Theory Thread - What happened at Pistorius' house on the night of Feb. 13, 2013?

[liesbeth]

BBM in red.... You are spot on!! This is exactly what they are trying to accomplish... and it failed miserably.

There can be no dispute that Reeva's head was toilet level when shot because of the broken hair and brain matter on the toilet lid. sorry
There's just no way around that physical fact.

And using the bullet hole in the door as a guide, she had to be sitting on top of the magazine rack in order for the height to work.

The magazine rack is very important because of this and once again... it was PROVEN that Oscar lied about the position of the rack. OP needed her to be on the floor because of exactly what Liesbeth said above. But the ballistics do not work out.

If her head had been shot while in mid-fall, like the Defense is asserting through their "expert" Dixon, then there would have been blood spray and brain matter higher up on the bathroom walls. And there is not.

I wish I had your way with words. And I wish I'd remembered the blood spray because, now that you've pointed it out, it makes even more sense. Thank you.

 

[lisasalinger]

Thanks very much Lisa ...I love your posts, and your website is outstanding. You should get a webbie award for that, if not a generous book offer.:loveyou:

Snipped

Haha, I'll happily take a webbie or a book offer! I'm really glad you guys like it. :tyou:

I do have some thoughts on evolving the site and will soon start thinking about which case(s) to cover next.

 

[lisasalinger]

I remember hearing testimony (and I can't remember who testified) that the bathroom/toilet lights are all connected to one switch. So, when you turn the "bathroom" lights on... the "toilet" light is on. I looked through all the pictures and can't locate a light switch inside the toilet.

Do you have any memory of that testimony about the lights all being controlled by one switch?


JMO

I do recall that testimony. They were all controlled by one switch and that switch was located at the beginning of the bathroom. I took that to mean at the very beginning of the tiled portion. But I haven't been able to find a pic yet that shows the bathroom switch.

 

[Cymbaline]

I do recall that testimony. They were all controlled by one switch and that switch was located at the beginning of the bathroom. I took that to mean at the very beginning of the tiled portion. But I haven't been able to find a pic yet that shows the bathroom switch.

I found the testimony.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2014/04/15/the-oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-day-23

Dixon told the court the light switch for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door.

"The toilet light was not working," he said.

 

[Cymbaline]

I don't remember OP talking about the broken toilet light at all.

It's strange.

 

[liesbeth]

I found the testimony.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2014/04/15/the-oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-day-23

Dixon told the court the light switch for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door.

"The toilet light was not working," he said.

Dr. Stipp wasn't sure. But Mrs. Stipp said she saw light in the toilet. If there were holes in the toilet door then light from the bathroom could have filtered in. And sound from inside the toilet could easily be heard outside.

 

[Noisy Fan]

Is it possible to shoot an air rifle without it being loaded? To just shoot it to scare someone?

Yes, from the look of the rifle it appears to be a spring compression type. They are single shot and you compress the spring this way ...

How To *advertiser censored* A Break Barrel Air Rifle - YouTube

However, they are quiet compared to a powder charge weapon and I believe OP had a silencer on his as well. It would make a "phhhtt" sound ... not that scary ...

 

[Really?]

Any thoughts on the "broken" toilet room light?

I don't think it was really broken at the time of the shooting and it needs to be dark for his defense to work. I think OP disabled that light in someway after he shot her.


JMO

I'm wondering also about that broken light. What was it?......a blown bulb?

a broken light switch?

Maybe since OP saw Reeva whilst shooting her......after he drug her body out of the loo he then broke the bulb to say he could not have seen her. ???

 

[Cymbaline]

Dr. Stipp wasn't sure. But Mrs. Stipp said she saw light in the toilet. If there were holes in the toilet door then light from the bathroom could have filtered in. And sound from inside the toilet could easily be heard outside.

Did OP testify about how the toilet light?

It makes even less sense that Reeva would use the toilet with the broken light and not switch on the bathroom light. How ironic is it that they are both on the same switch?

I wonder if the defense has anyone to testify about the toilet light. Was it broken or was the bulb just burned out?

 

[Cymbaline]

I'm wondering also about that broken light. What was it?......a blown bulb?

a broken light switch?

Maybe since OP saw Reeva whilst shooting her......after he drug her body out of the loo he then broke the bulb to say he could not have seen her. ???

Not the light switch.

"Dixon told the court the light switch for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door."


So, that means when you switch on the bathroom light the toilet light is on.
The toilet light doesn't have it's own switch.

 

[Britlaws]

I haven't been here in a week and sooo many posts to read now! But has anyone listened to the audio played at Byron Smith's trial where he shot the teenagers? Truly shocking The poor girl screamed in between multiple shots before he finished her off. What kind of person can keep shooting at a screaming woman? If OP's case was an accident, he would have heard her scream or cry in pain or something after the first shot, and it's that which I can't get past.

 

[lisasalinger]

Did OP testify about how the toilet light?

It makes even less sense that Reeva would use the toilet with the broken light and not switch on the bathroom light. How ironic is it that they are both on the same switch?

I wonder if the defense has anyone to testify about the toilet light. Was it broken or was the bulb just burned out?

BBM

And this is precisely, again, the problem that Oscar has. His seemingly simple intruder story actually makes no sense at all when you break it down. None of it works.

The defense did have someone testify about the light, Dixon. Roux asked him if the light was working when he was at the crime scene investigating, and he said no. There you go... That's how the defense presents evidence. And IIRC, Oscar did not explain why or how it broke.

 

[wb180]

Isn't it funny that RS has time to put up her hands after the first shot as confirmed by experts but people are arguing she had no time to scream?!

Seriously....

 

[Cherwell]

I found the testimony.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2014/04/15/the-oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-day-23

Dixon told the court the light switch for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door.

"The toilet light was not working," he said.

Not the light switch.

"Dixon told the court the light switch for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door."


So, that means when you switch on the bathroom light the toilet light is on.
The toilet light doesn't have it's own switch.

Is that the only reference? Because from that I wouldn't infer that there's only one switch. Why would he say "on the same panel" if there's only one? It makes more sense that there are separate switches. Sure this isn't what was meant?

"Dixon told the court the light switches for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door."

Need to listen to the direct testimony to be sure.

 

[Cymbaline]

Is that the only reference? Because from that I wouldn't infer that there's only one switch. Why would he say "on the same panel" if there's only one? It makes more sense that there are separate switches. Sure this isn't what was meant?

"Dixon told the court the light switches for both the bathroom and the toilet cubicle were on the same panel outside the bathroom door."

Need to listen to the direct testimony to be sure.

Where are you hearing "switches"




10:20 to 11:03

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JJaLgTIvNlY

 

[Ncl1968]

If the main bathroom light works and the toilet one did not why on earth would reeva not have turned on the main bathroom light on to use the toilet.. I presume she would have at that time of the morning since op said it was too dark to see

 

[Cherwell]

Where are you hearing "switches"

Fair enough, he actually says "The bathroom and toilet - all the lights are controlled by one light switch at the entrance to the bathroom". That is clear. The paraphrase in the newspaper report which you quoted was ambiguous. I didn't want to have to listen through his testimony, so thanks for clearing that up.

 

[BritsKate]

That may well be true. All we know for a fact is that she did not call or text anyone to tell them that she and Oscar were having a row. Could it be because they were having a row and Oscar had her captive and would not allow here to use a phone. It could be.

But here is where I have a problem with a lot of theories being turned into Theories, it seems when the simple explanation is to the benefit of Oscars version, then the simple explanation is dismissed, but when the simple explanation seems to go against Oscars version of events it is deemed the only explanation possible.

I actually quite like simple scenarios - an argument turning into a murder is actually both common and simple. I have absolutely no problem envisioning Oscar not allowing Reeva to walk out the door because again, it is common for someone with an abusive personality to do. What I like even more than simple scenarios is using the evidence that's been presented...we have evidence of an argument that certainly does not fit with Reeva quietly getting up just to use the loo in the middle of the night and becoming the victim of an accidental tragedy.

 

[DebinGA]

If the main bathroom light works and the toilet one did not why on earth would reeva not have turned on the main bathroom light on to use the toilet.. I presume she would have at that time of the morning since op said it was too dark to see

Oh, goody, a justifiable reason to mention once again that both Dr. Stipp ("several moments" after) and Annette Stipp ("immediately" after) the first bangs around 3:00 (and during Reeva's continuing screams IIRC and through the final bangs and beyond) noted OP's bathroom light in the area he fired his shots was "clearly" ON.

 

[homegirl]

Ugh, I know. I don't want to just let go of the air rifle and the holes in the bedroom door... and the contusions on Reeva's back (that certainly do look like they could be from pellet(s).

From reports that I've read, the Medical Examiner said the back contusions could have been caused by blunt force or projectiles (I have to paraphrase here of course because we didn't hear the report first hand.)

But why would Mangena and Nel not present the possibility of a pellet hitting her, considering the door evidence?

I just can't understand why it wasn't brought up at all while Mangena and OP gave their testimonies. Any thoughts?

I took a couple of screen shots to the hole in the bedroom door. I sharpened them in Photoshop. The first one is of the TV room side of the door. It looks like and entrance hole to me because the splinters go inwards.



The next one is the hole from the bedroom side of the door. I wasn't as successful at sharpening because the highlights are blown out. There is one splinter which can be seen fairly clearly. It appears to be going outwards.



If that is correct, the "pellet?" was fired from the TV side of the door.

I believe that Mangena was correct is saying that the marks on Reeva's back were caused by fragments ricocheting off the wall.

It do wonder why Nel didn't ask more about the bedroom door. And it is truly puzzling to me as to why he did not question OP more about the bathroom. He just kind of let OP say that he did not remember where anything was.