Former bail bondsman shares ties to O.J. Simpson murder trial

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At 92 years old, Harvey Childs can remember O.J. Simpson's 1993 Bronco leading police on slow speed chase in 1994.

Childs was responsible for bailing out Al Cowlings, a former teammate and friend of the USC alumni and Buffalo Bills phenom.  Cowlings was the driver of the Ford Bronco and was charged in the aftermath.

"They arrested him and we put up $125,000 bond for him and whatever the charge was but they dropped it two weeks later.", said Childs who lives in Hempfield, near Greenville.

Meanwhile OJ was behind bars waiting for a trial that began six months later, charged with murder in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Childs, a former bail bondsman owned USA Bail Bonds.  The company was based out of Greenville and had offices from Mercer County to Los Angeles, California.

Not only was Childs familiar with the murder case but all too familiar with O.J.'s lead attorney Johnnie Cochran. 

"In our office we had an attorney you know for legal affairs and it just happened to be Johnnie Cochran before he became the famous Johnnie Cochran.", said Childs who spoke highly of Cochran.

Childs described the scene in and around the courthouse during the trial as pure pandemonium. He says Cochran gave his family one of the best seats in the house.

"Johnny had the right to four people and so my wife got in for a week. He gave one of the seats to us and that was an exciting week for her.", Childs explained.

When it came time for the verdict, Harvey made the trip back to LA waiting on the next move.

"Johnnie said if it was a hung jury we were going to ask for bail and if he's convicted we're going to ask for an appeal bond--and when that verdict went out that town went wild.", said Childs.

Childs also got to know OJ during that time and after the trial caught up with him at a horseracing event.

"Within the following week I went to lunch with him--and spent 2-3 hours shooting the breeze.", Childs added.