Louis Brown Jr., the father of OJ Simpson’s slain ex-wife, passed away last Thursday. He was 90 years old and apparently went peacefully at his home in Southern California. According to a report published in The USA Today, Brown’s death was revealed to the press by his attorney, Natasha Rolt.

Brown was the father of Nicole Brown Simpson, who was murdered in 1994 -along with a friend, Robert Goldman – at her home. Both Simpson and Goldman died as a result of gruesome stab wounds, and evidence collected at the scene of the crime led investigators to her ex-husband: Hall of Fame football player, O.J. Simpson.

The trial that followed the murders of Simpson and Goldman was, of course, the stuff of media legend, a controversial court battle that ended in O.J.’s acquittal in October 1995. Louis Brown Jr., the rest of Nicole’s family, and many other Americans felt as if O.J. had gotten away with murder. In 1997, a “wrongful death” lawsuit vindicated these beliefs, with a civil jury unanimously finding O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Robert Goldman. The jury ordered O.J. to pay $33.5 million in damages to the families of the victims.

Louis Brown and a surviving daughter, Denise, used the money from the trial to start a charity dedicated to fighting domestic violence. Brown is survived by his wife and their children, all of whom were present when he passed away on Thursday.

Photo credit: Alan Light