Media Links **NO DISCUSSION**

[Estelle]

Oscar Pistorius granted bail ahead of murder trial

Though the judge admitted he has problems with Pistorius' account of the night he allegedly shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, he set the Olympian free on bail, citing mistakes made by the prosecution.

By Michelle Kosinski, Rohit Kachroo and Ian Johnston, NBC News

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius was granted bail Friday pending his trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

<modsnip>

On the fourth day of his bail hearing Friday, Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair told the court that he had "come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be granted bail."

There was a cry of "yes" from the public gallery after his decision and his relatives embraced, cried and prayed.

In contrast to the joy of his relatives, Pistorius looked very upset.

Nair spoke for more than 90 minutes prior to announcing his decision, summarizing the testimony given to the four-day hearing, citing previous cases and the relevant laws.

<modsnip>

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...orius-granted-bail-ahead-of-murder-trial?lite

 

[Patticake]

From today, 59 minutes ago ...

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-03-08/pistorius-lawyers-attempt-to-get-bail-conditions-altered/

Pistorius' lawyers 'try to get bail conditions altered'

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius are attempting to have his bail conditions altered, South African's eNCA reports.

It is reported that Pistorius wants to be able to return to the crime scene and to travel overseas.

.

 

[Patticake]

Excerpted:

http://news.iafrica.com/sa/847110.html

Steenkamps to sue Pistorius?

The parents of murdered model Reeva Steenkamp are considering a civil claim against paralympian Oscar Pistorius, a family lawyer said on Friday.

"The nature and the extent of the relief to be sought [by Barry and June Steenkamp] still has to be determined," attorney Mike Venter said.

.

 

[Patticake]

USA Today has more quotes from Botha that were not included in the article I quoted earlier. The new stuff only is on this excerpt.

Interesting, esp the forensics info:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...former-investigator-raises-questions/1973237/

Investigator in Oscar Pistorius case raises questions

Botha told The Times that the bail hearing "is like a poker game. You cannot show all your cards.

"It was meant to be a bail hearing, not a trial within a trial. There are certain things that happened and what was said in court did not happen."

Botha faces attempted murder changes stemming from a 2011 incident in which he shot at a vehicle.

He said if the bail hearing had been handled properly, he wouldn't have been asked so many questions. "At bail applications you do not have all the information such as forensics," he told The Times. "I did not have all the information."

 

[Estelle]

Which ex-girlfriend spilled the beans to the police?

None other than Samantha Taylor!

Exclusive: Oscar&#8217;s ex turns state witness

16 August 2013 12:14

http://www.citypress.co.za/news/exclusive-oscars-ex-turns-state-witness/

City Press can reveal that Samantha Taylor, who dated the Paralympian athlete before he started seeing model Reeva Steenkamp at the end of last year, has turned state witness. Taylor told the police about an incident during which she and Pistorius were driving on the highway with the sunroof open. Taylor was behind the wheel.

<modsnip>


Samantha said she would reveal &#8220;what (Pistorius) made me go through&#8221;, but later sent a lawyer&#8217;s letter, refusing to comment further. In February, Taylor&#8217;s mother Trish wrote on Facebook she was grateful her daughter was no longer in Pistorius&#8217; &#8220;claws. There were several incidents in the time when they were a couple when things could have gone wrong with her and his pistol. She further said Pistorius needed help but didn&#8217;t keep to his promises of seeing a psychiatrist.

 

[Estelle]

Oscar Pistorius Fast Facts

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/06/w...ex.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Estelle]

Oscar trial date set for February 24 to March 14 2014 in Pretoria High Court but it is not known who will preside

An indictment, apart from stating the charge and a short description of it, also contains a short summary of what the State intends to prove happened. There will also be a lot of interest in the list of witnesses the State intends to call during the trial, which forms part of an indictment and which has to be made known to an accused prior to a trial. The case docket – containing, among others, statements of witnesses the State intends to call – has been submitted to court.

Monday’s proceedings are expected to be brief and merely a formal handing over of the indictment, before the matter is referred to the high court.

The police said they had used the expertise of forensic and ballistics experts, psychologists and technology experts. The State is expected to rely heavily on their expertise.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/oscar-trial-date-set-1.1563194#.Ug3lJ9IweaV

 

[Estelle]

TODAY | August 16, 2013

NBC News Video

New charges leveled against Oscar Pistorius

The South African Olympian known as &#8220;Blade Runner&#8221; has been charged in two additional shooting incidents, one in January and the other in 2012. When Pistorius appears in court next week over the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, the two new cases will be included.

http://www.today.com/video/today/52771348/#52771348

 

[Pisto_lius]

I was thinking about what Oscar was wearing when he carried Reeva down the steps while she bled to death:

Surely his clothes would have been blood soaked. I don't remember reading what witnesses said he was wearing when they saw him at the bottom of the steps trying to revive her. Was he in his night clothes? If not, when did he change? After all, he said the two had been sleeping before the shooting. In his Affidavit, he talks about putting on his legs, but doesn't say anything about putting on clothes.

Its another hole in his story pointing to the fact that both of them were fully dressed when he shot her. And as others have said, they likely never did go to bed that evening.

:liar:

A paramedic who was among the first on the scene after the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp said:

“Oscar Pistorius, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, was just standing there looking at the body. His right leg and arm were covered in blood. [this means, he wore this clothes before he carried Reeva downstairs. Were they in bed? NO, never ever, not a second IMO]

“He looked rattled,” said the medic, adding that Steenkamp had been wearing a black sweat top and long pants, but no shoes.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-cou...of-blood-up-the-stairs-1.1471721#.Ug6GK9K-2Sp

 

[Estelle]

PISTORIUS' STATE OF MIND

I think OP's state of mind will come into all this too. I would not be at all surprised if OP has been diagnosed with some psychiatric or psychological mental illness.

For example:

1. Family friend Mike Azzie revealed he is worried over Pistorius&#8217; mental state and claims star is on 'verge of suicide'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-met-ex-just-2-days-killed.html#ixzz2cC7TtGSi

2. Oscar Pistorius mental health needs to be "watched closely" as he is "traumatised"

South African reporter Debora Patta and Gareth A. Davies the journalist who has known Oscar Pistorius for over a decade discuss his bail hearing.

http://www.channel4.com/news/pistoriu...

Oscar Pistorius mental health needs to be "watched closely" - YouTube

http://youtu.be/OI90v7nPDzg

3. Experts agree that steroids could have made Oscar Pistorius more aggressive, but it's far-fetched to think &#8216;roid rage led to murder of Reeva Steenkamp."There is no evidence that steroids make you use a gun on someone. He said that other factors, such as alcohol and mental illness, should also be considered

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i...s-aren-buying-article-1.1267349#ixzz2cCAw9Hm7

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i...s-aren-buying-article-1.1267349#ixzz2cC9lBgOS

4. The vast, overwhelming majority of anabolic steroid users aren't committing murder and mayhem. Studies administering moderate dosages of the substances have resulted in no discernible psychiatric problems. While in a very small percentage of possibly "predisposed" individuals, steroids can lead to varying psychiatric symptoms, the appearance of these symptoms is generally correlated to dosage (<1,000 mg. per week) and may also be rooted in previous mental illness or abuse of other drugs. While it's convenient to assume simple explanations for unfathomable conduct, the truth is that human behavior is extremely complicated and rarely, if ever, can it be simplified down to a single causal factor.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-collins/oscar-pistorius-and-a-cas_b_2768938.html

5. Steroid usage has come in for constant criticism from various health bodies and with good reason. They have far reaching physical and psychiatric effects. They have been found to increase blood pressure, increase your bad cholesterol levels, cause cardiovascular diseases, liver damage and also lead to infertility and erectile dysfunction. The psychiatric effects are even worse and regular users are believed to become more aggressive, more hostile and exhibit various forms of mental illnesses, like mania, schizophrenia and depression. They also seem to suffer from a condition called hypomania &#8211; a type of bipolar disorder where they have alternative cycles of euphoria and depression. Users also exhibit a higher tendency towards suicidal acts and are prone to bouts of violence. Roid rage could also be due to the withdrawal symptoms that result from stopping use. It&#8217;s been found that steroids are very addictive and users become very agitated and angry when they stop using steroids.

http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/roid-rage-the-reason-for-oscar-pistorius-madness/

6. 12:49 - Bam slams the magistrate's decision on Pistorius's mental health and emotional state. Says it 'escapes him'.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/LIVE-UPDATES-Oscar-Pistorius-bail-appeal-20130328

7. The United Kingdom&#8217;s Daily Mirror reported that &#8220;boxes and boxes&#8221; of unopened performance-enhancing drugs were found in a drawer in Mr. Pistorius&#8217; home and that he told police he was storing the drugs for a friend. As a legal defense, &#8220;roid rage&#8221; is no Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card. &#8220;As a general rule, &#8216;roid rage&#8217; has been a terribly ineffective defense when it has been raised,&#8221; said Rick Collins, a New York-based defense attorney who specializes in PED cases. &#8220;The idea that steroid use alone is going to be accepted as the sole and exclusive cause of violent acts is unlikely to be accepted by a judge.&#8221;

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...roid-rage-its-no-get-out-jail-/#ixzz2cCG0c9OP

8. &#8220;There are police concerns over his mental health.&#8221;

http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/02/16/oscar-pistorius-revive-girlfriend-shooting-suicide-watch/

9. Individuals like Oscar Pistorius with a Borderline Personality Disorder (also known as an "emotionally unstable personality disorder" in the ICD classification, then divided into borderline & impulsive) shows unstable mood which is a frequent swings between intense emotions. We have to take note that another symptom of a borderline personality disorder is "vigorous attempts to avoid perceived abandonment"(frequently with sense of desperation). By shooting the late Reeva, he acted impulsively without considering the consequences of his actions along with that sense of desperation and of inevitable abandonment. A history of intense and unstable relationships with his physical condition is also possible that gave way to his hyperirritable emotionality that was previously reported on the news. In general there are two aspects of a borderline personality disorder, emotional instability and high impulsivity. What causes a personality disorder? Those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been reported having been neglected on the physical and the emotional aspect since childhood days. This is common to children with a history of abuse and chronic early maltreatment as young kids.

http://www.examiner.com/article/oscar-pistorius-case-a-borderline-personality-disorder

10. His manager said in an interview on Monday that Pistorius was suffering from serious psychological problems since Steenkamp's death. "Oscar sleeps poorly. He eats poorly. There are days when he's OK but other days it's terrible," Peet van Zyl told the German weekly Der Spiegel. "When you talk to him, of course he listens but I don't reach him, he's not there. "He cries a lot."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-04/pistorius-to-return-to-court-in-murder-case/4731134

11. Is Oscar Pistorius really mad or just plain bad?

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ar...r-just-plain-bad/story-e6freuy9-1226580576182

12. Annamarie is of the opinion that on the night of the shooting, Pistorius was like a pressure cooker that just boiled over. &#8220;I truly believe he had a mental breakdown, as this is not the Oscar I know.&#8221; She told Judge Raulinga that she tried to voice these fears earlier in the morning to the magistrate&#8217;s hearing the bail application, but he was not prepared to hear her. She then, in the name of justice and because the constitution demanded it of her, decided to turn to the high court.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/oscar-s-dead-mom-asked-me-to-help-him-1.1475017#.Ug7969IweaU

13. When he accidentally fired a friend's gun at the floor in a fancy restaurant, the owners happily accepted his apology. Nobody told the press. Nobody close to Pistorius warned him that he might be pathologically gun-obsessed, or if they did, they failed to convince him to seek help. He was rich, adored, untouchable. Only foreign journalists, unaccustomed to the paranoid shadows of South African culture, spotted the signs of what might be a simmering mental illness: the claims of wild speeding, the insomniac shooting sessions, the blunt weapons at the ready.

http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-22-00-high-noon-at-not-ok-corral

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tragic-reeva-steenkamp-made-valentines-1740299

QUOTE

Tragic Reeva Steenkamp made a framed four-photo collage showing herself and lover Oscar Pistorius just 12 hours before he killed her, it was revealed yesterday.

A Party Box shop assistant who says she wrapped the gift told how Reeva, 29, acted “like any girl in love” on her visit the day before.

The woman who asked not to be named, said: “She was very friendly. We joked about a girl having to buy her boyfriend something if she wants something in return on Valentine’s Day.”

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=9827728


QUOTE

The day before Valentine’s Day Cecil helped Reeva choose photos she wanted to have framed to give to Oscar as a Valentine’s Day present.


&#128172;
I don't think that Reeva had any intention to leave OP at least that day . Isn't it a bit weird to give a farewell gift on valentines day to yr gf/bf ? She prob had some doubts abt him but why the idea she would say bye bye that night ?

 

[Estelle]

I noticed that Pisto said in a previous post that the talk was to be on the morning of 14 February. I had always assumed that it was going to be that night.

"On

Thursday morning,

Steenkamp had been scheduled to give a motivational speech to students in Johannesburg. "It was about empowerment and inspiration and what inspires you and how to follow your dreams," said Tomlinson, who had Steenkamp's notes for the speech."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/14/reeva-steenkamp-friends-shock-at-loss

So why did Reeva feel the need to give OP his Valentine's Day present the night before?
I had assumed that she was going to be busy that night giving the talk so she could not see him. So going out with friends the night before makes sense now as they could then still see each other on the night of the 14th.

Surely Reeva would have wanted to practise her speech and go to bed early in preparation.

Perhaps Reeva wanted to talk to OP about his phoning her twice while she was with Warren Lahoud the day before initially. I think she must have had something on her mind she needed to talk about. Then later, I still predict that Reeva caught OP taking performance-enhancing drugs and she lost total respect for him then smashed his trophies. Her idol was exposed as a fake! What else could lead to a seven-hour argument? OP decided that RS had to go. What would be the most important thing to OP? His medals which, if exposed, he could lose. That was everything he had to live for!

 

[whiterum]

It was a big house and very neat and tidy,” said Botha, “and you could see the money talking, with all the ornaments and portraits and paintings. There were shelves stacked with trophies. There was also one of those big box frames, with a picture of Mike Tyson, along with a signed boxing glove.”

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/oscar-pistorius-murder

This above comment from Botha himself in the Vanity Fair article seems to suggest that there were no broken trophies on the floor since he described the house as very neat and tidy and the shelves stacked with trophies. So IMO the newspaper report about the broken trophies may not be accurate and should be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/...us-shot-her-reveals-new-footage/1/277788.html

GIFT was found on the bedroom floor I guess.

QUOTE
The pictures, which have been flashed by Sky News, show the trail of blood running through the house, from the loo-down the stairs, as Oscar carried Reeva's body. Another disturbing image is of unopened Valentine's gifts lying across the bedroom.

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

This article is interesting...

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=9831168

QUOTE

A shop assistant at a party shop close to the Silver Woods Country Estate, where Pistorius resides, yesterday told Rekord that Steenkamp visited the shop last Wednesday, requesting special wrapping paper.

According to the shop assistant, Nellie Mokgabuda, she did not know who Steenkamp was when she walked through the doors. &#8220;She could have been any young woman busy with her late afternoon shopping, yet, I was struck by her beauty as she walked in with her loose blond hair and blue jeans.&#8221;
<modsnip>

http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...etail&pid=4980311&Reeva’s-last-gift-for-Oscar

 

[Estelle]

The Slaughter of Reeva Steenkamp

If Oscar Pistorius is telling the truth, he’s a reckless, dangerous killer.

Sound of author is here:

https://soundcloud.com/slate-articles/saa130226-saletan-pistorius

Printed version here:

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...h_about_reeva_steenkamp_he_s_a_dangerous.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...about_reeva_steenkamp_he_s_a_dangerous.2.html

 

[Estelle]

Oscar Pistorius will likely get off because fear animates much of South African lives

December 14, 2013

A great many South Africans will believe the general gist of Pistorius’s story, enough to arouse reasonable doubt, and certainly enough to convince them there was no premeditation.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2...imates_much_of_south_african_lives_kelly.html

 

[Lemon Tree]

All I can say is that if SAPS purposefully wanted to make evidence inadmissible they couldn't be doing a better job!

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Top-Oscar-Pistorius-cop-quits-20131215

"Johannesburg - The head of police who took charge of the crime scene after Oscar Pistorius allegedly shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has resigned, the Sunday Times reported."

...

"The Sunday Times revealed that a crucial piece of evidence, the bathroom door through which Pistorius shot Steenkamp, was bizarrely kept in Van Rensburg's office.

It was there for about a week after the killing on 14 February 2013. Police protocol requires evidence to be kept in a secure storeroom.

A police officer known to the Sunday Times said the door was removed from Pistorius's house in Silver Woods Estate, in eastern Pretoria, the day after the killing.

"It was covered with a body bag, cable ties and tape. Records at the Boschkop shows it was booked into the SAPS 13 [storeroom], but it was kept inside Van Rensburg's office," the officer told Sunday Times.

"It was actually lying on the floor in front of his desk and only taken away about a week later."

The officer said during this time almost anyone in the police station had access to Van Rensburg's office, from where they also sent faxes and made telephone calls."

...

 

[Estelle]

Video link to the latest on the civil court settlement of up to $275,000 USD

http://abcnews.go.com/International...g-slain-girlfriends-parents/story?id=21607462

 

[Estelle]

<modsnip>

My answer referred to this, not to the question about blackmailing. :smile:[/quote]

I would really appreciate your giving us links to where it has been quoted that RS had violent outbursts with Warren and Francois as I have never heard of them.

If anyone was known to have violent outbursts, it was OP - NOT RS!

This is what this article said that Francois said of RS:

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/hougaard-denies-sms-to-reeva-1.1583956#.Ut_aptJ9KEg

"Hougaard’s relationship with Steenkamp ended because he did not want anything serious – he was about to travel overseas on rugby commitments, he told YOU.

“If I had wanted to be in a serious relationship we would probably still be dating,” he said.

He was nonetheless deeply saddened by her death.

“I was very sad. I cared for her deeply. Before this I had never really lost someone I’d spent time with.”

Hougaard described Steenkamp as “genuine”.
<modsnip>

This is what Warren Lahoud said about Reeva:

"She was unbelievable from the beginning. She really captured everything of me and was a great person. “Reeva had a beautiful loving heart, she gave everything, and was friendly to everyone. She really made you feel good and welcome.

“In a matter of conversing with her for a few seconds you’d feel like you’ve known her for years. “That was how Reeva was. Very open and loving and full of fun.”

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2...-girlfriend-reeva-steenkamp-met-ex-boyfriend/