Oscar Pistorius is all in the news so I decided to weigh in because it was on my mind this morning. My opening disclaimer is I am not a lawyer, I’m also not a cop or investigator, nor have I ever been to South Africa. I have however watched a lot of Law & Order and CSI so I consider myself a forensic expert and top notch deductionist. I’m not saying he is guilty but I do find some things suspicious. I have gone through the affidavit and I have a few questions regarding course of action.
First let me point out that South Africans refer to the bathroom as a toilet and that is just funny and slightly confusing because it sounds like people were in an actual toilet, which is just weird. I also didn’t realize that man makes 6 million a year (I am going to start running today) and that it was important to mention that in an affidavit.
Based on CNN reports from Oscar Pistorius’ affidavit from court here are my points of contention.
Statement #1: “On the 13th of February 2013 Reeva would have gone out with her friends and I with my friends. Reeva then called me and asked that we rather spend the evening at home. I agreed and we were content to have a quiet dinner together at home.”
Issue: how are you spending Valentine’s Day separately if you all were so happy? Who hangs out with their friends on the biggest romantic holiday of the year? Especially, after a few years together and if you are in the same city. Plus he stated “We were deeply in love and I could not be happier. I know she felt the same way. She had given me a present for Valentine's Day but asked me only to open it the next day.” So why were you not planning on spending the time together?
Statement #2: “I am acutely aware of violent crime being committed by intruders entering homes with a view to commit crime, including violent crime. I have received death threats before. I have also been a victim of violence and of burglaries before. For that reason I kept my firearm, a 9 mm Parabellum, underneath my bed when I went to bed at night.”
Issue: If you are aware of violence and have been a victim of violence then you need to ramp up security in your house and you need to be prepared to fire your gun. Also, if you were so paranoid about intruders why didn’t you make sure the bathroom window was locked or move the ladder before you went to bed.
Statement #3: “During the early morning hours of 14 February 2013, I woke up, went onto the balcony... I heard a noise in the bathroom and realised that someone was in the bathroom. I felt a sense of terror rushing over me. Although I did not have my prosthetic legs on I have mobility on my stumps. I believed that someone had entered my house. I was too scared to switch a light on. I grabbed my 9mm pistol from underneath my bed.”
Issue: so your first assumption is not that your partner is in the bathroom but burglars. You were too scared to turn on lights? Why you had a gun playa! And why wasn’t your first action to make sure your girlfriend was safe and aware that an intruder may have been in the house (so she could prepare). If you had to grab your gun from under the bed why didn’t you check to make sure your girlfriend was actually in the bed? It obviously wasn’t so dark since you were able to get up and close a balcony, on your stumps without issue.
Statement #4: “On my way to the bathroom I screamed words to the effect for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police. It was pitch dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed.
I noticed that the bathroom window was open. I realised that the intruder/s was/were in the toilet because the toilet door was closed and I did not see anyone in the bathroom.”
Issue: How did you think she was in the bed? You did have to go to the bed to get your gun and you didn’t think to check for her body or again wake her up. How could you see the window was open if it was pitch dark. And who breaks into your house and closes themselves in a bathroom. Was he stealing your shampoo? When you didn’t hear your girlfriend respond to your screams did you not think there was an issue? If you were just going to yell at the intruder anyway why not go ahead and turn the lights on. If I hear something in my house I am turning on every light I can find.
Statement #5: “As I did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable, I knew I had to protect Reeva and myself. I believed that when the intruder/s came out of the toilet we would be in grave danger. I felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and I have limited mobility on my stumps. I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to phone the police.”
Issue: how are you protecting her if you didn’t even check on her? You felt trapped in your own bedroom with a balcony and multiple entrance points (bathroom with two doors). Now you have limited mobility on stumps after earlier you said you had mobility enough to open and close doors and move fans. You fired shots, didn’t announce you had a gun or again turn on lights so you could see what you were shooting at.
Statement #6: “It dawned on me that it could have been Reeva who was in the toilet. I returned to the bathroom calling her name. I tried to open the toilet door but it was locked. I rushed back into the bedroom and opened the sliding door exiting onto the balcony and screamed for help. I put on my prosthetic legs, ran back to the bathroom and tried to kick the toilet door open. I went back into the bedroom and grabbed my cricket bat to bash open the toilet door. A panel or panels broke off and I found the key on the floor and unlocked and opened the door. Reeva was slumped over but alive.”
Issue: they first thing you did was put on your fake legs. Not call the police. How was the door locked from the inside with a key? Who locks the door (with a key) to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? Why in the world would you try to kick down a door with fake legs? And why not go to the other bathroom entrance. Didn’t you say you saw that the bathroom window was open earlier? Which is it, was the door open or closed? How big is this damn bathroom?
Statement#7: “I phoned Johan Stander ("Stander") who was involved in the administration of the estate and asked him to phone the ambulance. I phoned Netcare and asked for help. I went downstairs to open the front door.”
Issue: again your first call was not an ambulance.
So to recap: in the middle of the night you got out of bed to do something and heard a ruckus, didn’t check on your girlfriend or make sure she wasn’t in a locked bathroom; you don’t turn on any lights despite it being pitch black, but can see enough to grab your gun and see that windows are open. You fire multiple shots then decided to check and see who you killed. You then proceed to break down a door to find your dying girlfriend and you then call the head of an estate but you didn’t call them when you thought you had an intruder. I’m giving this story two thumbs down. Lifetime could have come up with a better version of events. Good thing I'm not on a jury of your peers…
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| Photo from CNN.com |
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