Mark Fuhrman: Where is the Ex-LAPD Detective Now?

Mark Fuhrman had already been in the police force for 19 years when he was called in the early morning hours of June 13, 1994, for a double homicide case, unaware it would change his life forever. As explored in Netflix’s ‘American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson,’ he had just arrived home from a long shift when he was asked to reach the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California, only to soon find out the victims were Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald “Ron” Goldman. Little did he know that his past and his work on this case would soon become one of the focal points of this entire case, especially owing to the presence of alleged racist sentiments and the suspect being O.J. Simpson.

Mark Fuhrman Served in the Marines Before Joining the Los Angeles Police Department

On February 5, 1952, Mark was born in Eatonville, Washington, into a supportive family — albeit a bit unstable, considering his parents divorced when he was just seven and his mother soon remarried. Nevertheless, he managed to focus on his studies and growth, leading him to enlist in the Marines at the age of 18, as soon as he had graduated from Peninsula High School. According to records, his true passion was in screenwriting, but he also thrived in the Marines upon being trained as a machine gun specialist and military policeman around the time of the Vietnam War. However, his service during the actual war in itself was rather restricted since he had been assigned to the USS New Orleans, an assault ship stationed offshore in the South China Sea.

Mark’s hard work over the years earned him the title of Sergeant, but he was honorably discharged in 1975, after which he found his way to Los Angeles, California, to start anew. That’s the same year he joined the Los Angeles Police Academy before joining the police force, first as a patrol officer and then gradually climbing up the ladder to become Detective Sergeant. He actually held the latter position when he was called for the double homicide on the fateful 1994 night, but he never could have imagined his past and ensuing steps would then come to haunt him for years.

Mark Fuhrman Had Once Admittedly Expressed Racist Sentiments

It was in 1981 when Mark requested an official leave with compensation despite having been on the job for just six years, expressing that the stress of it and his beliefs were taking a toll on him. In fact, during a psychiatric analysis regarding his claims, he said the alleged insubordination of people of color, whom he described using the “n-word,” had ruined the enjoyment of work for him. His request was granted, but then he attempted to retire from the police force for good with a stress disability pension, which resulted in a lawsuit between him and the City of Los Angeles.

According to court records, in a 1982 interview, Mark claimed he not only tortured suspects to get the job done but also conned internal affairs officials investigating his practices. He also expressed he would be open to breaking a suspect’s arms and legs “if necessary” and that he had already gone as far as to pound their faces to “mush.” In other words, he was open to using excessive force as and when he deemed fit, only to then assert he was afraid he would kill somebody one day if he was allowed to remain an officer. His sentiments on race during this analysis also persisted, reportedly driving several medical professionals to recommend he be removed from the police department permanently and never be allowed to carry a gun.

However, the City of Los Angeles argued that Mark’s statements were merely a ruse to retire with an extensive pension, and in the end, the courts sided with them. Therefore, in 1983, upon also losing an appeal to the Superior Courts, he was asked to return to active duty, which he did. It was not more than two years later that he was dispatched to a domestic violence call between retired NFL football player O. J. Simpson and his then-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, during which the latter refused to press charges. As per Mark’s account, when he arrived at the scene, the once couple was standing on opposite sides of a Mercedes convertible with a smashed windshield, and O.J. was holding a bat. Yet, Nicole made it clear she didn’t want to press charges, so Mark vividly remembers telling her, “It’s your life.”

Mark Fuhrman Uncovered Significant Evidence in the Nicole Brown Simpson-Ron Goldman Murder Case

It was in 1989 that Mark was promoted to detective, following which he reportedly proved his mettle to such an extent the supervisors specifically requested him on the night of June 12-13, 1994. He was not the first officer or supervisor to arrive at the scene, but he was one of the first detectives, so he took careful notes of everything he saw, including a single bloody glove. At least 14 other officials who had arrived before him also reported seeing only one glove, along with blood spatters as well as shoeprints leading away, soon after which the female victim was identified as Nicole Brown Simpson.

Having been there in late 1985, Mark, along with his supervisor and the two lead detectives, went to OJ Simpson’s home in Rockingham, only to find his white Ford Bronco parked haphazardly outside. According to Mark, there was blood on the door handle, inside the vehicle, and droplets leading all the way to the front gate, driving them to enter the property without a warrant under the assumption he might be hurt, too. However, he said that they only found O.J.’s daughter from his previous marriage as well as a houseguest in his side bungalows, and they revealed he had left town mere hours before — he had reportedly flown to Chicago, Illinois.

In addition, it was also reported that O.J.’s houseguest, Kato Kaelin, also told Mark that the former NFL star had been acting strange that evening and that he had heard three thumping sounds just outside his wall earlier, leading Mark to investigate. That’s when the second bloody glove was recovered from the property, and it was the right-hand match of the left one at the murder scene. Yet, reportedly, several other pieces of alleged evidence from O.J.’s home were never recovered. Mark has long maintained he had made a note of them and handed it to one of the lead detectives, who kept it in his binder and apparently didn’t read it until it was too late.

Mark Fuhrman Played a Significant Role During the Trial Against O.J. Simpson

With the help of all the evidence recovered, O.J. Simpson was arrested on June 17, 1994. He was charged with two counts of murder but pleaded not guilty to both of them. It was actually before the trial even began that a significant focus came on Mark despite him not being a lead investigator because of his prior sentiments on race in his case against the City. Little did he know O.J.’s defense team would accuse him of allegedly planting the other glove found at his estate as part of a racially motivated effort to frame him. The fact that Mark was soon roped in a perjury case wherein he was alleged to have lied on the stand about not using racial slurs in the years prior didn’t help matters either.

Although Mark’s psychiatric reports were ruled inadmissible in the case because they had no direct relevance and were old, his past was not a secret, and it affected the trial. The fact the defense later also tried to introduce witnesses as well as audiotapes to prove that he had lied under oath and had indeed used slurs only made things worse. The jury wasn’t there to hear the full tapes, yet the trial was televised, so it did cause more hurt. However, arguably, the most damning part for Mark was when he took to the stands for the second time and pleaded the fifth when directly asked if he had planted, manufactured, or altered any evidence in this case.

By the end of the trial, despite Nicole and Ron’s blood being on the glove recovered from O.J.’s home, the fact it didn’t fit the defendant during the proceedings and Mark’s past had taken over. In fact, during his closing argument, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran even went as far as to paint Mark as “a lying, perjuring, genocidal racist.” In the end, although there was no concrete evidence to suggest that the glove was planted, Mark’s perjury case affected opinions and is publicly deemed one of the main reasons O.J. was acquitted.

Mark Fuhrman Has Since Evolved Into an Author and Crime Scene Expert

In 1995, not long after O.J. Simpson was acquitted and the focus on Mark progressed, he filed for retirement. Many of his peers, white and people of color alike, did come out in support of him, but to no avail. Then, on July 5, 1996, it was announced he would face perjury charges, soon after which he accepted a deal to plead no contest and did so on October 2. As a result, he was sentenced to three years of probation, along with a fine of $200, making him the only person to have ever been criminally convicted related to the entire case. His probation concluded in 1998, and the charges against him were expunged around 18 months later. Since then, Mark has chosen to lead a much different life. He apparently moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in the mid-1990s, where he began a career as an author.

Mark wrote ‘Murder in Brentwood,’ wherein he not only detailed the case in itself but also apologized for his racist remarks, a sentiment he stands by even today. After all, he said in the show, too, that he was angry and careless at the time and that he had no intention of actually causing any harm to anybody. Apart from this, he has also penned, ‘Murder in Greenwich’ (1998), ‘Murder in Spokane: Catching a Serial Killer’ (2001), ‘Death and Justice: An Exposé of Oklahoma’s Death Row Machine’ (2003), ‘Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo’s Death’ (2005), ‘A Simple Act of Murder: November 22, 1963’ (2006), and ‘The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime Into Entertainment and Subverts Justice’ (2009).

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Mark has investigated and researched several high-profile cases either as a detective or a reporter, making him an expert in the field. However, owing to his alleged perjury, he was formally decertified and barred from law enforcement by the state of California in mid-2024, to which his response was simply: “That was 30 years ago. You guys are really up to speed.” So, today, from what we can tell, the hobbyist war memorabilia and medals collector currently happily serves as a forensic and crime scene expert for Fox News. The 72-year-old still seems to be based in Idaho, where he has managed to build a good life for himself and presently just prefers to stay away from the limelight for personal reasons.

Read More: Dennis Fung: What Happened to the Criminalist in OJ Simpson Case?