If you were glued to your TV in 1994, you remember the face. Probably the voice, too. It was calm, measured, and somehow weary all at once. Detective Tom Lange was the man on the other end of the line during the most surreal moment in American broadcast history—the white Bronco chase. He was the guy trying to talk O.J. Simpson out of pulling a trigger while the whole world watched through grainy helicopter footage.
Naturally, after the trial of the century ended and the cameras stopped rolling, people wondered where the lead investigators went. In 2026, with the 30-year anniversary of the verdict having recently passed and O.J. Simpson himself passing away in 2024, the question is popping up everywhere: Is Detective Tom Lange still alive? Yeah, he is. Honestly, he’s not just alive; he’s been remarkably active for a guy who’s been through the absolute wringer of the Los Angeles justice system.
The Current Status of Tom Lange in 2026
To be blunt about it, Tom Lange is still very much with us. While he retired from the LAPD shortly after the Simpson trial wrapped up, he never really "disappeared" into that quiet retiree life you’d expect. He’s in his 80s now, but if you catch him in a recent interview, he still speaks with that same crisp, no-nonsense authority.
Most recently, in early 2025 and moving into 2026, Lange has resurfaced in the public eye. He’s been doing the rounds on true crime circuits, appearing at law enforcement conferences, and even sitting down for long-form podcasts like One Degree of Scandalous with Kato Kaelin. It’s kinda wild to see those two in the same room again, but it happens.
He lives a relatively private life, but he’s never been shy about defending the work he and his partner, Philip Vannatter, did on the Bundy Drive murders.
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Why the OJ Case Still Follows Him
You’ve gotta feel for the guy in a way. Lange spent nearly 30 years in the LAPD. He worked over 250 homicide cases. He was a seasoned vet. But for the rest of history, he’s "the OJ detective."
Even today, people ask him about the same things:
- The bloody socks in the bedroom.
- The glove at Rockingham.
- That infamous phone call during the chase.
Lange has consistently maintained that the evidence was "overwhelming." In a 2025 interview reflecting on the Netflix documentary American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, he didn't hold back. He still calls Simpson a sociopath. He still talks about those 12 inconsistent statements O.J. gave during the initial interview. For Lange, the case isn't a "mystery" or a "cold case." It's a solved case where the verdict just didn't go the way the evidence pointed.
Life After the LAPD
After he turned in his badge in the mid-90s, Lange didn't just sit on a porch. He wrote a book called Evidence Dismissed: The Inside Story of the Police Investigation of O.J. Simpson. If you want the gritty, unpolished version of what happened behind the scenes, that’s the source.
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He also did some consulting. Hollywood types would call him up to get the "real cop" perspective for scripts. But mostly, he became a bit of a historian for the case. In late 2025, he even spoke at a law enforcement event in Seaside, California, sharing the stage with other trial figures. It’s clear he feels a duty to keep the record straight, especially as new generations discover the trial through Netflix or FX miniseries.
Speaking of miniseries, you might have seen Chris Bauer play him in The People v. O.J. Simpson. Lange wasn't exactly a fan. He’s gone on record saying those shows often prioritize "drama over the dirt," and he’s pretty protective of his reputation.
The Legacy of the "Old School" Homicide Cop
There’s a certain breed of detective that doesn't really exist anymore. Lange was part of that era before DNA became a household word, though his case was the one that actually introduced it to the public.
It’s interesting to note that his partner, Phil Vannatter, passed away in 2012. That makes Lange one of the last primary voices left from the investigative side of the trial. When he speaks now, there’s a sense that he knows he’s carrying the torch for a specific group of guys who feel they were unfairly maligned by the "Dream Team" defense.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Him
People think he was some rookie who got lucky—or unlucky—with a big case.
Not true.
He was a heavy hitter in the Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD). He’d seen everything a city like LA could throw at a person. The reason he was so calm during the Bronco chase wasn't because he was a "celebrity cop"; it was because he’d talked people off ledges and out of hostage situations for decades.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into Tom Lange’s actual work beyond the headlines, here are the best ways to do it:
- Read "Evidence Dismissed": It’s the definitive account from his perspective. It avoids the fluff and sticks to the forensics and the timeline.
- Watch the 2025 Interviews: Search for his recent appearances on YouTube (specifically the Clay Young or Kato Kaelin interviews). You’ll see a man who hasn't lost his sharp memory for detail.
- Visit the National Law Enforcement Museum: They actually hold some of his original notes and oral histories from the case. It’s a fascinating look at how a massive investigation is actually organized on paper.
Basically, Detective Tom Lange is still here, still vocal, and still standing by the work he did thirty years ago. He’s a living link to a moment that changed American media and law forever. If you’re ever at a true crime convention and see a sharp-eyed older man with a mustache that means business, there’s a good chance it’s him.
Check out the National Law Enforcement Museum's digital archives to see the actual handwritten notes Lange took during the investigation.