"The mother of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot to death Thursday in the home of Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, vented her grief and frustration to a South African newspaper.
The interview, conducted by telephone Sunday and reported Monday by The Times of Johannesburg, appears to be June Steenkamp's first since her daughter's death at Pistorius' home in the gated Silver Woods Luxury Estate outside Pretoria."
"Why? Why my little girl?" she asked. "Why did this happen? Why did he do this? What for?"
Pistorius, 26, has been in custody since the shooting and is to be formally charged in a court appearance Tuesday with the murder of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate, model and actress who had gained global attention with her blond good looks and bubbly personality."
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17005896-mother-of-pistorius-slain-girlfriend-why-my-little-girl?lite
He says he thought it "might have been a prowler." I don't mean to be skeptical but isn't this rather an excessive show of force when you don't know for sure if it even is one? He reigned bullets into a bathroom door.
"Reeva Steenkamp was recently featured in the new season of a reality show, "Tropika Island of Treasure"; had done promotional work for international brands including Toyota; and was on the December 2011 cover of FHM magazine, which named her one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" two years in a row."
"She had so much of herself to give and now all of it is gone," June Steenkamp said. "Just like that, she is gone. … In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here."
Of course, we don't know what happened and can only speculate. However, I can't help be skeptical. I mean this brings new meaning to the phrase "Shoot first and ask questions later."
"Pistorius wore a black suit and blue tie on the second day of a hearing that will decide whether he would be bailed over charges that the shooting of 29-year-old law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp was premeditated."
"Dubbed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius maintains he fired into his locked bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler. However, prosecutors say he put on his artificial legs and stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her."
"Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, an experienced detective, testified that a witness heard shouting for an hour coming from the house shortly before the shooting."
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/20/17026594-oscar-pistorius-in-court-defense-exposes-cracks-in-police-evidence?lite
The prosecution has witnesses who say they heard "non-stop shouting" prior to the shots. The defense is claimed to have scored a point by pointing out that one of the witnesses was 1,000 feet away. Still, that could be a testimony to how loud the shouting was. To me, more damning is that the police had gone to the house before for domestic disturbances.
It seems to me that even if he did think there was a prowler in the house this was not the way to act. There are now reports that he had chased her from the bedroom and finished her off in the bathroom.
UPDATE: I should make the point that even if it were a prowler "this was not the way to act" much more strongly. As the prosecution points out, even if it happened as Pisorius explained it, it was actually still the murder of a burglar-as het shot into a closed door with the victim on a toilet.
"There was "no possible explanation to support" Pistorius' claim that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder, Nel said.
"And he added that even if Steenkamp had been an intruder, the shooting would still have been the murder of a burglar."
Nel said Pistorius had armed himself, put on his prosthetic legs, walked to the bathroom and shot Steenkamp several times through the locked door as she sat on the toilet. "She locked that door for a purpose," Nel said.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/19/17006698-pistorius-i-felt-sense-of-terror-on-night-i-mistakenly-shot-deeply-loved-girlfriend?lite
It's sad all around as his was an inspiring human interest story with all he was able to accomplish as a double amputee. However, while we should not discriminate against the disabled and help them to realize their true human potential, they too can commit horrible crimes as members of the human community.
Lets Hope Reeva SteenKamp's mother can get some answers even though they can never bring back her wonderful daughter, for whose loss, the world is now a little poorer.
"Pistorius wore a black suit and blue tie on the second day of a hearing that will decide whether he would be bailed over charges that the shooting of 29-year-old law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp was premeditated."
"Dubbed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius maintains he fired into his locked bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler. However, prosecutors say he put on his artificial legs and stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her."
"Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, an experienced detective, testified that a witness heard shouting for an hour coming from the house shortly before the shooting."
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/20/17026594-oscar-pistorius-in-court-defense-exposes-cracks-in-police-evidence?lite
The prosecution has witnesses who say they heard "non-stop shouting" prior to the shots. The defense is claimed to have scored a point by pointing out that one of the witnesses was 1,000 feet away. Still, that could be a testimony to how loud the shouting was. To me, more damning is that the police had gone to the house before for domestic disturbances.
It seems to me that even if he did think there was a prowler in the house this was not the way to act. There are now reports that he had chased her from the bedroom and finished her off in the bathroom.
UPDATE: I should make the point that even if it were a prowler "this was not the way to act" much more strongly. As the prosecution points out, even if it happened as Pisorius explained it, it was actually still the murder of a burglar-as het shot into a closed door with the victim on a toilet.
"There was "no possible explanation to support" Pistorius' claim that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder, Nel said.
"And he added that even if Steenkamp had been an intruder, the shooting would still have been the murder of a burglar."
Nel said Pistorius had armed himself, put on his prosthetic legs, walked to the bathroom and shot Steenkamp several times through the locked door as she sat on the toilet. "She locked that door for a purpose," Nel said.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/19/17006698-pistorius-i-felt-sense-of-terror-on-night-i-mistakenly-shot-deeply-loved-girlfriend?lite
It's sad all around as his was an inspiring human interest story with all he was able to accomplish as a double amputee. However, while we should not discriminate against the disabled and help them to realize their true human potential, they too can commit horrible crimes as members of the human community.
Lets Hope Reeva SteenKamp's mother can get some answers even though they can never bring back her wonderful daughter, for whose loss, the world is now a little poorer.
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