O.J. Simpson could be released from prison in five months, depending on the outcome of his third parole hearing expected in July, according to Nevada Department of Corrections.
Simpson, 69, the former NFL great and Hall of Famer, was acquitted in 1995 for the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was convicted in 2008 for his part in a Las Vegas robbery of sports memorabilia that Simpson claimed was his, said KNBC-TV.
He was sentenced to 33 years in prison after being found guilty of kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon in the 2007 robbery. He has been serving his sentence at Nevada's Lovelock Correctional Center.
Simpson, a former Heisman Trophy winner who went on to star for the Buffalo Bills, was denied parole in July 2013 and 2014. While Simpson's new hearing date has not been set, KNBC-TV said hearings are usually held three months before the convict's parole eligibility date, which for Simpson is October 2017.
"The board members are intelligent professionals and I am confident they will arrive at a very carefully considered decision," former Nevada Board of Parole commissioner Thomas Patton told NBC News. "And unlike some I cannot and have no desire to try to predict the outcome."
Simpson's life has found renewed interest in the entertainment business over the past couple of years. The miniseries "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" won two Golden Globes in January including for best limited television series and eight Emmy Awards last year, including one for outstanding limited series.
The ESPN Films documentary "O.J.: Made in America" won the Academy Award for best documentary this year.
Simpson's crime has overshadowed his football career, where he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 after being named the NFL's best player at running back over three different seasons, according to his hall of fame biography.