Welcome To Nsia Senya's Blog: Police recovered a knife at OJ Simpson's former estate

OJ Simpson: LAPD Testing Knife

Police say they have recovered a knife apparently found at OJ Simpson's former estate where his ex-wife and her friend were murdered.

Los Angeles PoliceDepartment Capt Andrew Neiman said a construction worker purportedly discovered the blade years after the killings.

The builder handed it to an off-duty or retired traffic officer, he added, but detectives only recently learned of its existence.

Capt Neiman said they were conducting body fluid, DNA and hair sample tests on the weapon.

OJ Simpson (inset), his former estate and ex-wife (inset)

But he added that whatever evidence is found, Simpson probably cannot be tried again for the murders under America's double jeopardy rules.

NBC quotes law enforcement sources as saying the knife is "utility-style" and therefore inconsistent with the suspected murder weapon.

OJ Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend

Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death at the home on 12 June 1994.

OJ Simpson was acquitted in 1995 in 'the trial of the century

The former professional football star and actor was acquitted a year later of two counts of murder in what media dubbed the trial of the century.

Police have never found themurder weapon.

Capt Neiman said it is believed the builder found the blade at the estate in Los Angeles' affluent Brentwoodarea, possibly in around 1998 when the home was being demolished.

Nicole Brown Simpson (L) and Ronald Goldman

The worker gave the knife to a traffic officer who was either off-duty or retired at the time and providing security for a movie shoot nearby.

But instead of taking the potential item of evidence to the precinct, the former officer allegedly kept it as a souvenir.

Capt Neiman told reporters: "I was really surprised.

OJ Simpson's Brentwood home, shown in June 1994

"I would think that any LAPD officer would know that any time you come into contact with evidence you should and shall submit that to investigators."

He stressed that the story had not been verified.

Simpson is currently in a Nevada prison for a 2007 armed robbery

TMZ.com, which first reported the story, said the weapon was a folding buck knife and it was found buried at the perimeter of the estate.

The LAPD learned about the knife in January this year when the retired officer contacted a friend in the department's homicide division, according to TMZ.

He asked for the OJ Simpson case file number because he wanted to frame the weapon, reports TMZ.