Audio expert testifies in O.J. Simpson robbery-kidnap trial
The FBI examiner couldn't authenticate a video of an incident in which Simpson and five others are accused of robbing memorabilia dealers at gunpoint, but did vouch for a cassette recording.
LAS VEGAS -- An FBI audio examiner asked to inspect digital recordings of an alleged robbery involving O.J. Simpson said he could not determine whether the recordings had been altered, jurors were told today.
The analyst, Kenneth Marr, explained that the digital recorder used wasn't sophisticated enough to allow him to do an authenticity exam. He was, however, able to vouch for the validity of a corresponding micro-cassette recording.
Marr's testimony was videotaped last month and played for jurors today because he was scheduled to be out of the country during Simpson's robbery-kidnap trial here.
Thomas Riccio -- the auctioneer who set up the meeting where Simpson and five associates allegedly robbed two memorabilia dealers at gunpoint -- used a digital recorder to secretly tape the events leading up to, and during, the confrontation.
The sometimes garbled, expletive-laced recordings are expected to be a cornerstone of the prosecution's case. Snippets of them were played during opening remarks earlier this week.
Riccio, who sold the digital recordings to the celebrity gossip website TMZ.com for more than $100,000, according to the defense, received immunity and was slated to testify as early as today. Four of Simpson's cohorts are also cooperating with prosecutors.
Simpson, 61, and codefendant Clarence Stewart, 54, each face a dozen charges in connection with the incident at Palace Station Hotel & Casino. The most serious -- kidnapping -- carries a potential life sentence.
Defense attorneys contend that Simpson -- a Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer -- was simply trying to retrieve stolen mementos, including pictures of his children and his late parents, on Sept. 13, 2007.
On Tuesday, the nine-woman, three-man jury heard testimony from the prosecution's first witness, alleged victim Bruce Fromong, which appeared to support that argument.
Though Fromong estimated the value of the items taken from him at up to $100,000, he told jurors that some of the collectibles were Simpson family heirlooms that "should go to his kids." In fact, Fromong said, he and Simpson could have likely "come to some arrangement" regarding their return.
The defense pounced on apparent inconsistencies in Fromong's account of the six-minute incident. He testified that two of Simpson's associates were armed. Simpson waved an arm up and down, Fromong said, while someone yelled "put the gun down" -- details he failed to mention in statements to police or in his preliminary hearing testimony.
Simpson maintains he saw no guns in the hotel room.
Fromong also acknowledged that he had tried to sell sports collectibles on EBay by advertising them as "the same as the ones stolen from me" by Simpson. He phoned the TV show "Inside Edition" shortly after the incident as well.
"I told them I want big money," Fromong said, according to one of the audio recordings.
ashley.powers@latimes.com
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