Simpson Son's Essay: `Murderer Was My Dad'

LOS ANGELES - O.J. Simpson's young son recently wrote a fictional murder mystery featuring a knife-wielding killer for a school assignment - and ended the tale with the chilling words: "The murderer was my dad."

The story by 8-year-old Justin Simpson was obtained by KCBS-TV and confirmed yesterday by sources, who said it was used as evidence in the bitter custody battle between the ex-athlete and his former in-laws.

On Friday, a California judge granted Simpson full custody of Justin and his sister Sydney, 11.

Simpson was acquitted of murder charges last year of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman; the families of the slaying victims are now suing him for wrongful death.

In the story titled "Justin the Murder," Justin wrote: "The murderer has Aaron hostage. Romez and I have found the murderer but the murderer has a knife and machine gun held to Aaron's head. . . .

Later, the story concludes: "Solved it. Romez and I found out that the murderer was my dad."

Describing the story's setting, Justin wrote: "At my houce (sic) with Romez and my dad and mom."

Justin's mother, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Goldman were stabbed to death outside her condo on June 12, 1994.

Aaron, the character held hostage in the story, bears the same name as an 8-year-old cousin of Justin's.

A psychiatrist hired by the Brown family believes that may be Justin's way of projecting his own fears on another child to whom he is close, sources said.

Upon reading the disturbing story, Justin's teacher notified the boy's grandmother, Juditha Brown.

Sources said the children's court-appointed lawyer, Marjorie Fuller, tried to keep Justin's story out of evidence in the custody case, calling it "no big deal."

But the Browns' lawyer, Natasha Roit, won a bid to include it. A psychiatrist testified that Justin's story shows signs that he is "deeply emotionally conflicted" about his father, sources said.