A tragedy for so many reasons

[Dave (imported)]

>>I know to many youngsters with disabilities who looked on Pistorius as a hero.

>>The scenes we saw at the Olympics were so magnificent and wonderful.

>>This is tragic on so many levels.

>>

Prosecutor: 'Blade Runner' Pistorius committed 'premeditated' murder of girlfriend

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... riend?lite

Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius sobbed as he appeared in a South African court Friday and was accused of the "premeditated" murder of his girlfriend.

The sprinter -- nicknamed "Blade Runner" because he races wearing carbon-fiber prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs – is accused of killing model Reeva Steenkamp at his home in a Pretoria suburb early Thursday.

Pistorius disputes the accusations in "the strongest terms," according to a statement issued Friday and reported by Reuters and The Associated Press.

South African police said Thursday that Pistorius and Steenkamp, 30, were the only people in the house at the time of the shooting.

Oscar Pistorius, the superstar athlete who became the first double amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics, is the sole suspect in the murder of law school graduate and famous South African model Reeva Steenkamp. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.

Pistorius, 26, arrived at the court about two hours before the hearing that began at about 4:30 a.m. ET Friday.

As the hearing started, Pistorius kept his head down, cried and held his hands to his face. At times, he appeared confused.

"Take it easy. Come take a seat," Reuters quoted Magistrate Desmond Nair as telling him.

A defense lawyer referred to his client’s “traumatised state of mind.”

Several of Pistorius’ family members were in the courtroom and also appeared emotional; one seemed distraught and others wept.

Prosecutors alleged the Olympic runner had committed "premeditated murder" and he was formally charged.

Pistorius was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing next week.

An application by the media for the proceedings to be broadcast was rejected at the start of the hearing.

Citing a neighbor, the Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper reported Friday that Pistorius shot his girlfriend four times through a bathroom door. NBC News could not independently verify the report, which was translated by Reuters.

Numerous media outlets reported Thursday that Pistorius may have mistaken the woman for an intruder, but police said neighbors had heard noises before the shots and that there had been previous "domestic" incidents at the house.

The athlete who rose to fame in London last summer as the first amputee runner in the Olympics has reportedly been arrested by South African police after his girlfriend was shot and killed in his home. NBC's Rohit Kachroo reports and NBC sports analyst Ato Boldon talks about the case, calling it an "absolute shock."

'Charming, great guy'

The couple had been dating for several months, and “seemed happy,” Steenkamp’s publicist Sarit Tomlinson told TODAY on Thursday. There was no sign of discord between the two, she said.

Tomlinson said that Pistorius was a “charming, great guy.”

According to her Facebook page, Steenkamp was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and raised in Port Elizabeth.

She earned a law degree at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University before moving to Johannesburg and earning a job as the South African face of cosmetics maker Avon.

Greg Stokell, headmaster of St. Dominic’s Priory school in Port Elizabeth, told South Africa's The Times newspaper that Steenkamp was “a vibrant, friendly, diligent, and motivated student who was popular with and respected by staff and peers alike.”

From an early age, "Reeva had the full support of her parents who encouraged her to maximize her strengths and abilities to achieve her dreams,” Stokell told the paper. “She set high goals for herself in everything she did and she consistently converted opportunities into success.”

A police officer holds a gun that was allegedly used in the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend.

Steenkamp was featured in men’s magazine FHM in December 2011, and named one of the publication’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World for two years in a row.

Pistorius battled for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes and was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics.

He qualified for the 400-meter semi-finals and 4 x 400-meter final at the London 2012 Summer Games.

His website highlighted that Pistorius ran in 11 races during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralymics and returned home with "two Paralympic gold medals, Paralympic silver, two world records, a Paralympic record, an Olympic individual semi-final and an Olympic final."

NBC's John Newland, Jason Cumming and Matthew DeLuca, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Riverwind (imported)]

I agree this is a tragedy and before I pass judgement on the young man I would like to wait and see how this plays out.

To many questions need to be answered before we hang this guy.

River

[Losethem (imported)]

Numerous media outlets reported Thursday that Pistorius may have mistaken the woman for an intruder, but police said neighbors had heard noises before the shots and that there had been previous "domestic" incidents at the house.

Having spent time in a private residence in South Africa, I could see how this initial report could be believed. Apparently there is much more to it than that.

A typical South African private residence has many layers of security. In my instance I visited a person living in an apartment in Johannesburg. When I drove up to the 20-unit complex the first thing I saw was a 12-foot high fence with concertina wire on top. At the gate I had to present my identification to the guard at the gate, tell him who I was there to see, and then he had to call and verify that we were expected by the person we were seeing. After that he opened the gate and we were allowed to drive through.

That was security obstacle number one.

Then we encountered security obstacles two and three. The person we were visiting lived on the third floor, so we had to buzz her apartment so we could access the security gated stairwell. Remember, we already went though the exterior gate. She buzzed us in, we climbed the stairwell, then opened up another security gate on her floor. It opened without buzzing since we were opening it from the inside. Then we got to her door. Yup, another security gate.

Strangely, I never felt like I was being eyed for harm the entire time I was in South Africa, except when I went to this apartment.

--LT

[moi621 (imported)]

L.A. Times ran another story today.

He is not without a police record.

On women too.

BTW I am biased. I always "felt" he was a crazy man.

Just a "feeling", confirmed.

Moi

ref. "Claims also surfaced that he had assaulted a woman in 2009; he was arrested and jailed overnight but released, later threatening to sue her. Clifton van der Burgh, creator of the reality show Steenkamp appeared in, was reported to have opened a case against Pistorius in November, accusing him of sending threatening text messages.

One newspaper conceded Thursday that Pistorius "has not always been a gentleman," citing reports of bursts of temper, arrogance and drunken aggression at concerts."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... nationworl d%2Fworld%20%28L.A.%20Times%20-%20World%20News%29&track=rss

[A-1 (imported)]

I refuse to make the obvious comment about his defense in court... Andrew would KILL me for making it... (not to mention River...)

[moi621 (imported)]

More lady beating revelations today over this "crazy" man's past.

Names such as his, the Gifford's shooter, etc. should be forgotten.

Kristoff might confirm some years ago there was an EA member who really, really

made the "small hairs on the back of the neck rise", not over a political difference

but more like sensing Satan's work. I would get chastised, this member is long departed from EA.

Clairvoyance has its' curse. Among them is being put against the stream for no logical reason.

I never felt he was of the right stuff.

More like Evil's stuff with the "lure".

The reality series featuring the murdered Reeva Steemkamp has been broadcast in South Africa as scheduled.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-575 ... iend-airs/

God Bless Her and Her Family.

And may the family of Pistorius be cursed ten fold! Biblical style.

http://news.yahoo.com/pistorius-uncle-s ... --oly.html

"PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is "numb with shock, as well as grief" after the shooting death of his model girlfriend at his home in South Africa, the runner's uncle said Saturday, as his family "strongly refutes" charges that he planned to kill her.

I trust my feelings. He is a "crazy man", as sure as O J. did it.

The Devil did a good job on this one on society loving a crazy man because <sniff> <sniff> need I say it.

Moi

[Riverwind (imported)]

Who needs a fair trial with you around moi, you just know and oh yes, OJ did not do it, at least he was not convicted by a jury which is what it takes to be legally guilty however we still don't know what happened in South Africa and you have already convicted him and passed sentence. How nice of you I will write the South African consulate and tell them Moi has already passed sentence and to hand that guilty guy over to MOI for execution.

OR

maybe he should have a trial first.

River

[Dave (imported)]

It's not the trial or guilt or innocence in a legal sense.

The tragedy is that Pistorius was hero to so many people both with disabilities and without. He was someone to look up to.

And he fell, which is the definition of tragedy.

[moi621 (imported)]

A friend of mine telephoned.

They are an above the knee, below the knee multiple fingers amputee and an amputee activist.

Horrified by the crime and remembers my feelings of him some years and years ago.

Did OJ and Oscar snuff out another life? Yes! No doubt.

What the lawyers end up calling it is not of interest to me. You?

Moi

"Evil" did a good job on this one.

[Sweetpickle (imported)]

If we ever find out, it will be interesting to know whether it was

a true accident of a flash of anger.

In any case it is sad to see a guy who overcame so much and inspired

so many fall so suddenly.