Episode 77

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Published on:

3rd Nov 2026

Tom Lange — O.J. Simpson's Lead Detective Answers the Accomplice Claim | Part 1

Tom Lange was the lead LAPD homicide detective on the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. His first appearance on Heroes Behind the Badge drew thousands of viewer questions, and he returns to answer them with hosts Dennis Collins, Craig Floyd and Bill Erfurth.

The questions start in the courtroom. Tom has known Judge Lance Ito for years and calls him a good man, but he says allowing cameras into the trial was a mistake: "You're not playing to the jury, you're playing to the camera." He explains why the gloves didn't fit Simpson in front of the jury, why only three people's blood was found across Bundy, the Bronco and Rockingham, why Jason Simpson was never a suspect, and what he took from more than an hour with A.C. Cowlings after the Bronco chase. He also explains why detectives were within the law when they went into Simpson's Rockingham home without a warrant.

Then the news. A New York Times report quoted Sam Ippolito claiming that his brother Joey helped Simpson on the night of the murders. Tom reads the three entries on the LAPD clue list that mention Joey Ippolito, which he says had nothing to do with the murders, and walks through how investigators, with FBI footwear expert Bill Bodziak, ruled out marks that had been cited as a second set of footprints. He also tells how he got Simpson's shoe size from Simpson himself, standing in his closet the day after the murders.

Tom's position is the one he took in 1994: everything pointed in one direction. In a case he says has become entertainment for a new generation, he keeps coming back to the same rule of homicide work. "Evidence is evidence."

Part 2 picks up on the night of the murders: where Tom believes Simpson got rid of the bloody clothes and the knife, and the airport witness who never testified.

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Heroes Behind the Badge
We tell REAL stories about REAL cops.  And we expose the fake news about police and give you the REAL truth.
From the front lines to the final call, Heroes Behind the Badge brings you the untold stories of America's law enforcement community. Led by Craig Floyd, who spent 34 years working alongside police officers across the nation, alongside veteran facilitator Dennis Collins and law enforcement expert Bill Erfurth, this podcast cuts through misconceptions to reveal the true nature of modern policing.

Our dynamic trio brings unique perspectives to each episode: Craig shares deep insights from his decades of experience and relationships within law enforcement, Dennis guides conversations with meticulous research and natural flow, and Bill adds engaging commentary that makes complex law enforcement topics accessible to all listeners.

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