Trial Discussion Thread #17

[TorisMom003]

OP hears a noise in the bathroom, doesn't wake Reeva to ask her about hearing the same noise, doesn't ask Reeva (in the second version she is awake) if she heard the noise, doesn't use the alarm button in his home, doesn't wait for Reeva to respond that she is in fact calling police, doesn't turn on lights because of being afraid of intruder yet yells to the intruder to get out of his home while going towards the intruder, doesn't give the intruder time to get out of his home before firing 4 shots into the toilet room door, doesn't give the intruder time to identify themselves before firing 4 shots into the toilet room door, doesn't phone police at all during any time that night, doesn't phone security and/or ambulance immediately after shooting 4 times into toilet room door, first call is not to ambulance when can't find Reeva, tells security when they call that everything is fine instead of asking for help in getting Reeva to the hospital, leaves Reeva's side after Dr Stipp pronounces her dead to run back upstairs.

Please tell me what part of all of that makes sense when someone thinks that an intruder is in their home.

 

[Cherwell]

According to Samantha he and Darren laughed and no one screamed like a woman "I'm deaf" - but Darren did testify that there was a very loud ringing in his ears. So, yeah, kind of like that.

But maybe Darren was lying again :floorlaugh:

 

[BritsKate]

Ultimately, the judge will obviously decide what is 'reasonable'. FWIW though similar cases in SA, in which multiple shots were fired, have resulted in a conviction for murder or culpable homicide.

Please pardon errors as posted via Tapatalk with a less than stellar user.

 

[minor4th]

Exactly. He makes no attempt to ensure his girlfriend's safety. He goes out of his way to confront the alleged intruder, when there was a feasible exit available close at hand.

That's the argument. If it weren't for his being a double amputee, I think the state would have a stronger case because it seems like it would be safer and easier to wake up your girlfriend and race out of the room and down the stairs before the bad guy could get you.

 

[Gbtaketwo]

According to Samantha he and Darren laughed and no one screamed like a woman "I'm deaf" - but Darren did testify that there was a very loud ringing in his ears. So, yeah, kind of like that.

Yes but he didn't say they could not hear each other.
I suffer from bad Tinnitus sometimes but can still hear normal conversation and TV .

 

[MeeBee]

A car is still an enclosed space and the bathroom window was open according to OP

But he didn't fire out the window. The acoustics in a car are different.

 

[minor4th]

But maybe Darren was lying again :floorlaugh:

Another good point!

 

[MeeBee]

Oscar fired once from some position, within the bathroom but by the hall that leads out of the bathroom. I believe we all agree on that one point. But then he went in to the bathroom and fired three more bullets while moving and reacquiring his aim - to do that, reacquire his aim, he had to have located his target. And since he did that and all of the shots were fired at an acute angle leading to Reeva Steenkamp then the only way he could have had a target was to use her screaming and aim at that.

I hope you follow what I mean when I say he was moving, acquiring his aim on the target, and he was hitting the target. Here is a video of professional shooters doing that, you don't have to watch more than 10 seconds of it to understand what OP was doing when he fired those 4 bullets at Reeva:

http://youtu.be/fE2go2TjHK8

It doesn't make any sense.

 

[minor4th]

Yes but he didn't say they could not hear each other.
I suffer from bad Tinnitus sometimes but can still hear normal conversation and TV .

No one in the trial has said anything about his hearing or whether or not he could have heard sounds inside the cubicle after the first shot - I'm just saying from my own experience and understanding, that could be a reason a person might not hear what's going on around them after firing a gunshot.

 

[TorisMom003]

That's the argument. If it weren't for his being a double amputee, I think the state would have a stronger case because it seems like it would be safer and easier to wake up your girlfriend and race out of the room and down the stairs before the bad guy could get you.

This double amputee argument gets old after a while. OP has not had his full legs for a very long time. He had no problem bringing in one or two fans (depending on which version one believes) in from the balcony while not on his pros. legs. A fan weighs much more than the key to the bedroom door.

OP and Reeva could clearly race out of the bedroom and down the stairs quicker than an intruder could come into the room and shoot them. But instead of going away from the perceived danger, OP goes straight towards the perceived danger down a dark corridor and around two corners of which he did not know what lay around them.

MOO

 

[soozieqtips]

It doesn't make any sense.

Doesn't make any sense after watching the clip Viper posted, or did you not watch the clip?

 

[TorisMom003]

Doesn't make any sense after watching the clip Viper posted, or did you not watch the clip?

I suspect that it doesn't make any sense because it doesn't line up with the theory of what happened that night and goes against what OP and the defense are claiming.

MOO

 

[minor4th]

This double amputee argument gets old after a while. OP has not had his full legs for a very long time. He had no problem bringing in one or two fans (depending on which version one believes) in from the balcony while not on his pros. legs. A fan weighs much more than the key to the bedroom door.

OP and Reeva could clearly race out of the bedroom and down the stairs quicker than an intruder could come into the room and shoot them. But instead of going away from the perceived danger, OP goes straight towards the perceived danger down a dark corridor and around two corners of which he did not know what lay around them.

MOO

I think the double amputee argument makes all the difference. It's the difference between being able to get away quickly and safely and believing that you can't.

Not sure how Oscar would do trying to run down the stairs on stumps

 

[minor4th]

Anyone know how well Oscar can go down stairs without his legs?

 

[DebinGA]

According to Samantha he and Darren laughed and no one screamed like a woman "I'm deaf" - but Darren did testify that there was a very loud ringing in his ears. So, yeah, kind of like that.

I think it's very possible OP, gun nut that he is, grabbed one of his ear protectors when he picked up his gun, and he or one of his surrogates removed them from his house in the minutes before police arrived. My husband target shoots with friends only a couple of times a year, and he owns 3-4 sets.

 

[lisasalinger]

If Reeva was in the bed on the side that is next to the balcony, I cannot for the life of me see how she could have got out without being in his way. Unless she rolled over to the other side and got out from there?

I still can't accept that he wouldn't say to her "did you hear that?" or something. It's just not natural, not now he's made it clear that he'd been speaking to her moments before.

Good morning, all :seeya:

I have a packed day today but just wanted to jump in real quick...

The right side of the bed that Reeva was supposedly sleeping in is extremely close to the balcony. I find it extremely hard to believe that Oscar coming in off of that balcony would not see her there - she would have been a few feet away from him.

The holster was found on the left side of the bed, up against the wall on the nightstand.

The magazine and it's carrying case were found in the drawer on the right side night stand where Oscar typically sleeps.

Interestingly, the blood spatter found on the wall behind the headboard was on the left hand side, just above the holster case.

 

[MeeBee]

Doesn't make any sense after watching the clip Viper posted, or did you not watch the clip?

I'm sure people fire guns while moving. It doesn't make any sense based on the evidence and just plain old logic in this trial. The trajectory does not show movement.

 

[TorisMom003]

I think the double amputee argument makes all the difference. It's the difference between being able to get away quickly and safely and believing that you can't.

Not sure how Oscar would do trying to run down the stairs on stumps

But going towards a possibly armed intruder down a dark corridor, around two corners while on stumps is definitely more safe than attempting to go out the bedroom door and down the stairs?

Sorry, is this the Twilight Zone?

 

[soozieqtips]

This double amputee argument gets old after a while. OP has not had his full legs for a very long time. He had no problem bringing in one or two fans (depending on which version one believes) in from the balcony while not on his pros. legs. A fan weighs much more than the key to the bedroom door.

OP and Reeva could clearly race out of the bedroom and down the stairs quicker than an intruder could come into the room and shoot them. But instead of going away from the perceived danger,
OP goes straight towards the perceived danger down a dark corridor and around two corners of which he did not know what lay around them.

MOO

BBM - yes. He thinks he and Reeva are in 'grave' danger, so he takes care of the 'grave' danger by running towards the 'grave' danger, without a clue if the 'grave' danger is coming towards him with a gun, and all the while giving the 'grave' danger helpful audio clues as to his whereabouts.

 

[BritsKate]

I'd think Oscar's disability would make him less likely to confront an intruder and more likely to flee or seek immediate help. Just basing that off my husband - who deliberately avoids certain situations likely to make his disability even more of a disadvantage. JMO

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