Beaufort Books to publish OJ Simpson book

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Beaufort Books will publish O.J. Simpson’s hypothetical account of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson in October, the New York-based publisher said in a statement on Tuesday.

Beaufort Books struck a deal with the family of Ron Goldman, who was murdered along with Brown Simpson at her Los Angeles home in 1994. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Last month, a federal judge gave the rights to the book, “If I Did It,” to Goldman’s family, who are owed $33.5 million in damages by Simpson. A previous print made by another publisher was scrapped last year.

“We will be working diligently to not only publish this book well, but to honor the memory of the victims of this terrible crime: Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson,” Beaufort Books President Eric Kampmann said in a statement.

Beaufort Books plans to publish the book on October 3.

The company said that “what was previously perceived as Simpson’s narrative of the crime will now be seen as a confession by many who will read it.”

Simpson was acquitted of criminal murder charges in 1995, but was found liable for the deaths two years later in a civil case brought by the victims’ families. The former U.S. football star vowed to never voluntarily pay damages to the families.

The Goldman family, Beaufort Books and Los Angeles-based literary agent Sharlene Martin, who brokered the deal, plan to contribute portions of the proceeds to the Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice.

Under last month’s agreement, the Goldman’s obtained all rights to the book, and to Simpson’s name and likeness in connection with it. Simpson will not receive any money.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.-owned publishing house, HarperCollins, printed 400,000 copies of the book under a deal with Simpson. It was scrapped in November amid public outrage shortly before its release. Murdoch apologized, and all copies were recalled and destroyed.