Why did people have more sympathy for Laci Peterson and less sympathy for Nicole Simpson?

Question

And more hatred/contempt for Scott Peterson than for O.J. Simpson? I was reading a question on here about O.J. Simpson and it made me think of this. The whole country wanted to see Scott Peterson die, but a lot of people were rooting for O.J. Simpson, insiting that he's innocent, when there was more evidence that pointed to what he did than what S.P. did. I believe both of them are guilty as hell and should be punished for what they did. But why was there more sympathy for Laci Peterson as a victim, people making her out to be a saint, when with Nicole Simpson, there didn't seem to be a hyped sense of sympathy? And why more hatred for Scott Peterson than for O.J. Simpson, when they both did the same crime? Was it because Laci Peterson was pregnant? But O.J. killed Nicole and a friend. They both killed two people.

Answer 1

It's the same old story. People in this country (and plenty of other places) are starstruck and obscessed with their sports "heroes". Having earned this status on the football field, O.J. Simpson was also featured in a number of well known commercials, so he was constantly in the public eye. People have a habit - once a person has reached that kind of "image" to go on thinking of him as the "hero figure" even when it becomes known that he has fallen off his pedestal and engaged in some serious wrongdoing. Scott Peterson, on the other hand was anonymous. Nobody knew he existed until the awful story of his missing pregnant wife hit the headlines, and of course, his behaviour after that rapidly turned everyone's initial sympathy into first suspicion and then loathing, as it became more and more clear that this was not an innocent man, but a twisted, lying, cheating sociopath. There WAS no "hero image" before that fall into suspicion, and then disgrace.
People felt a lot less sympathetic towards Nicole Simpson, I think first because a lot of folks felt she only married OJ for the "reflected glory". It came to light that she had in fact engaged in drug-taking right along with Simpson, and also that Simpson had physically abused her on numerous occasions. Even after she finally divorced him, she apparantly wouldn't leave well alone, but continued to interract with him at some level - supposedly because of the children, but it w as a lot more than that. Seemed like she didn't want OJ, but she was having a hard time giving up that spotlight of attention as his now ex-wife. This, and her revealed drug use didn't sit at all well with a lot of people who felt that she was not being a responsible mother to the two small children.
In the case of Lacy Peterson, the story was totally different. She had fallen in love and married a man who pretended to love her dearly, and gave absolutely no hint at all, either to her or to her family, about this dark and sinister side of his character. The public were shown beautiful pi ctures of this lovely young woman with the dazzling smile, radient at the time of her wedding, and later happy and excitedly pregnant awaiting her longed for first child. Pictures of her with her tall, handsome husband, made her look like the daughter every mother would have loved to have. To know her, according to everybody who did, was to love her, and her image and character both, were flawless.
Where Nicole Simpson KNEW the dark side of OJ Simpson, she refused to take herself and her children out of harm's way. Lacy Peterson was innocent of any knowledge of her husband's internally simmering evil, and people could only feel sick inside as they thought of the shock and horror that must have come over her at that awful sudden moment, when he revealed his true nature to her, moments before he commenced the grizzly slaughter of his wife and her soon-to-be-born baby, Connor.
Those who supported OJ Simpson were largely people who still worshipped his Football Hero Image, and of course the Black Community, and in neither case did it seem to matter what he had done, or allegedly done. Even as more and more information came out in court that pointed to him as the only possible perpetrator. The overwhelming majority of reasonably minded people, focussing clearly, and ONLY upon this horrendous deed, that was carried out with such frenzied ferocity, rightly took no interest in OJ Simpson the ex glamor boy of Football, but looked at OJ Simpson to whom every shred of evidence pointed as the only possible perpetrator, with means, motive and opportunity to carry out that grizzly slaughter, not only of his ex-wife, but another totally innocent person who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I personally believe that all-black jury simply dismissed the evidence completely, and would have declared him "not guilty" if the man himself had stood up in court and said "Yeah I did it" But true to his narcissistic and arrogant nature, it appears that this book he intended for publication, pretty much did that. He couldn't tolerate it that he was slipping further and further out of the public's interest, and it seemed that he was finally prepared to do anything possible to get back there, even if it meant virtually admitting his guilt.

Answer 2

Laci Peterson was pregnant and really very innocent. No signs that she was out late, cheating on her husband or any of that. She was for the most part a normal devoting house wife. On the other hand Nicole simpson was pregnant when her and oj were cheating together. OJ's ex wife told her she kept going and made it a thing to steal him away. I recognize OJ is at fault here. But since you compared the two girls cases together. Nobody is necessarily going to feel that sorry for a girl who plays with other peoples husbands then decides to have another boyfriend on the side and winds up dead. Most women don't live their life like that. What is there to reason with.

As far as the race thing. People felt that OJ did it and thats really not what your topic is about. Race has nothing to do with how people feel about Nicole. The only reason they even have ANY sympathy for her is cause a black killed her. If lacy peterson did the things nicole did and wasn't pregnant scott peterson would have walked as well. Probably never been brought to trial.

Answer 3

There are a few reasons for this. One, Laci Peterson was 9 months pregnant and Scott not only killed Laci but he killed that poor unborn child. No one can imagine a father doing this to his own unborn child. The O.J. thing somehow turned into a race war for some reason. Some people lost sight of the fact that two innocent people were murdered. The evidence was there but it was ignored because of the people that wanted it to be about a race war. Think about it O.J. did this while his poor innocent kids were sleeping. I thank goodness that they didn't have to wake up to that murder scene. if it weren't for the dog they would have. How could a father do this to his kids. O.J. is a loser! Before he murdered them he was a wife beater. Anyone that thinks that he didn't do it is ignorant. Maybe if he murdered their loved ones they would change their minds.

Answer 4

Probably because part of O.J. Simpson's defense was to use Nicole's behavior in her past against her. Regardless, I feel sympathy for both of their families. I think that it is wrong for O.J. to try to make money off of what he got away with (it has nothing to do with race - I watched the trial and heard the evidence). Nicole and Laci were both victims and should be treated in the same manner. O.J. and Scott Peterson are two vile people and I think that O.J. should be in the exact same place that Scott is.

Answer 5

Personally, I believe they are both guilty and deserve the maximum sentence possible. I also have sympathy for both Nicole Simpson and Laci Peterson. The difference, imho is that the Simpson murder seems to be more of a crime of passion than the Laci & Connor Peterson. Its really difficult to think of the coldbloodedness that went into Scott's planning.

Answer 6

Laci Peterson didn't deserve what happened.Any person whom takes a life should be sentenced to life in Prison without Parole. Take all there rights away and just let them be locked up. No College, No HSD, No Mail, No visitors,Just feed them tend to there medical needs, and there Beliefs but by putting them to death the only thing that is happenning is that they get off by dying they don't have to suffer like Laci and her unborn child...You want scott to know what he did. For Simpson only God will deside...That is one fate I don't want to have..

Answer 7

You obviously were too young to remember the OJ Simpson murders. Those of us who lived thru it know the facts, and it was the Liberals who had the most sympathy for the victims of these horrendous crimes, not the Cons. You must have been indoctrinated by Fox at a very early age. P.S. Scientists recently discovered that Cons appear to lack an "empathy" gene. Is anyone surprised but you?

Answer 8

The race issue made it hard for people to voice their opinions. If you said OJ was guilty, chances are you would be called a racist. Also, Laci was 8 months pregnant, and an innocent child was found EXPELLED from her body. Most people find that more grusome than a blonde who was killed while with her new boyfriend. It's just the way society works. Either way, both cases were very sad and justice will never be served to fully heal the families.

Answer 9

Because Nicole was a coke sniffin - gold digging wife and Laci was pregnant and normal American wife.


Thats how I think majority of public looked at it.

Answer 10

Because the babys' death is too brutal and sad.
The other person was a grown man.
O.J.had a good lawyer!