I don't really think he had a motive per se. I think the killing was more about OP's own issues.
I think he had a temper & was controlling towards women.
I think he failed to win the 100 at the Paralympics - a race which he acted like was going to be his & is also the "glamour" race in track. I think that coming in second on that really weighed on him.
I think he was possibly in a period in his training where he was off steroids but compensating for that with the herbal supplement.
I think he didn't sleep well. I think he was not eating right & was instead relying on a diet of caffeine as well as consuming alcohol.
I think he felt some pressure on his romantic relationship due to the Valentine's Day timing - especially if this was truly the first time Reeva had stayed overnight.
I think he MAY have had issues with sexual performance (the herbal supplement is marketed as a treatment for "male weakness"). I think a failure in that department plus possibly Reeva getting a FB message from her handsome, able bodied Rugby (the game OP originally hoped to succeed in until an injury forced him to take up running instead) star ex set off a jealous fight that escalated out of control.
So I think this killing is all about OP and has virtually nothing to do with Reeva herself.
And before people go off on me about it - I know there is no evidence that OP used steroids. However it is my personal belief (based on everything I read) that athletes - especially in track - almost always use some form of steroids. New forms are constantly being invented to stay one step ahead of testing and banning. Just because it isn't illegal doesn't mean it isn't a form of steroid and it would have the same effect on a person. Especially if the athlete had a pattern of using the substance while training and then going off it for races so it wouldn't be detected and then going back on again after the races. That kind of yo-yoing is very common in athletes and can lead to a very precarious mental state.
Hi Nocturnal Lady, I am sorry I had not seen your post before today. Somehow I missed it. In my original post, I asked about what motives people thought led OP to murder Reeva - a girl who supposedly loved him and he loved her romantically at least.
I have bolded what I see as possible motives here. You have styated about eight which on their own, may not have been a strong enough motive but in combination could have been.
Some of those you mentioned are symptoms of depression. Depression is hidden anger. This depression could have escalated after the race you mentioned where he came second. I said that the depression could have escalated because he had had trouble sleeping earlier in his life when he told a journo that he got up and went to the shotting range when he could not sleep. I realise that Shane often reminds us that he thinks OP could have a caffeine dependency and does not eat well which is not good when one has insomnia. But not eating well or loss of apetite is also a sign of depression. As a high achiever, he would have hated himself for not winning that race and his self-hate or shame could have made his depression worse.
If he was on and off steroids and herbal supplements this might have also affected his mood. I assume his depression was untreated but if it was, he could have been taking antidepressants which combined with alcohol is not a good look. Untreated depression plus alcohol makes the depression worse.
All of these could have been factors in his state of (depressed) mind.
But why did he choose to murder Reeva that night and not commit suicide if he was so very depressed and full of hidden self-hatred that night?
For a start, narcissistic people rarely commit suicide as they blame others for their misfortunes or losses.
IMO Reeva could have been like a prize he wanted to win over like winning the gold medal at a "love" race. Having Reeva on his arm was important for his pseudo self-esteem which covered up his self-hatred and possible depression.
Reeva was possibly like a trophy girlfriend - someone he could show off to the media, friends and family. He desperately needed her in his life to make him feel good about himself. However, they might have been slow about getting into the bedroom activities as it had all been just show and superficiality before and after nine weeks, this was to be the night. After all they had had the company of the British housemate living there for the last four weeks so they had a chaperone, so to speak - so not much private time if the usual thing was for Reeva to be met half way by Cecil Myers around 10pm. OP, if he was depressed as well as having possible sexual and drinking problems, might not have wanted to rush things. Maybe he had not been taking the herbal supplement or homeopathic treatment very long so had been waiting for it to build up in his system.
So if Reeva was hoping (as her tweets alluded to) this was going to be the big night of romance, OP may have disappolnted her if he got drunk. OP may have unwittingly revealed his self-hatred and depression to her for the first time including
revealing some secrets he had never told anyone about before. Some of this may have been so shocking to Reeva seeing his other side that she said she was going to leave at 10.30pm as was her usual plan with Cecil Myers. OP might have felt threatened by her leaving as she might reveal these secrets, so he locked her in the bedroom (hid the key) and forced her to send a message to Cecil Myers on one of the phones or sent it himself. They could have continued talking with her trying to persuade him to let her go. He could have continued drinking (evidence of how many empty bottles were there would be interesting). She might have had more to drink too if she was nervous. He may have confiscated her phones so she could not call for help. OP may have demanded after midnight to see what messages Reeva had on her iPad (Facebook or email) to prove that she was not in contact with other men. He then could have got into a jealous rage and demanded that she delete them. Reeva tells him "They are just friends - nothing to be jealous about. You are too possessive of me. We have only known each other nine weeks!" Reeva all the time is trying to placate him as he is in a druken stupour by now.
By 2pm. OP becomes at least violent in words if not physically as well. Reeva is frozen with fear so starts shouting and screaming in case neighbours and security guards can hear her and come to her rescue. (Did the neighbours hear both female and male voices?) OP gets his gun and tells her to keep quiet or he will shoot her. OP lies down for a moment exhausted so Reeva grabs two phones and runs to the bathroom to call for help. He comes to and realises she is in the bathroom with the phones so he goes after her with his gun and tells her to put them down or he will shoot her. She rushes to the toilet and locks the door crouching down beside it.
And we know the rest.......with many possible variations both before and after.
So in summary, NocturnalLady, there must have been a multitude of factors which led up to OP's state of mind. They might not be called actual "motives" but what tipped him over the edge and made him turn on Reeva?
The Facebook message from Hougaard has always made sense to me if we are looking for just motive (jealousy) as a reason for him to pick up the gun.
But often people are killed because they know information (secrets) that they do not want exposed. That is my bet until we learn more.
What secrets could Reeva have known about OP that made him feel so threatened that night that he had to kill her? My guess is possible use of steroids in the past (not that night).
What do you think?
