Mark Furhman
| Mark Fuhrman | |
|---|---|
Fuhrman in 2008
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| Born |
February 5, 1952 Eatonville, Washington, U.S. |
| Police career | |
| Current status | Retired |
| Department | Los Angeles Police Department |
| Country | United States |
| Years of service | 1975–1995 |
| Rank |
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| Other work |
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Mark Fuhrman (born February 5, 1952) is a former detective of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He is primarily known for his part in the investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in the O.J. Simpson murder case.
In 1995, Fuhrman was called to testify regarding his discovery of evidence in the Simpson case, including a bloody glove recovered at Simpson's estate. Fuhrman was known to have used a racist epithet toward African-Americans during the early 1980s but claimed on the stand that he had not used that term in the last ten years. Simpson's defense team produced recorded interviews with Fuhrman and witnesses showing that he had repeatedly used racist language during this period. Later (with the jury absent), when asked under oath whether he had planted or manufactured evidence in the case, Fuhrman invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer. According to the defense, this raised the possibility that Fuhrman had planted key evidence as part of a racially motivated plot against Simpson. The audiotape proving that Fuhrman perjured himself—thereby undermining the credibility of the prosecution—has been cited as one reason why Simpson was acquitted.
Fuhrman retired from the LAPD in 1995. In 1996, he pleaded no contest to perjury for his false testimony related to his use of racial epithets, although the charges against him were later expunged. Fuhrman has stated that he is not a racist and apologized for his previous use of racist language. Fuhrman maintains that he did not plant or manufacture evidence in the Simpson case, and Simpson's defense team did not present any evidence to contradict this claim. Fuhrman believes that Simpson is guilty and places blame for his acquittal on the failure of lead detectives to enter evidence into the chain of custody and failure of the prosecution to adequately argue their case.
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