If you were alive and near a television in 1995, you probably remember the beige suit and the look of pure, concentrated exhaustion on the face of Dennis Fung. He was the LAPD criminalist who spent nine grueling days on the witness stand during the O.J. Simpson "Trial of the Century."
Barry Scheck, a DNA expert for the defense, basically turned Fung into a human punching bag for the better part of two weeks. It was brutal. One minute he was a respected professional with 500 crime scenes under his belt, and the next, he was the face of forensic incompetence.
But then the cameras stopped rolling. The trial ended. O.J. was acquitted. While people like Mark Fuhrman and Christopher Darden launched media careers, wrote bestsellers, and became cable news fixtures, Dennis Fung just... disappeared.
Honestly, it's one of the weirdest post-trial trajectories in the whole saga.
The Trial That Nearly Broke Him
Dennis Fung wasn't a celebrity; he was a guy with a degree in Economics from York University and a career in the LAPD's Scientific Investigation Division that started in 1984. By the time June 13, 1994, rolled around, he was a seasoned pro.
Then came Bundy Drive.
The defense tore him apart over "rookie" mistakes: not wearing gloves in certain photos, leaving blood samples in a hot truck, and the infamous "missing" 1.5 milliliters of O.J.’s blood. By the end of his testimony, he looked like he’d aged a decade.
The most bizarre moment? When he finally finished testifying, he actually walked over to the defense table and shook hands with O.J. Simpson and his lawyers. Some called it Stockholm Syndrome. Others saw it as a man just relieved the nightmare was over.
Life After the Verdict: Did He Stay or Go?
Most people assume Fung was fired or quit in disgrace immediately. That's actually not true.
Unlike the detectives who were forced into early retirement or chose to leave the force to write tell-all books, Fung stayed. He went back to the LAPD. It’s kinda incredible when you think about the public pressure. He testified again in the 1997 civil trial, where he was once again grilled, though the atmosphere was significantly less "circus-like" than the criminal proceedings.
He didn't seek the spotlight. While others were cashing in on six-figure book deals, Fung kept his head down. Public records and various reports from the mid-2010s indicate that he eventually rose to the rank of Supervising Criminalist.
He basically became the boss of the department that the world had laughed at.
- 1995: Becomes a household name for all the wrong reasons.
- 1997: Testifies in the civil trial (Simpson found liable).
- 2005-2015: Continues moving up the ranks within the LAPD.
- Present Day: Mostly retired from public life, living quietly in California.
The Man Who Refused to Profit
There is a certain dignity in how he handled the aftermath. If you search for "Dennis Fung interview," you won't find much. He did a few small-scale podcasts and spoke to researchers for documentaries like O.J.: Made in America, but he never made "being the O.J. guy" his identity.
He didn't write My Side of the Story. He didn't become a "forensic consultant" for Nancy Grace.
Think about that for a second. In an era where everyone from the houseguest (Kato Kaelin) to the limo driver tried to get famous, the guy at the center of the evidence stayed silent.
Where is He Now in 2026?
Dennis Fung is now well into his 60s. He has largely retired from the LAPD, reportedly finishing his career in a supervisory role that involved far more paperwork than crime scene tape.
He lives a private life. He's not on TikTok explaining DNA transfer. He's not on the convention circuit. He is, by all accounts, just a regular retiree who happens to have been a lead character in the biggest legal drama in American history.
The "mistakes" attributed to him are now taught in forensic science classes as what not to do, but many experts today acknowledge he was a bit of a scapegoat. The protocols back then weren't what they are today. He was a 1990s tech working in a 2020s-expectations world.
Why His Story Actually Matters
Fung’s legacy isn't just about "the guy who messed up the blood." It’s about how forensic science changed forever because of his nine days of misery.
Because of the "Fung failures" (as the media called them), crime scene protocols were overhauled globally. If you see a CSI tech today wearing a full Tyvek suit, booties, and double gloves for a simple burglary, you can thank the cross-examination of Dennis Fung.
He was the sacrificial lamb that forced the legal system to take DNA collection seriously.
Next Steps for True Crime Buffs
If you want to understand the technical side of what Fung actually did—rather than just the courtroom drama—you should look into the LAPD's Scientific Investigation Division (SID) manuals from the early 90s versus today. It shows a massive leap in "chain of custody" rigor.
You can also watch the full, unedited testimony on YouTube. It’s a masterclass in how a defense attorney can dismantle a witness, regardless of the actual facts. Seeing the "handshake" at the end in high definition really puts the human element of the trial into perspective.