Reeva Steenkamp (Allegedly) Murdered

[TheGreatGatsby]

What a waste! Shot and killed by her idiot boyfriend!

Oscar Pistorius charged with murder after 'he accidentally shot dead Reeva Steenkamp' | Mail Online

 

[Truthmatters]

women are not safe in houses with guns

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

women are not safe in houses with guns

If you say so.

 

[waltky]

Family stands by Pistorius...

Pistorius' family strongly denies murder charge
Feb 16,`13 -- Oscar Pistorius is "numb with shock as well as grief" after the shooting death of his model girlfriend at his home in South Africa, the runner's uncle said Saturday, as his family strongly denied prosecutors' claims that he murdered her.

Arnold Pistorius spoke with The Associated Press and two other South African journalists about his nephew's arrest in the killing of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot four times on the morning of Valentine's Day. Arnold Pistorius spoke to reporters from the garden of his three-story home in the eastern suburbs of South Africa's capital, Pretoria.

The statement, the first on camera and directly made in person by Pistorius' family, also came out strongly against prosecutors seeking to upgrade the charge against Pistorius to one of premeditated murder, which carries a sentence of life in prison. "After consulting with legal representatives, we deeply regret the allegation of premeditated murder," Arnold Pistorius said. "We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the state's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or murder as such." He said the family was "battling to come to terms with Oscar being charged with murder."

The track star's arrest in the killing of 29-year-old Steenkamp shocked South Africa, where Pistorius was a national hero and icon dubbed the Blade Runner for his high-tech carbon fiber running blades and revered for overcoming his disability to compete at the London Olympics. She was discovered in a pool of blood before dawn Thursday by police called to Pistorius' upscale home in a gated community. Authorities said she had been shot four times, and a 9 mm pistol was recovered at the home.

Pistorius remains held at a police station pending a bail hearing Tuesday. Police have already said they'll oppose Pistorius being released before trial. A premeditated murder charge also makes it more difficult for his defense team to get bail. On Saturday afternoon, Pistorius' lawyers visited the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria, where the athlete is being held. His younger sister Aimee, who stood alongside Arnold Pistorius when he made his statement, also was at the police station later.

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TV show with Pistorius' dead girlfriend airs
Feb 16,`13 -- Reeva Steenkamp's last wish for her family before she was shot dead at boyfriend Oscar Pistorius' home was for them to watch her in a reality TV show that went on air in South Africa on Saturday night, two days after her killing.

Sharon Steenkamp, Reeva's cousin, told The Associated Press that the model and law graduate was "proud of being in the show" and reminded them in their last conversation to make sure that they watched it. The South African Broadcasting Corp. aired the "Tropika Island of Treasure" program, showing the late Steenkamp - the victim of a Valentine's Day shooting at the home of Pistorius, the Olympic star and double-amputee athlete. She is laughing and smiling, and blowing a kiss toward the camera in Jamaica when it was filmed last year. South Africans also saw her swimming in the ocean and watching people jump off a cliff and into the sea, shaking her head as they leaped.

SABC said it was dedicated to Steenkamp and displayed the words "Reeva Steenkamp 19 August 1983 - 14 February 2013" between images of a rose and a candle in a short tribute before the show aired. She was also seen blowing the kiss as she sat on a Jamaican beach and her name again appeared on screen with the years of her birth and death. The country was rocked Thursday when news broke of Steenkamp's shooting death at the upscale house of the star athlete. Pistorius was arrested and charged with her murder and remains in custody in a police station. His family has strongly denied prosecutors' claims that he murdered her.

Steenkamp's family said earlier Saturday that it had not been contacted by either the SABC - South Africa's national broadcaster - or the show's producers for permission to air it, but were not opposed to it because Reeva wanted everyone to see it. "Her last words to us personally were that she wants us to watch it," Sharon Steenkamp said, hours before the program was shown. SABC aired the reality show on its main channel, which prominently featured Steenkamp. The show's executive producer, Samantha Moon, said going ahead with the show "is what she would have wanted."

Steenkamp, a 29-year-old blonde model who graduated from law school, died after suffering four gunshot wounds, police said. Officers recovered a 9-mm pistol from Pistorius' house and quickly charged the Olympian with murder for Steenkamp's killing. Pistorius will appear in court Tuesday for a bail hearing, something police have said they oppose. Prosecutors also say they will pursue upgraded charges of premeditated murder against him, which means the disabled icon and double-amputee runner could face a life sentence. Steenkamp was known in South Africa for appearing in commercials and as a bikini-clad model in men's magazines.

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[PoliticalChic]

women are not safe in houses with guns

Are there guns in the White House?


Better make that intervention call NOW!!!

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

women are not safe in houses with guns

Are there guns in the White House?

Better make that intervention call NOW!!!

Libs are all about their exceptions and waivers.

 

[waltky]

Pistorius gettin' the sympathy vote...

Agent: Oscar has received 'overwhelming support'
Feb 17,`13 -- Oscar Pistorius has received "overwhelming support" from his fans, his agent said Sunday, as he remained in custody in a South African police station charged with the shooting murder of his model girlfriend.

Peet van Zyl said outside the Brooklyn police station soon after visiting Pistorius that "a lot of fans" had sent their good wishes. Van Zyl said the support was "really on a global scale. South African fans, international fans from literally all over the world." Van Zyl said he visited Pistorius primarily to discuss his running career and would not respond to a question about the mental and emotional state of the 26-year-old athlete.

Pistorius broke down and wept at his first court appearance on Friday after he was charged with the murder of model and reality TV show contestant Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot multiple times in his house in the early hours of Thursday. "I am not going to comment on anything except that (what) is related to his athletics career at this point in time," Van Zyl told reporters outside the police station in the South African capital, Pretoria. Van Zyl called Steenkamp's killing tragic and said he visited Pistorius as a friend as well as an agent. "Obviously from a management side and also as a friend, it's a tragic circumstance," Van Zyl said, "and we can only give Oscar our support at this point in time."

The main point of the visit was to update the multiple Paralympic champion and Olympic athlete on his crumbling track career and the situation with his sponsors, which were now expected to step back from their association with the world's most famous disabled athlete. Van Zyl would release a statement either later Sunday or on Monday, he said, with exact details of the races and sponsorship deals that were now affected by Pistorius' arrest and murder charge. He told The Associated Press on Saturday that he had begun canceling races for Pistorius scheduled for 2013, including Diamond League appearances and exhibition runs against fellow Paralympic champions Alan Oliveria of Brazil and Jonnie Peacock of Britain.

Sunday was likely the first time that Pistorius was told about the cancelations. "The nature of my visit was on a professional manner to discuss his career and the plans that we had made for this year with the IAAF (world) championships in Moscow as the main goal for this year," Van Zyl said. "We obviously just discussed the races and the contracts that had been signed and secured for this year and also to keep him up to date with regard to the sponsors." Sportswear giant Nike and eyewear manufacturer Oakley are among Pistorius' big-name sponsors.

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Police find bloody cricket bat at Pistorius’ house
Mon, Feb 18, 2013 - ‘LOTS OF BLOOD’: Police sources told the ‘City Press’ paper that Steenkamp’s skull had been ‘crushed,’ but said she might have used the bat to defend herself

South African police have found a bloodied cricket bat at the home of Oscar Pistorius, a local newspaper reported yesterday, following the Valentine’s Day killing of his model girlfriend. The star Olympian and Paralympian athlete was charged on Friday with the murder of 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead at his luxury Pretoria home in a case that has gripped the world. Police sources close to the investigation told the independent City Press newspaper that Steenkamp’s skull had been “crushed.” “There was lots of blood on the bat,” one source told the paper. Police are investigating whether the bat was used to assault Steenkamp, who was shot four times in the early hours of Thursday, or if she used it to defend herself.

Police have dismissed initial suggestions that Pistorius, 26, could have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder, and City Press said she was wearing a nightie at the time of the killing. “The suspicion is that the first shot, in the bedroom, hit her in the hip. She then ran and hid herself in the toilet ... He fire three more shots,” a police source told City Press. Pistorius — a national icon who inspired people around the world when he became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympic Games last year — is spending the weekend in a police cell after being charged with murder.

He is due to apply for bail at a new court hearing tomorrow, the same day a memorial service will be held for his slain girlfriend. Pistorius, who had been going out with Steenkamp since late last year, faces a life sentence if convicted of premeditated murder, as alleged by state prosecutors. His family have indicated that the star athlete, who broke down sobbing during his initial court appearance on Friday, would plead not guilty. “We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the state’s own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all,” his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said in a statement on Saturday.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2013/02/18/2003555111

 

[waltky]

Mebbe he was doin' drugs or steroids...

Girlfriend's mom: Why did he do this?
Feb 18,`13 -- The family of Oscar Pistorius' slain girlfriend wants answers, her mother told a Johannesburg newspaper, as South Africans braced to hear why prosecutors believe a national hero murdered the model who was shot multiple times.

June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp's mother, told The Times in a front page interview published Monday: "Why? Why my little girl? Why did this happen? Why did he do this?" "Just like that she is gone," the newspaper quoted her as saying in what it described as an emotional telephone interview. "In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here." Pistorius, who remains in custody in a red-brick, one-story police station in Pretoria, is set to return to court Tuesday for the start of his bail hearing. It will be the first opportunity for the prosecution to describe evidence police gathered against the 26-year-old double-amputee runner and the reasons why he was charged with murder. Prosecutors allege the killing was premeditated.

Pistorius' family denies he committed murder though they have not addressed whether he shot her. When word first emerged about the killing there was speculation in the local media that Steenkamp had been mistaken for an intruder in Pistorius' home. Police have said that was not something they were considering. In an email to The Associated Press on Monday, Pistorius' longtime track coach - who was yet to comment - said he believes the killing was an accident. "I pray that we can all, in time, come through this challenging situation following the accident and I am looking forward to the day I can get my boy back on the track," Ampie Louw wrote in his statement. "I am still in shock following the heart-breaking events that occurred last week and my thoughts and prayers are with both of the families involved."

Pistorius' top sponsor, Nike, said in a brief statement to the AP on Monday that it "has no plans for Oscar Pistorius in upcoming campaigns." They declined to give any further information. While Pistorius goes to court, Steenkamp's funeral will also be held Tuesday in her hometown of Port Elizabeth on South Africa's southern coast, her family said. It is to be a private ceremony at a local crematorium, closed to the public and media. "We're just taking things one day at a time," Reeva Steenkamp's brother Adam Steenkamp said outside the family home. "But at the moment it's family coming together and the one person who would be the strongest, who held us all together, is unfortunately not here anymore - and that's my sister."

A 29-year-old blonde model, law graduate and reality TV contestant, Reeva Steenkamp died last week of multiple gunshot wounds inside Pistorius' upscale house in a gated community in the eastern suburbs of the capital, Pretoria. Police said they arrived in the predawn hours of Thursday - Valentine's Day - to find paramedics trying to revive Steenkamp and said that she had been shot four times. A 9 mm pistol was recovered from the scene. Pistorius was arrested and charged with murder the same day. Prosecutors said in Pistorius' first court appearance Friday that they would pursue a more serious premeditated murder charge against the Olympian and world's most high-profile disabled athlete.

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[waltky]

First he beat her with a cricket bat, den he shot her, now dey gonna burn her body...

Oscar Pistorius returns to court
19 February 2013 - South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is back in court in Pretoria for a bail hearing that may reveal details of the murder case against him.

He arrived wearing a blue suit and a tie before prosecutors began outlining their case - expected to be a charge of premeditated murder that he will deny. Mr Pistorius' girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead at his home on Thursday. Police recovered a hand gun. She is due to be cremated at a private ceremony in Port Elizabeth later. Tuesday's hearing - the first since Mr Pistorius broke down in court on Friday - began with the prosecutor saying the defendant had "shot an unarmed and innocent woman". The prosecution began outlining evidence against Mr Pistorius to support their argument that he should be denied bail before his trial begins.

Mr Pistorius is also likely to enter a plea for the first time. The athlete, who has both legs amputated below the knee, was held at a local police station over the weekend, and has not spoken publicly about Ms Steenkamp's death. But a statement released by Mr Pistorius's family suggests he will deny the charges being prepared against him. "The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms," it said. Meanwhile the family of Ms Steenkamp has spoken of its grief in a newspaper interview published on Monday. Speaking to the Times of South Africa, her mother June Steenkamp said: "All we want are answers... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."

The bail hearing is not expected to be televised after lawyers agreed there should be "no live recording" of proceedings. The case has aroused huge interest both in South Africa, where he is regarded as a national hero, and around the world. He rose to fame as one of the most recognisable faces of Paralympic sport, and the first double-amputee track athlete to race in the Olympics.

BBC News - Oscar Pistorius returns to court

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A look at the murder case facing Oscar Pistorius
Feb 18,`13 -- South Africa's prosecutors will begin explaining Tuesday why they accuse Olympian Oscar Pistorius of committing murder in the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius hasn't entered a plea in the case, though his family has said they strongly deny the 26-year-old double-amputee runner committed murder. They have not, however, denied outright that Pistorius shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law school graduate who is featured in a South African reality television show. Here are some facts about the case that has shaken a nation that idolized the runner:

THE BLADE RUNNER

Pistorius made history in the London Games last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympics. He's known as "the Blade Runner," a nickname that plays off the high-tech carbon-fiber blades that he races on. Pistorius had both legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday because of a congenital condition, and campaigned for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes. He was initially banned because of his blades - which critics said gave him an unfair advantage - before being cleared by sport's highest court in 2008. In 2011, he won a silver medal at the world championships having been the first amputee runner to ever compete there.

THE MODEL GIRLFRIEND

Steenkamp is a local celebrity in South Africa, known for appearing in both domestic and international commercials. She's also known for her vampy, bikini-clad photo spreads in men's magazines. She was named one of the world's 100 Sexiest Women for two years running by FHM magazine. She met Pistorius in November at a race track near Johannesburg and ended up accompanying him to a sports award show the same night, a mutual friend has said. She also was a contestant on "Tropika Island of Treasure 5," a reality television show sponsored by a milk-fruit drink now being aired on South Africa's national broadcaster SABC.

THE VALENTINE'S DAY KILLING

In the predawn hours of Feb. 14, police officers arrived to Pistorius' home in a gated community in the suburbs of South Africa's capital, Pretoria. There, police say they found paramedics trying to resuscitate Steenkamp, whose body lay in a pool of her own blood. Police say officers found a 9 mm pistol and arrested Pistorius, who they say was the only other person in the home at the time of the shooting. Pistorius later underwent DNA testing and had samples of his blood collected. Investigators also conducted an autopsy on Steenkamp's body, though police declined to give any information about what they found. They have said she was shot multiple times in the attack. Police have not offered a motive for the killing and Pistorius' uncle Arnold later said that "the state's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or murder as such."

PISTORIUS' PAST

 

[waltky]

Premeditated murder carries life w/o parole in So. Africa...

Pistorius: Thought lover an intruder in shooting
Feb 19,`13 -- Oscar Pistorius wept Tuesday as his defense lawyer read the athlete's account of how he shot his girlfriend to death on Valentine's Day, claiming he had mistaken her for an intruder.

Prosecutors, however, told a packed courtroom that the double-amputee known as the Blade Runner intentionally and mercilessly shot and killed 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp model as she cowered inside a locked bathroom. Pistorius told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court at a bail hearing he felt vulnerable in the presence of an intruder inside the bathroom because he did not have on his prosthetic legs on, and fired into the bathroom door. In a major point of contention that has already emerged, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Pistorius took the time to put on his prostheses, walked seven meters (yards) from the bed to the enclosed toilet inside his bathroom and only then opened fire. Three of the bullets hit Steenkamp of the four that were fired into the door, Nel said.

Pistorius said in his sworn statement that after o0pening fire, he realized that Steenkamp was not in his bed. "It filled me with horror and fear," Pistorius said. The 26-year-old Olympian said he put on his prosthetic legs and tried to kick down the door before finally giving up and bashing it in with a cricket bat. Inside, he said he found Steenkamp, slumped over. He said he lifted her bloodied body into his arms and tried to carry her downstairs to seek medical help. But by then, it was too late. "She died in my arms," the athlete said.

The Valentine's Day shooting death hocked South Africans and many around the world who idolized Pistorius for overcoming adversity to become a sports champion, competing in the London Olympics last year in track besides being a Paralympian. Steenkamp was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV program that was broadcast on Saturday, two days after her death. Nel charged Pistorius with premeditated murder and said the athlete opened fire after they engaged in a shouting match. "She couldn't go anywhere. You can run nowhere," Nel said. "It must have been horrific." A conviction of premeditated murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in jail.

Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that Pistorius must face the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. That means Pistorius' lawyers must offer "exceptional" reasons for the athlete to be free before trial, besides simply giving up his two South African passports and posting a cash bond. Pistorius sobbed softly as his lawyer, Barry Roux, insisted the shooting was an accident and that there was no evidence to substantiate a murder charge. "Was it to kill her, or was it to get her out?" he asked about the broken-down door. "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."

Pistorius' emotional outbursts again played a part in how the hearing progessed, as it did during an initial hearing Friday. At one point, Nair stopped the hearing after Pistorius wept as Roux read a portion of the athlete's statement describing how Steenkamp bought him a Valentine's Day present, but wouldn't let him open it the night before. "Maintain your composure," the magistrate said. "You need to apply your mind here." Pistorius' voice quivered when he answered: "Yes, my lordship."

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[waltky]

Apparently the police are able to connect the dots...

Police: No inconsistencies in Pistorius account
20 Feb.`13 — A police detective testified at Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing Wednesday that authorities have not found any inconsistencies in the star athlete's description of his shooting of his girlfriend — a killing Pistorius says was accidental but which prosecutors call murder.

The second day of the bail hearing in a case that has riveted South Africa and much of the world appeared at first to go against the double-amputee runner, with prosecutor Gerrie Nel saying a witness can testify to hearing "non-stop talking, like shouting" between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. before the predawn shooting on Valentine's Day. Pistorius said in an affidavit read in court Tuesday that he and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and budding reality TV star, had gone to bed and that when he awoke during the night he detected what he thought was an intruder in the bathroom. He testified that he grabbed his 9 mm pistol and fired into the door of a toilet enclosed in the bathroom, only to discover later to his horror that Steenkamp was there, mortally wounded. The prosecution alleged the couple had a fight before he fired shots.

Under cross-examination by the defense, police Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha acknowledged that the witness who allegedly overheard the argument was 600 meters (yards) from Pistorius' house, where the shooting occurred. Later, prosecutor Nel re-questioned Botha, and the detective said the distance was actually much closer. Pistorius, the first Paralympian runner to compete at the Olympics, is charged with premeditated murder in the case. The prosecution attempted to cement its argument that the couple had a shouting match, that Steenkamp fled and locked herself into the toilet stall of the bathroom and that Pistorius fired four shots through the door, hitting her with three bullets.

Botha added: "I believe that he knew that Reeva was in the bathroom and he shot four shots through the door." When asked if the police found anything inconsistent with the version of events presented by Pistorius, Botha responded that they had not. However Botha — who has 24 years' experience as a policeman and 16 as a detective — presented evidence that appears to disagree with Pistorius' account. Botha said the trajectory of the bullets showed the gun was fired pointed down and from a height. This seems to conflict with Pistorius' statement Tuesday, because the athlete said that he was on his stumps and feeling vulnerable because he was in a low position when he opened fired.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has said the killing was premeditated because Pistorius took time to put on his prosthetic legs before the shooting. Nel projected a plan of the bedroom and bathroom for the courtroom and argued Pistorius had to walk past his bed to get to the bathroom and could not have done so without realizing Steenkamp was not in the bed. "There's no other way of getting there," Nel said.

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Oscar Pistorius case: Lawyers dispute substance found in room, witness accounts of screaming
Feb. 20, 2013 - Police say they found two boxes of testosterone and needles in the bedroom of Oscar Pistorius, the Olympian who has been charged with murder in the shooting of his girlfriend.

Detective Hilton Botha made the revelation Wednesday in testimony at the bail hearing for the athlete charged with premeditated murder (video) in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The detective also told the court that a neighbor reported hearing a gun shot, followed by screaming, and then more gun shots. The defense noted that the same witness -- who they claim lives at least 600 yards away from Pistorius' home -- seemed to have reported hearing a total number of gunshots that did not line up with forensic evidence from the scene.

Police also said Wednesday that additional charges should be filed against Pistorius for possession of .38 caliber ammunition, which they said was illegal as the track star is not licensed to own any weapons of the same caliber. The discovery of the alleged testosterone raises the possibility that the double-amputee Olympian and Paralympian might have been using performance-enhancing substances. His defense team was quick to deny the substance found was any sort of illegal drug, claiming it was only a legal herbal remedy commonly used by athletes. Correspondent Emma Hurd, reporting from the court for CBS News, said the dramatic bail hearing is fast turning into a sort of trial within a trial.

Botha, the detective in charge of the investigation, told the court he arrived at Pistorius' house in the early hours of Valentine's Day to find Reeva Steemkamp dead at the bottom of the stairs, wearing white shorts and a tank top, with her body covered in towels. Hurd said that according to Botha, Pistorius said he thought there was a burglar, but didn't say anything else to him. The athlete sobbed as the detective said Steemkamp had suffered three bullet wounds to the right side of her body -- one in her head, another in her arm and one in her hip. Pistorius' defense seemed focused Wednesday on showing a bias against the famous runner on the part of the police investigators.

Hurd reported that his lawyers forced detective Botha in their cross examination to admit that the female witnesses who spoke of hearing the screams and gunshots was about half a mile away at the time. The detective also conceded that there were no defensive wounds on Steenkamp's body, and no apparent inconsistencies in Pistorius' version of events. The day's events seemed to overwhelm the star athlete. He spent much of the day in tears as prosecutors in South Africa revealed new details about their premeditated murder case against him, reports CBS News' Tina Kraus. Pistorius became the first Paralympian runner to compete at the Olympic Games in London last year. The 26-year-old track star has insisted he shot Steenkamp, 29, by mistake, fearing there was an intruder in his gated and guarded luxury complex in the capital, Pretoria.

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[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - the cops is tryin' to frame him so's he'd lose his sports contracts...

SAfrica police: Pistorius detective faces charges
21 Feb.`13 — The lead investigator in the murder case against Oscar Pistorius faces attempted murder charges himself over a 2011 shooting, police said Thursday.

The prosecution said they were unaware of the charges against the detective when they put him on the stand in court to explain why Pistorius should not be given bail. Police Brig. Neville Malila told The Associated Press that detective Hilton Botha — who gave testimony in the Pistorius bail hearing on Wednesday — is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder. The charges relate to an incident in October 2011, when Botha and two other police officers fired shots at a minibus, Malila said. Malila said police learned Wednesday, the same day that Botha appeared in court to oppose Pistorius' bail application, that the charges against Botha and the two others had been reinstated by the Director of Public Prosecutions. They were initially dropped following the shooting incident. Malila said police were waiting for details from the Botha case file from the prosecutor.

Medupe Simasiku, the spokesman for the prosecutors charging Pistorius with premeditated murder, said he couldn't say how the charges against Botha would affect their case against Pistorius. It was clear they could undermine it, however. "The (Pistorius) prosecutors were not aware of those charges (against Botha)," Simasiku, of the National Prosecution Agency, said. "We are calling up the information so we can get the details of the case. From there we can take action and see if we remove him from the investigation or if he stays." On Wednesday, the prosecution case against Pistorius began to unravel with revelations of a series of police blunders and Botha's admission that authorities have no evidence challenging the double-amputee Olympic athlete's claim he killed his girlfriend accidentally. Pistorius faces a charge of premeditated murder, but says he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp accidentally with a licensed firearm after thinking she was a dangerous intruder in his house.

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the barrage that killed Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene. Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area. He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in multiple Paralympic champion Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was. The prosecution conceded laboratory tests on the substance weren't yet completed and so it was unclear what it was.

Pistorius' defense lawyer Barry Roux asserted that authorities were taking "every piece of evidence to try to extract the most possibly negative connotation and present it to the court." The case, which is still only in a bail hearing, has riveted much of the world with its dramatic developments as Pistorius, the man known as the Blade Runner for his famous carbon-fiber running prostheses, says he shot and killed model Steenkamp by mistake. Pistorius fired four shots through the locked door of a toilet enclosed inside his bathroom because he thought there was an intruder in there, he says. Prosecutors say he intended to kill the 29-year-old Steenkamp after a fight in the early hours of the morning.

SAfrica police: Pistorius detective faces charges - Yahoo! News

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Nike suspends contract with Oscar Pistorius
21 Feb.`13 — Nike Inc. has suspended its contract with Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee runner from South Africa charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine's Day slaying of his girlfriend.

Pistorius, who became the first double-amputee runner to compete on the track at the Olympics at last year's London Games, is accused of intentionally killing model Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and that the shooting was accidental. "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely," Nike said in a brief statement posted on its website Wednesday. On Monday, eyewear maker Oakley Inc. suspended its contract with Pistorius.

Nike dropped Lance Armstrong in October, citing insurmountable evidence that he participated in doping and misled the company about those activities for more than a decade. But the Beaverton, Ore.-based company stood by Tiger Woods after he acknowledged infidelities and went to rehab for sex addiction. Pistorius was born without fibula bones due to a congenital defect, and had his legs amputated at 11 months. He runs on carbon-fiber blades and was originally banned from competing against able-bodied peers because many argued that his blades gave him an unfair advantage.

In 2008, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared him to compete against the fastest in the world. Pistorius is a multiple Paralympic medalist, but he failed to win a medal at the London Olympics, where he ran in the 400 meters and on South Africa's 4x400 relay team. He won a silver medal with his country's 4x400 relay team at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Nike suspends contract with Oscar Pistorius - Yahoo! News

 

[waltky]

Pistorius granted bail...

Pistorius granted bail on murder charge
February 22, 2013 – South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was granted bail by a magistrate and won't have to remain in prison while awaiting trial on a charge of premeditated murder.

Pistorius had been jailed for more than a week since the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early morning hours of Valentine's Day. Prosecutors had asked to have the double-amputee runner remain in custody without bail for fear of flight risk and a danger to the community. The defense has argued that Pistorius believed he was shooting an intruder in his bathroom and mistakenly killed Steenkamp. Defense attorneys had also said Pistorius would be willing to surrender his passports and would pose no risk of fleeing to avoid the charge.

After a week of testimony and arguments in what turned into a mini-trial, South African Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair said Friday both sides failed to establish complete air-tight cases. "It is practically impossible for the state, within the matter of a week, to have all the pieces of the puzzle," Nair said while taking more than 1 1/2 hours to detail his decision. "The defense has failed to show this court that there is a weakness in the (state's) case," Nair stated. "The state cannot equally show that the state case is so strong and water tight that the applicant cannot come to the conclusion that he needs to flee and avoid the charge. "I cannot find that it has been established that the accused is a flight risk. The accused does not show a propensity to commit violence. "I come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be released on bail."

Pistorius was released on 1 million rand (nearly $113,000 U.S.), including a cash payment of 100,000 rand. He was forced to surrender his passports and other travel papers, and cannot enter airports or possess firearms. In addition, he must report to police twice a week, must be present at all court proceedings, must be available for contact from a probation officer at any time of day or night, and cannot return to the scene of the crime, meaning he will have to find a new home. The next court date for Pistorius is June 4.

Read more: Pistorius granted bail on murder charge | Fox News

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What's different? Pistorius and police on killing
Feb 22,`13 -- There are several key points where testimony at the Oscar Pistorius bail hearing conflicted between the prosecution and the defense.

KILLING

Prosecution: Pistorius knew his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was in the toilet stall when he fired through the door.

Pistorius: The shooting was a tragic accident; he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder.

PROSTHETICS

Prosecution: Pistorius, a double amputee, took the time to put on his prosthetic legs and walk to the bathroom where he fired the gun.

Pistorius: He did not put on the prosthetics and was on his stumps and felt vulnerable when he shot through the toilet door.

HE DIDN'T NOTICE STEENKAMP WAS NOT IN THE BED?

Prosecution: He had to go through the bedroom to get to the bathroom and must have known she was not in the bed.

Pistorius: It was dark in the bedroom. He thought she was asleep in bed.

SUBSTANCE DISCOVERED

Prosecution: At one point, Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha told the court that police found syringes and two boxes of testosterone in Pistorius' bedroom - testimony the prosecution later withdrew, saying it was too early to identify the substance, which was still being tested.

Pistorius' lawyer: It's an herbal remedy - not a steroid or a banned substance.

WAS THERE AN ARGUMENT?

 

[waltky]

Steenkamp's dealin' with grief...

Grief Besets Family of Pistorius’ Slain Girlfriend
Feb. 23, 2013 - — Far from the courtroom drama that has gripped South Africa, the family of Oscar Pistorius’ slain girlfriend has struggled with its own private deluge of grief, frustration and bewilderment.

The victim’s relatives also harbor misgivings about efforts by the Olympian’s family to reach out to them with condolences. Pistorius, meanwhile, spent Saturday at his uncle’s home in an affluent suburb of Pretoria, the South African capital, after a judge released him on bail following days of testimony that transfixed South Africa and much of the world. He was charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day, but the athlete says he killed her accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her for an intruder in his home. “We are extremely thankful that Oscar is now home,” his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said in a statement that also acknowledged the law must run its course. “What happened has changed our lives irrevocably.”

The Pistorius family took steps to lower its profile on social media after someone hacked into the Twitter account of his older brother, Carl, family spokesman Janine Hills said. “Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva,” Hills said in a statement. “We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar’s brother and his sister.”

Mike Steenkamp, Reeva’s uncle, told The Associated Press that the family of the double-amputee athlete initially did not send condolences or try to contact the bereaved parents, but had since sought to reach out in what he described as a poorly timed way. After Pistorius was released on bail in what amounted to a victory for the defense, Arnold Pistorius said the athlete’s family was relieved but also in mourning “with the family” of Reeva Steenkamp. “Everybody wants to jump up with joy,” Mike Steenkamp said, speculating on the mood of Pistorius’ family after the judge’s decision. “I think it was just done in the wrong context, completely.”

A South African newspaper, the Afrikaans-language Beeld, quoted the mother of Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, law school graduate and participant in a television reality show, as saying the family had received a bouquet of flowers and a card from the Pistorius family. “Yes, but what does it mean? Nothing,” June Steenkamp said, according to the Saturday edition of Beeld. She also said Pistorius’ family, including sister Aimee, a somber presence on the bench behind the Olympian during his court hearings in the past week, must be “devastated” and had done nothing wrong. “They are not to blame,” June Steenkamp said. According to Beeld, she said she had hoped to plan a wedding for her daughter one day.

Read more: Grief Besets Family of Pistorius? Slain Girlfriend | TIME.com

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Pistorius must live with conscience, Steenkamp father says
23 February 2013 - South African athlete Oscar Pistorius "will have to live with his conscience" over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, her father has said.

Barry Steenkamp was speaking a day after the Paralympic champion was freed on bail pending his trial. Mr Pistorius, 26, admits shooting Ms Steenkamp, 29, but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder. "If it didn't happen the way he says it did he must suffer and he will suffer," her father told Beeld newspaper. "It does not matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he will have to live with his conscience," Mr Steenkamp said. "But if he speaks the truth, I can perhaps some day forgive him," he added.

Reeva Steenkamp was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career. She was shot dead in the toilet of Oscar Pistorius's home in the early hours of 14 February - Valentine's Day. Mr Pistorius admits firing the shots through a locked door but says he thought he was firing at an intruder, not the woman he says he loved. He was released on bail on Friday after eight days in police custody. A magistrate ruled that the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that he had a violent character. The next hearing is set for 4 June.

'Immense relief'

Mr Pistorius is currently staying at his uncle's house in the upmarket suburb of Waterkloof in Pretoria. His uncle Arnold said his family and friends felt "immense relief" on hearing he had been granted bail. "What happened has changed our lives irrevocably," Arnold Pistorius said. "Oscar will never be the same, having lost his love and at the same time having to live with the knowledge that he caused the death of the woman he loved," he said in a family statement.

Arnold Pistorius said the family was "acutely aware" that this was the start of a long road to prove he never meant to harm Ms Steenkamp. "We realise the law must run its course, and we would not have it any other way," he said. Reeva Steenkamp's mother June told Beeld that she had received a bouquet of flowers from the Pistorius family. "But what does it mean?" she asked. "Nothing".

Argument?

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Rowdy buncha red-necks, ain't dey?...

Pistorius' brother facing culpable homicide charge
February 24, 2013 - The family of South African Paralympic hero Oscar Pistorius said Sunday that his older brother, Carl, is facing a charge of culpable homicide related to a 2008 road crash, and that the charge will be vigorously contested.

The legal problems of Carl Pistorius came to light days after a judge granted bail to Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee dubbed the "blade runner" for the carbon-fiber legs on which he runs. Lawyer Kenny Oldwage said in a statement issued by public relations firm Vuma Reputation Management that Carl had been involved in a crash "in which a woman motorcyclist sadly lost her life." He said "there is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court." "Following the accident culpable homicide charges were brought against Carl Pistorius, but the charges were later withdrawn by the state," he said. The National Prosecuting Authority's deputy public prosecutor later reinstated the charges.

E-News Channel Africa reported that the case was provisionally withdrawn but was reinstated "under pressure from the woman's family" who claimed there was evidence of negligence on the part of Carl Pistorius. "Carl deeply regrets the accident," Oldwage said, adding that the motorcyclist collided with Carl's car. The crash took place in Vanderbijlpark, an hour's drive south of Johannesburg. Blood tests conducted by the police at the time proved that Carl Pistorius had not been under the influence of alcohol, South Africa's Mail and Guardian Online reported. The website said Carl Pistorius appeared in court Thursday, the day before bail was granted to his brother, but that Carl's trial was postponed until March.

Oscar Pistorius, 26, is charged with murder after shooting his model-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29, through the bathroom door of his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day. He admits shooting Steenkamp but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder. His next court date is scheduled for June 4. On Monday, Oscar Pistorius must sign in at a suburban Pretoria police station, a twice-weekly ritual to fulfill part of his bail conditions. Pistorius is staying at his uncle's villa in the Waterkloof, also in suburban Pretoria.

MORE

 

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Reeva's father wants to get to the truth of the matter...

Reeva Steenkamp's Father Wants 'Blade Runner' to Come Clean
Feb. 25, 2013 - In their first televised interview since their daughter was shot to death by her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp's parents said they want the world-famous Paralympian to come clean about what happened in his South African home on Valentine's Day.

Barry Steenkamp said he yearns for the truth about what happened prior to his daughter's being shot three times in the bathroom of Pistorius' Pretoria home. "It's only Oscar [and] Reeva that know the true story, and all I want is that he must just come out with the honest truth," he told the "Cart Blanche" television program Sunday on South African channel MNet.

In the emotional interview, Steenkamp's mother, June, described how police called her Feb. 14 asking whether she had a daughter: "I said, 'Yes,' and he said, 'There's been an accident, and she's been shot.' And I said, 'All I want to know is if she's alive or she's dead.' And he said, 'I'm sorry to have to tell you, but she's dead.'" Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed the Blade Runner for the carbon-fiber blades he uses, was granted bail Friday after an intense four-day hearing in a Pretoria courtroom. Pistorius, 26, says he killed Steenkamp, 29, accidentally, mistaking her for an intruder. But prosecutors allege that the killing was premeditated.

Barry Steenkamp told the Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper Suturday that Pistorius will have to "live with his conscience" and will "suffer" if his story that he shot Steenkamp because he believed she was an intruder is false. The saga took another twist Sunday with news that the runner's older brother, Carl Pistorius, is being charged in the 2008 death of a woman whose motorcycle collided with his car. In a statement, Carl Pistorius' lawyer said he is innocent of the crime. "There is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court," attorney Kenny Oldwage said.

Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide, or the unlawful negligent killing of another person. The charges were initially dropped, but later reinstated, Oldwage said in a statement. Meanwhile, the last image of Steenkamp emerged over the weekend. It shows her smiling as she drives up to the entrance of Pistorius' house. Hours later, she was shot dead. Oscar Pistorius' next court appearance will be June 4. He is believed to be staying at his uncle's house as he awaits trial.

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