Unsealed records show a mob-linked informant told prosecutors about O.J. Simpson's missing weapon
The New York Times reported Oct. 18 that court records unsealed at its request show Joseph "Joey" Ippolito gave prosecutors information about the missing murder weapon as Simpson's 1995 trial neared its end. A December 1996 prosecutors' letter seeking leniency said he knew facts including how the weapon was disposed of. The Guardian said the report adds to the case's intrigue. Ippolito died in 2006. His brother told The Times he helped discard a bag with a heavy object hours after the killings. The knife has never been found.
The trial shaped American views on race, policing and celebrity justice for decades. Records showing prosecutors had an informant on the weapon raise questions about what investigators knew and why it never surfaced.
For anyone who followed the case, it is a reminder that sealed files can change long-settled stories. It does not change the 1995 verdict, which cannot be retried.
Some readers see the records as strong new evidence that the weapon was hidden with help from people close to Simpson.
Others caution that the account comes from an informant seeking leniency and from a relative, and that the bag's contents were never established.
Confirmed: the unsealed letter and informant's role. Not confirmed: what was in the bag. Watch for responses from former prosecutors and the Los Angeles Police Department.
DailyDrop U.S. No. 15 · October 19, 2026