Where OJ Simpson's Criminalist Dennis Fung Is Now
Netflix's docuseries American Manhunt: OJ Simpson uses firsthand accounts of the case to reexamine one of the most well-known criminal trials in American history. The series has quickly become one of Netflix's best documentaries thanks to its detailed accounts from those involved on both sides and recounting of the facts of the case. From the selection of the jury to the reading of the verdict, OJ Simpson's trial lasted nearly a year and was a media frenzy for the entire time owing to Simpson's celebrity status.
After the jury deliberated for just four hours, a not guilty verdict was read for OJ Simpson. Though there were a number of factors in the jury's decision to acquit OJ Simpson for the double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the primary factor was Simpson's defense team's ability to poke holes in the arguments of the prosecution. This was especially essential in countering the DNA evidence that had been found at the scene, which the defense alleged had been compromised by the LAPD's mishandling, and LAPD criminalist Dennis Fung inadvertently proved their point.
Dennis Fung Continued Working As A Criminalist For The LAPD After The OJ Simpson Trial
Fung Went Back To His Day Job
Dennis Fung was called as a witness for the OJ Simpson trial throughout April 1995, and during that time, his work at the crime scene was almost entirely destroyed by the defense. Fung was a massive part of the defense's strategy to prove that the LAPD was incompetent to the point of contaminating evidence with OJ Simpson's blood. While Fung and other members of the LAPD likely did do a few things wrong from lack of correct training, Fung's ill-fated testimony did not actually change the strength of the DNA evidence, meaning there would be no reason for him to leave his job.
Though Fung had earned a bad reputation from the defense's questioning in Simpson's trial, he had not done anything that would cause him to be fired or find a new job.
Though the defense made it seem like he had purposefully sabotaged the crime scene, Fung had worked on a lot of cases before the OJ Simpson trial without issue. Following the Simpson criminal trial verdict, Fung continued working for the LAPD and testified during the civil trial. Though Fung had earned a bad reputation from the defense's questioning in Simpson's trial, he had not done anything that would cause him to be fired or find a new job.
Dennis Fung Has Mostly Stayed Out Of The Public Eye Since The OJ Simpson Trial
Unlike Many People Involved In The Case, He Has Not Publicly Spoken About It
Many of the people involved in the OJ Simpson trial, including members of the prosecution, defense, witnesses, and jurors, have written or spoken about their experiences, but Dennis Fung has not. While his cross-examination turned out to be key for the defense, he likely did not enter the courtroom knowing what his reputation would shortly become. Thus, it makes sense that he would want to return to his job without being in the spotlight more than necessary. The exception to his anonymity was his appearance in Simpson's civil trial, during which he also gave confusing testimony.
In the years since OJ Simpson's trial occurred, it has become clear that one of the biggest problems was the jury's understanding of the DNA evidence. Because the process is so technical and was still very new in the 1990s, Fung's testimony was much more confusing than intended. Though Dennis Fung does not appear in American Manhunt, the problems that arose from the DNA confusion certainly do. While it would have been interesting to hear his point of view in American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, it is completely understandable that Dennis Fung would want to leave the trial in his past.
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson
- Release Date
- 2025 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Directors
- Floyd Russ
Cast
O.J. SimpsonSelf (archive footage)
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