‘Legless man’ Oscar Pistorius and his twisted testimony in the murder of his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day

From a widely admired sports hero, Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius became a murderer when he murdered his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.

In early 2024, Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, a South African, was released after nine years in prison for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to death.

The case rocked South Africa 11 years ago and turned the Paralympic champion into a murderer, according to Oxygen news site.

Who is Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius?

Oscar Pistorius was once considered a symbol of perseverance around the world.

Pistorius lost both legs below the knee as a child due to a congenital condition, but he never let his disability slow him down and went on to become an Olympic athlete. As a result, Pistorius has been dubbed “the world’s fastest legless runner”.
Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius in a South African court in 2016. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Pistorius ran the race using a specially designed carbon fibre device that attached to his leg and resembled a blade, earning him the nickname “Blade Runner”.

“I believe that certain things in my life have changed my personality in a positive way despite my disability,” Pistorius told NBC in an interview.

Paralympic champion specializing in 100m, 200m and 400m distances, winner of many international awards in competitions for people with disabilities and champion of 3 Paralympic Games 2004, 2008 and 2012.

In 2012, Pistorius made history at the 2012 London Olympics by racing against non-disabled athletes.

After the incident , Pistorius quickly became a beloved hero, and earned many advertising contracts. However, the Paralympic champion also regularly received death threats or threats from people who wanted to exploit his wealth during that period.

Legal reporter Karyn Maughan described the Paralympic champion as someone who was constantly afraid. “He literally carried a loaded 9mm gun with him at all times,” Ms Maughan said.

Who is the victim?

In November 2012, Pistorius met Reeva Steenkamp, ​​a 29-year-old model and aspiring young lawyer.

Ms. Steenkamp was described as beautiful, intelligent and often helping people in need.

“She had an unbelievable personality. She had an unbelievable heart,” said Warren Lahoud, Ms. Steenkamp’s ex-boyfriend.

From the outside, Ms Steenkamp and Mr Pistorius looked like the perfect couple. However, after a few months of dating, a horrific event changed both of their lives forever.

Pistorius told authorities that at around 3:20 a.m. on February 14, 2013, he woke up because he heard strange sounds and thought there was an intruder.

“I felt a sense of dread come over me,” said Mr Pistorius.

Mr Pistorius said he was “too scared to turn on the light” and then took the gun and hid it under the bed. Mr Pistorius believed someone was hiding in the bathroom and locked the door, so he went to the bathroom door.

“Before I knew it, I had fired four shots into the door. My ears were ringing. I couldn’t hear anything so I screamed. I kept screaming for Reeva to call the police,” Pistorius said.
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp at a party. Photo: REX FEATURES
Mr Pistorius then returned to bed and discovered his girlfriend Steenkamp was not there.

Thinking his girlfriend might be in the bathroom, Mr Pistorius said he grabbed a sports stick and broke down the bathroom door. There, he saw Ms Steenkamp lying on the floor, shot multiple times.

“I sat next to Reeva and I cried. She was not breathing,” Mr Pistorius said.

Investigate

Through the investigation , police discovered that some of Pistorius’ statements were untrue.

Police found Ms. Steenkamp’s cell phone in the bathroom. Ms. Steenkamp was fully clothed, suggesting she may have attempted to leave the home.

Pistorius’ next-door neighbor also testified that she heard loud fighting between the two men, more than an hour before the shooting. Other neighbors also testified that they heard a woman screaming before hearing the gunshots.

“Her screams were terrifying. I knew something terrible was happening in that house,” a neighbor testified.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Pistorius was jealous. They also found text messages between the two of them, three weeks before the shooting.

“I didn’t have any intimate conversations with anyone today. Sometimes I’m scared of you and the way you snap at me,” Ms. Steenkamp wrote in a post.

Evidence also showed that Ms Steenkamp had a brief meeting with her ex-boyfriend 36 hours before the incident, raising suspicions that Mr Pistorius became jealous after hearing about the meeting.

However, Mr Pistorius has strongly denied the prosecution’s allegation that he had argued with his girlfriend Steenkamp before the incident.

“There is no honest evidence that can show that I fired because of an ‘argument’. There was no argument. The allegation that I wanted to kill Reeva is not true,” he said.

Mr Pistorius’s lawyers described the shooting as a tragic accident. They told the court that Mr Pistorius acted in self-defence after mistaking his girlfriend Steenkamp for an intruder.

Convicted and acquitted

In 2014, the judge who heard the case found Pistorius guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to five years in prison. However, in 2017, a higher court reviewed the case and upgraded the conviction to murder. As a result, Pistorius was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.

According to NBC News , Pistorius will be released on January 5, 2024, after serving nine years of his sentence.

To be released early, Pistorius must attend anger management courses and a domestic violence program. According to the AP , Pistorius is also banned from speaking to the media until 2029.