How Oscar Pistorius Went From Hero to Murderer

In 2012, Oscar Pistorius took the world by storm when he became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics^®. Soon after, his fame turned to notoriety after he was arrested as a suspect in his girlfriend’s murder. The trial turned up several unusual facts related to the South African Paralympian.

The Rise and Fall

Pistorius was born with a congenital condition that required his legs to be amputated when he was less than a year old. After winning gold several times at the Paralympics, Pistorius competed against able-bodied athletes in London in 2012.

Hardly six months later Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, through the bathroom door. The news of Steenkamp’s murder and the subsequent trial shoved Pistorius back into the limelight, but under much different circumstances.

From Manslaughter to Murder

Pistorius claimed that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder. He believed he was keeping himself and Steenkamp safe by firing four rounds through the bathroom door. The world watched the trial unfold. The judge found Pistorius guilty of manslaughter, but in 2015 an appeal court overturned the ruling and convicted the Olympian of murder. Here are five interesting facts from the original 2014 Pistorius trial that captivated South Africa and the globe:

1. Vomit

Pistorius vomited several times into a plastic bucket after a graphic photo of Steenkamp’s head was displayed on screens in the courtroom without warning during pathologist Gert Saayman’s testimony. Saayman explained that Steenkamp was shot three times and described how the bullets impacted Steenkamp’s body.

2. Alarming Messages

A police captain read out alarming WhatsApp messages from Steenkamp to Pistorius during the trial. According to the BBC, Steenkamp wrote, “I’m scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me,” just weeks before her murder.

3. Wiped Phone

Pistorius’ brother, Carl Pistorius, allegedly took Oscar’s phone in the days following the crime and returned it to the police 12 days later. When the police finally got possession of the phone, it had been wiped of all data.

4. Mental Health

A defense psychologist alleged that Pistorius had suffered from anxiety since he was a child due to the amputation of his legs and later the divorce of his parents. The prosecution ordered mental health examinations and it was determined that Pistorius had no mental disorder and clearly knew right from wrong.

5. Firearms

Pistorius had a strange relationship with guns. His ex-girlfriend, Samantha Taylor, claimed that Pistorius always carried a gun while they were dating and once fired a gun through the roof of a car in a fit of anger after an altercation with the police. Video also exists of Pistorius shooting at a watermelon and remarking, “it’s not as soft as brains … but it’s a zombie stopper,” according to the BBC.

Released on Parole

Pistorius served half of his more than 13-year sentence before being released on parole in January 2024. Until his sentence ends in 2029, the terms of Pistorius’ parole require that he stay home during certain hours of the day, not drink alcohol, not talk to the media, and receive therapy.

The murder of Reeva Steenkamp and subsequent trial of Oscar Pistorius were not without controversy and mystery. We may never know why Pistorius fired those four shots through the bathroom door that night. But one thing is for certain, Steenkamp’s family continues to pay the ultimate price for Pistorius’ actions.

References: Oscar Pistorius older brother may have deleted phone messages, book claims | Oscar Pistorius released on parole 11 years after killing Reeva Steenkamp | Oscar Pistorius trial: 10 key moments | Oscar Pistorius fired gun through car sunroof in anger, says ex-girlfriend