One of the most infamous public figures in America will soon be a free man once again.
O.J. Simpson was granted parole moments ago after delivering a rambling account of his crimes and his time behind bars to a committee of prison officials.
Simpson has served nine years behind bars on armed robbery charges stemming from a 2007 arrest in Las Vegas.
Simpson told the parole board that he had no intention of committing a crime on the day in question, but was simply trying to retrieve items that he believed had been stolen from him.
He maintained that it was only by sheer coincidence that he and the victim wound up in the same city on the same day.
“As a perfect storm we all ended up in Las Vegas, you know?” Simpson said with a laugh.
“I was there for a wedding and [was told that] the property was there.”
Simpson often contradicted himself during his testimony, offering excuses and justifications for his actions one moment, then telling the parole board that he takes “full responsibility” for his crimes the next.
“When I came into the [hotel] room I noticed spread out everywhere was my personal property,” said in his account of the robbery.
“The only thing I saw that was on display that wasn’t mine was some baseballs, and I made it clear to everybody those are not mine. All I want is my property. … I wasn’t there to steal from anybody.”
In response to allegations that he pointed a gun at the robbery victim, Simpson stated, “I would never, ever pull a weapon.”
Bizarrely, Simpson told the board that he’s lived a “conflict-free life” and that his primary regrets are being unfaithful to his wife and turning his back on his religious beliefs.
“I had some problems with fidelity in my life, but I’ve always been a guy that pretty much got along with everybody,” Simpson said.
“I was always a good guy, but could have been a better Christian, and my commitment to change is to be a better Christian.”
Over the course of the past year, there’s been a sudden resurgence in the public’s interest in Simpson’s life and crimes, in part due to a popular FX miniseries about his murder trial and an award winning biographical documentary.
While there were some concerns that Simpson’s parole might be in jeopardy due to recent behavior behind bars, but most legal experts who speculated on the matter predicted that Simpson would be deemed eligible for parole.
Simpson was convicted of armed robbery 13 years to the day that he was acquitted of the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
The former NFL running back, sports commentator, and movie star may be released from prison as early as October 1.
