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As the trial of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius for the murder of his girlfriend draws to a close, many people are still horrified by the tragedy.
Was it murder or a horrible accident? Many have no doubt as to just what the verdict will be, but it will be up to the courts to decide.

Meanwhile, there is no question that whatever the outcome, someone is going to be very unhappy.

This past week has seen the closing arguments being presented by the different sides. Are the 11 points raised by the prosecution against Oscar Pistorius going to see him nailed? Or is the defence’s hammering of the legal system’s challenges going to see Oscar walk?

Meanwhile, some people are going beyond the trial. If he is convicted will Oscar get off on some medical excuse? If he is found innocent will the Steenkamp family seek civil redress just like in the OJ Simpson case?

Reeva Steenkamp : Reality Television Star, Model (1983–2013)

Reeva Steenkamp was a South African model and television personality who was shot and killed on February 14, 2013, by her boyfriend, paralympian and Olympian Oscar Pistorius.

Synopsis

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, on August 19, 1983, Reeva Steenkamp began modelling when she was in her teens. Steenkamp was shot and killed on February 14, 2013, at the Pretoria, South Africa home of her boyfriend, paralympic and Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius. Pistorius later admitted to unintentionally shooting Steenkamp, and he now faces a charge of premeditated murder.

Early Life

Reeva Steenkamp was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on August 19, 1983, to Barry Steenkamp and his second wife, June.

She moved with her family to Port Elizabeth as a child and began modelling when she was in her teens. Following her graduation from St. Dominic’s Priory High School in Port Elizabeth, Steenkamp earned a law degree from the nearby Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2005.

Commercial Success

Continuing to model throughout her teens and 20s, Reeva Steenkamp had become one of South Africa’s most sought-after models by the early 2000s, appearing in advertisements for Avon Cosmetics, Toyota, KFC, Cardinal Beer, Tiger Beer and various other mainstream brands, according to the website of talent management firm Capacity Relations. She was also twice named one of the “100 Sexiest Women in the World” by For Him Magazine and served as an ambassador for EVOX Nutrition.

In 2012, Steenkamp was recruited as a celebrity contestant for season 5 of the reality show Tropika Island, filmed in Jamaica, on which contestants compete for a monetary prize of R1 million ($113 500).

Tragic Murder

Tragically, on February 14, 2013, Steenkamp was found dead at the Pretoria, South Africa home of her boyfriend, famed paralympic and Olympic star Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter.

According to police reports, Steenkamp was shot and killed on morning of Valentine’s Day 2013, with bullet wounds to the hip, head and one arm. Soon after her death was reported, it was announced that Pistorius was a suspect in Steenkamp’s murder.

On February 19, 2013, during a hearing at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria, Pistorius admitted to shooting Steenkamp at his home five days earlier, but not intentionally.

According to his testimony, he had mistaken her for a burglar and shot her through a bathroom door in his home. Pistorious is now facing a charge of premeditated murder and a maximum term of life in prison, if found guilty.

The first episode (season 5) of Tropika Island, featuring Steenkamp, aired just days after the model’s death, on February 16, 2013-

Oscar Pistorius Biography

Track and Field Athlete (1986–)

Oscar Pistorius, the “Blade Runner”, is a South African sprint runner who became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics in 2012.

In 2013, Pistorius admitted to shooting and killing his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp.

Synopsis

South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1986.

Born without a fibula in either of his legs, Pistorius’ legs were amputated below the knee just before he turned one.

After competing in several school sports, he took up running at 16 and within just a few months had captured a gold at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. Initially banned from international competition, Pistorius successfully appealed the ruling and at the 2012 Summer games in London became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

In early 2013, Pistorious admitted to shooting and killing his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in South Africa.

Early Life

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, the first amputee athlete to compete in the Olympics, was born on November 22, 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The son of Henk and Sheila Pistorius, Oscar Pistorius was the middle child of three. His family, while prominent in South Africa, were largely middle class.

Pistorius’ childhood was shaped partly by tragedy. His parents divorced when he was 6, a fact that largely contributed to a strained relationship between Oscar and his father, a businessman, that continues to this day.

His mother died when he was 15, the result of drug complications following a hysterectomy. Pistorius’ own physical health was marred at birth. Born without a fibula in either of his legs, his parents made the difficult decision to have their son’s legs amputated below his knees just before his first birthday.

Within six months, Pistorius was walking successfully with a pair of prosthetic legs. His handicap hardly slowed his large interest in sports, which spanned from cricket to wrestling to boxing.

It wasn’t until he was 16, and in need of a sport that could help him rehab a knee following a rugby injury, that Pistorius was introduced to the track.

In January 2004, he competed in his first 100-meter race; nearly eight months later, Pistorius, wearing a pair of Flex-Foot Cheetahs, a light-weight carbon fiber foot, and captured the gold medal in the 200-meter race at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.

Olympic Milestone

Following his win in Athens, Pistorius competed in several races in South Africa against able-bodied athletes. Success begat greater attention, and European race organisers were soon inviting Pistorius to their events.

But Pistorius’ artificial legs have been a source of controversy throughout much of his athletic career.

In 2007, the International Association of Athletic Foundations — the worldwide body that governs international competition — banned Pistorius from competing, stating that his artificial legs gave him an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes in the competition.

Pistorius immediately appealed the ruling and in May 2008, the Court of Arbitration for sport sided with the sprinter and overturned the I.A.A.F. ruling.

After missing the cut for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a determined Pistorius focused his training on making the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Along the way, Pistorius, who’s been nicknamed “Blade Runner” and has been called the “fastest man on no legs,” captured three gold medals at the 2011 IPC Athletic World Championships. Two more titles followed, in the 400-meter and 100-meter, at the BT Paralympics World Cup.

In the spring of 2012, Pistorius realised his ultimate dream when he qualified for the 400-meter race at the London Olympics.

While he was eventually eliminated in the semifinal round, he secured his  place in history by becoming the first amputee athlete to compete in the Olympics.

To mark the occasion, Pistorius flew out his 89-year-old grandmother to watch him race. “It’s just an unbelievable experience,” Pistorius said shortly after his first Olympic race. “I found myself smiling  on the starting blocks, which is very  rare.”

Charged With Murder

The track star made headlines of a different kind in February 2013, after his girlfriend, famous South African model Reeva Steenkamp, was found dead at his home in Pretoria, South Africa.

According to police, Steenkamp was shot and killed on the morning of February 14, 2013, with bullet wounds to the head and one arm. Pistorius was soon named a suspect in the case.

Five days after Reeva Steenkamp’s death, on February 19, 2013, during a hearing at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria, Pistorius admitted to unintentionally shooting Steenkamp at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013. He went on to state that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder and shot her through a locked bathroom door in the home. Consequently, Pistorious faced a charge of premeditated murder that would result in a mandatory life sentence in the event that a guilty verdict was reached.

Later in February 2013, it was reported that Oscar Pistorius’s brother, Carl Pistorius, is facing a homicide charge relating to a 2008 road accident during which a cyclist was killed.

2014 Trial

On March 3, 2014, the trial for Pistorius began. In addition to being charged with premeditated murder, Pistorious also faced two separate gun indictments from incidents unrelated to the death of his girlfriend. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Pistorius claimed that he was frightened in his home at the noise of an unknown intruder, which caused him to shoot at the bathroom door when coupled with his vulnerable state of mind without his prosthetic legs.

Pistorius’s neighbour Michelle Burger, testified that she heard a “blood-curdling” scream from a woman on the night of the murder, followed by a man yelling for help three times. Burger also claimed to have heard gunshots. Prosecutors within the trial accused Pistorius of having argued with Steenkamp on the night of the murder, resulting in her locking herself in the toilet.

As the trial progressed, Pistorius took the stand to defend himself. He first offered his apologies to Steenkamp’s family before continuing to claim that he shot her by accident. During his testimony, Pistorius broke down into tears. Some observers were not swayed by this show of emotion. Reports later surfaced that he had taken acting lessons before his court appearance, but Pistorius has denied these claims.

After a recess of a few weeks, the trial resumed in May. Pistorius’s lawyers called a psychiatrist to testify that Pistorius suffered from a “generalised anxiety disorder,” according to the Los Angeles  Times.

This condition was introduced as a possible influence on Pistorius and his deadly actions. The judge overseeing the case then called for another delay in the trial for Pistorius to undergo a full mental health examination by a team of psychiatrists. This evaluation is expected to take 30 days to complete and to be done on an outpatient basis.  — biography.com.