OJ Simpson death: What a Chicago detective found in his hotel room after Nicole Brown Simpson murder

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Football legend and disgraced celebrity O.J. Simpson died after a bout with cancer at the age of 76.

He is perhaps most famous for being acquitted of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman in what became known as the trial of the century.

But Simpson was actually in Chicago the day his former wife and her friend were found murdered. According to retired Chicago police detective Kenneth Berris, Simpson had flown here for a celebrity golf tournament on a red eye flight from Los Angeles that morning.

Berris' role was to search for any evidence here in Chicago that may have been connected to the murders, starting with Simpson's hotel room, room 915.

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"It was shards of a broken glass in the sink, and on the countertop in the bathroom," Berris recalled.

During the search of the suite, Berris also found blood on the sheets, which he was called to testify about during Simpson's criminal trial.

Berris was also on the team of officers assigned to search the woods behind O'Hare Plaza Hotel as part of the effort to find the knife that was used to murder Brown and her Goldman.

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Los Angeles detectives thought Simpson might have discarded the knife in the woods, but it was never found.

"Personally, I never thought that the man brought in a murder weapon with him on an airliner. I think that would be very foolish. There's no expectation of privacy when you're a passenger in an airline," Berris said.

"Matter of fact, your very own Chuck Goudie, one time somebody had turned a knife into him. And I had to meet with him to receive the knife," Berris added.

Berris believe the jury who acquitted Simpson of the murders got it wrong.

"He's the only one who did anything to hurt her. To me it's that simple," he said.

He theorized that Simpson broke a glass in his hotel room and cut himself on purpose to provide cover for a wound he actually sustained during the murders.

Simpson rose from Heisman Trophy winner at USC to NFL superstar with the Buffalo Bills, and then to celebrity pitchman and actor. He fell from grace after his ex-wife and Goldman were found brutally murdered on June 12, 1994.

The nation was captivated by the slow-speed chase in the white Bronco preceding his arrest, and after nine month trial that was broadcast live to millions, Simpson was acquitted of both murders.

Two years later, Simpson was found liable for those deaths during a civil trial, and his assets were seized.

In 2007, Simpson was arrested and later convicted of robbery for entering a hotel to recover what he called stolen memorabilia. He served nine years in prison before being released.

In his last tweet, on Super Bowl Sunday, Simpson alluded to his health problems, writing, "My health is good, I mean obviously I'm dealing with some issues..."

His family announced in a tweet Thursday morning that Simpson died Wednesday.