Yesterday, another chapter from the O.J. Simpson murder case was closed forever. The home which was the focus of so many television cameras and photographers and hovering helicopters has been totally razed by a demolition crew on orders by its new owner.

The images are imprinted in the contemporary conscience - the white Bronco pulling into the drive after an hours-long police chase; the bloody glove found on the ground by Detective Furman, or planted there, as O.J. defenders have accused; O.J. chipping balls with his wedge, leisurely preparing to leave for his trip to Chicago, or feverishly covering the trail of murder, depending on which version you believe, while the his ex-wife's and her friend's life's blood ebbed away on Bundy Street.

It is these images that allowed a Los Angeles investment banker, Kenneth Abdalla, to purchase the home well below market value for approximately $3.95 million. For years, the morbidly curious had paraded by the home in cars and on foot, disrupting the privacy of the multi-million dollar neighborhood. The association had not only kept Simpson's home from selling for top dollar, it had also negatively affected the values of other homes in the neighborhood, according to area brokers.

Mr. Simpson had stated on more than one occasion that he was amazed at how people flocked to view his home rather than go to the Bundy Drive condominium where the former Mrs. Simpson and Ron Goldman were slain.

Several years ago, Mrs. Simpson's home was sold at approximately 26% below its $795,000 asking price, way below market value. Since that time, the home has been completely re-landscaped and is no longer bears any resemblance to the crime scene photos that seared their way into the national culture.

Located at 360 North Rockingham, Simpson's home was sold by Hawthorne Savings and Loan, who acquired the property in trustee sales after Simpson defaulted on the mortgage. The sale was brokered by top Fred Sands Realtors agents Joe Babajian, Edie Kirshner, and Jody Fine, of the Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades offices.

The new owner brushed aside the home's link to the lurid scandal, and instead focused on the home as an investment in a desirable estate. He plans to rebuild a new mansion on the Rockingham property.

Published: July 30, 1998

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