Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson’ chronicling the tragic 1994 double homicide that has since become a total cultural phenomenon, we get a docuseries unlike any other. That’s because this four-part original incorporates not just archival audio-video footage but also exclusive interviews to really shine a light upon the what and the why behind this ordeal. Amongst those to feature on the show is none other than Yolanda Crawford, juror #2 in the 1995 trial against O.J. for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald “Ron” Goldman.
Yolanda Crawford Was 25 When She Played a Role in O.J. Simpson’s Acquittal
Although not much information regarding Yolanda’s background or early years is publicly available as of writing, we do know she is a Los Angeles, California native through and through. She reportedly completed her education in the area, too, before choosing to establish a stable career through which she could help those in her expansive community in one way or another. That’s how she found herself serving as a paramedic dispatch at a local hospital, only for her to still be working there when she received a jury summons for the infamous case in 1994 itself.
According to Yolanda’s own accounts, she was sure she would not be selected, considering she had clarified in the 79-page questionnaire she was given that she could possibly be biased. After all, she had plenty of police friends over the years, including one who had sadly been murdered a short while prior, making her believe she could likely be partial towards the authorities. However, she was still handpicked by both the prosecutors and the defense, soon leading to her being sequestered alongside all her fellow jurors for the duration of the intense trial.
Since then, Yolanda has asserted that while most of the evidence did point towards O.J. Simpson being the perpetrator in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her friend, there was doubt. She actually cited the testimony by Detective Mark Fuhrman (during which he was alleged to have committed perjury) as well as the infamous failed glove try-on as the primary reasons for some concern. Therefore, in the end, on October 3, 1995, she and her 11 fellow jurors — comprising ten people of color and two white individuals — found the retired NFL star not guilty of any criminal charge.
Yolanda Crawford is Now Into a Public Figure of Sorts
While it’s true that Yolanda’s name at the time of the trial or even immediately after was not well known, she has recently become quite visible in the media owing to her experience as a juror. In fact, she has since even appeared in ‘O.J.: Made in America’ (2016) and ‘The Jury Speaks’ (2017), all the while also often popping up when there is a really high-profile case on the horizon. She actually offered her insight into the juror experience during Casey Anthony’s gripping 2011 trial and even found herself being interviewed in 2024 during President Donald Trump’s case.
It was then that the 54-year-old told The Daily Beast that she has never been able to leave the O.J. Simpson case behind owing to the impact it had on her personal as well as professional life. “You’re always being judged by someone,” the Southern California resident said. “If someone found out that I was on that case, I had to hear about it and get their opinion. Not that it was warranted or that I wanted it, but everyone had an opinion on the case, whether it was the same as mine or different from mine. I always felt judged by it.”
As if that’s not enough, Yolanda also candidly expressed that there are times she has even felt hated owing to online trolls who send her “nameless, faceless, very derogatory messages.” Nevertheless, from what we can tell, she does her best to avoid it by simply focusing on her life as a former Law Enforcement Technician at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (1999-2024) and a proud mother. It appears as if she is actually a single mother of a young boy who is currently thriving as a basketball athlete and who cherishes the time he gets to spend with his travel-enthusiast mother.
Read More: Denise Brown: Where is Nicole Brown Simpson’s Sister Now?
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