Arnelle Simpson of Fresno tells OJ’s parole board ‘We want him to come home’

O.J. Simpson’s oldest daughter, Arnelle Simpson, testified on his behalf as part of the hearing today, in which the actor/athlete was granted parole.

Arnelle, who lives in Fresno with her mother and step father, was visibly emotional as she told the board that no one knows how much their family has been through. She told the parole board Simpson was her “best friend and my rock” and that she had seen her father humbled by his prison sentence.

“We want him to come home so that we can move forward for us, quietly, but to move forward,” she said.

“As a family we recognize he’s not the perfect man,” she said.

“But as a man and a father he has done his best.”

For his part, Simpson cited his children as a main reason for wanting parole.

“I have four kids,” Simpson said. “I’ve missed a lot of time with those kids.”

Bruce Fromong, one of the robbery victims and a self-identified friend of Simpson, also testified at the hearing. He Simpson did not deserve nine to 33 years for the crime, and told an emotional Simpson that if he called Fromong tomorrow asking him to pick him up from prison, Fromong would be there.

Simpson plans to return to Florida after his release in October.

McClatchy’s Kate Irby and Elizabeth Koh of the Miami Hearld contributed to this report.

This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Arnelle Simpson of Fresno tells OJ’s parole board ‘We want him to come home’."