovered dead outside her Brentwood neighborhood condo. Both had multiple stab wounds.
Days later, Simpson was deemed a key suspect in the murders and, instead of surrendering to the police, he participated in the infamous low-speed police chase through Los Angeles.
He eventually surrendered and was charged with murder. After the “Trial of the Century” came to an end, the famous NFL player was acquitted of the murders.
Nicole’s other sister, Tanya admitted she only learned about the extent of Simpson’s abuse during the trial. She recalled taking pictures of Nicole’s face to show in court when Simpson was arrested in 1989 for spousal abuse. Although he pleaded no contest, Nicole ended up dropping the charges.
“I was looking at the pictures, and then I looked at him, and I remember saying, ‘How can you do something like this to someone you love?’” Tanya said.
When asked what Nicole’s life would have been like if the murder never took place, Tanya said her sister would have been excited to be a grandmother. Both her daughter Sydney and son Justin have children of their own.
“She was just so nurturing and endearing, giving little kisses to her babies and playing with them in the water,” Tanya added. “I think she would just be really proud of who they had become.”