Simpson Detective Portrayed As Bitter, Vindictive Ex-Cop With Simpson-Slay

Associated Press Worldstream
July 21, 1994; Thursday 20:15 Eastern Time

BYLINE: MICHAEL FLEEMAN
SECTION: International news
LENGTH: 437 words
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES

A top investigator for former football star O.J. Simpson has been portrayed in court papers as a bitter ex-cop with a vendetta against a former Police Department colleague assigned to the sports legend’s murder case.

Yugoslav native Zvonko ‘’Bill'’ Pavelic gave up a generous pension package when he quit the department 18 months ago after nearly 20 years on the force. He contends he was forced out because he had complained about racism and corruption in the department.

‘’I was sick and tired of watching innocent people get framed, especially members of minority groups, and that includes African-Americans and Mexicans,'’ Pavelic, a Croat born in the former Yugoslavia, told The Associated Press. ‘’I was disturbed about officer-involved shootings, and how they covered up the incidents.'’

William Bill Pavelic, who has sat in court behind Simpson, was hired to review the police investigation in the case, looking for mistakes, violations of LAPD policy and skeletons in investigators’ closets.

Simpson, 47, is charged with murder in the June 12 stabbings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and her friend Ron Goldman, 25. He faces a Friday arraignment.

Court papers describe Pavelic as angry, bitter and paranoid.

‘’Pavelic thought there was a big conspiracy among the supervisors at Southwest Detectives and command staff officers of LAPD who were ‘out to get him,”’ prosecutors wrote in a case in which the defense was considering calling Pavelic as a witness.

In recent days, the Simpson camp has leaked unflattering details about Detective Mark Fuhrman, who testified at a preliminary hearing that he found a bloody glove at Simpson’s estate.

The defense was reportedly going to argue that Fuhrman planted the glove. However, an internal police investigation has concluded that scenario is virtually impossible, unidentified police sources told the Los Angeles Times.

Many of Fuhrman’s defenders suspect Pavelic was responsible for revealing details to the media of a 1983 lawsuit that portrays Fuhrman as racist and violent.

Pavelic makes no secret of his hatred toward the LAPD, and Fuhrman in particular.

A review of his personnel file suggests, however, that Pavelic enjoyed a successful career. He strongly defended his reputation, pointing to 175 commendations he received.

But his career apparently took a turn for the worse in his latter years, when he started openly criticizing command staff, including former Chief Daryl Gates.

Pavelic retired in 1992 on a service-related disability pension of half pay, claiming his working conditions aggravated his health.