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Denis Farrell / AP
Arnold Pistorius, right, uncle of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, comforts his niece after making a statement to selected press in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 16, 2013.
The uncle of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius said Saturday that the runner, who overcame physical disabilities to become a national icon in his native South Africa, was “numb with shock, as well as grief” after the shooting death of model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Prosecutors on Friday accused Pistorius of the “premeditated” murder of his girlfriend.
“As you can imagine, our entire family is devastated, we are in a state of total shock – firstly about the tragic death of Reeva who we had all got to know well and care for deeply over the last few months,” Arnold Pistorius said on Saturday, speaking to reporters at his home in Pretoria. The statement was later released by Pistorius’ agent.
“All of us saw at firsthand how close she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were,” the uncle said in the family’s first on-camera, in-person statement since the incident. “They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time.”
Prosecutor: 'Blade Runner' Pistorius committed 'premeditated' murder of girlfriend
The family “strongly refutes” any charges of murder against Pistorius, his uncle said. “We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegations and that the state’s own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all.”
An emotional Pistorius, 26, appeared in court on Friday accompanied by several family members. He at times appeared confused and sobbed during the hearing.
“Take it easy. Come, take a seat,” Magistrate Desmond Nair told the athlete, who was born without a fibula in both legs, according to Reuters.
Reeva Steenkamp was model, budding TV star
Pistorius was formally charged on Friday, and is slated to appear for a bail hearing next week. The court rejected an application by the media to broadcast the proceedings.
The charges were “disputed in the strongest terms,” a statement released by Pistorius’ agent after the hearing read: “[Pistorius] has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva. He would also like to express his thanks through us today for all the messages of support he has received – but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family – regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy."
Steenkamp, a model, law graduate, and aspiring television star, was found dead on Valentine’s Day of gunshot wounds in Pistorius’ home in a gated community. The model, 30, was shot four times, and authorities told the Associated Press that a 9mm pistol was recovered at the residence.
Speaking on NBC’s TODAY earlier this week, Steenkamp’s publicist described the incident as a “huge loss for everyone and too shocking for words.”
A reality island TV show featuring the deceased girlfriend of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius aired Saturday in South Africa, just days after the model and budding television personality's death. Pistorius' uncle said the runner was "numb with shock." NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
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I think this probably was indeed a murder, but wow, you people who blab away as if you were there and saw it are a prosecutor's dream jury. If a prosecutor has you on the jury, there's no need to hear the evidence or have a trial.
YOU ALWAYS Identify your target! 4 Gunshots put into his girlfriend, you don't dump 4 gunshots into anyone, all you need is one, then you follow up if needed and they are a threat. Unless the first one was a headshot, she would have been screaming, and then you follow up 3 more?
If he was dumping rounds in the dark into someone he had no idea who it was, knowing his girlfriend has a key to his house and did not break in, then it IS MURDER. You can't be that negligent.
His claim of accidently killing his girlfriend is baseless. Not when you put 2 shots to the head and 2 shots to the body.
Absolutely. Shooting one shot into the person accidentally maybe. Four no way! She would have been laying on the floor after the first or second shot. He would have had to stand over her for the third and fourth.
Oh, how everyone came to kiss his butt and make him a hero, even though, all he was the whole time was a fit guy with no legs.
Not an idol, not an inspiration, but just a guy who could be fast if he had special metal attached to him.
Like Lance Armstrong and Joe Paterno before him, we have wasted good energy on poor examples of role models and cultural heroes.
Sports is the true world religion and sports stars are our true idols/ gods. It is sad but true.
It is evident by how quickly the media -without any proof to go on- tried to spin it as him accidentally shooting her as a burglar.
The guy is just another trigger happy gun nut. Even if she had been a burglar why does any society think we have the right to take someone's life just because they steal our cheap over priced pieces of crap possessions. He was itching for a long time to shoot someone, because trigger happy people like him place things above the lives of people. I wouldn't shoot someone for stealing. I would shoot them if they threatened my life. If they just want to steal my stuff then go ahead. They may be desperate and need it more than I do. Even if she had been a burglar and he had killed her it still would have been wrong in my book.
His girlfriend was rendered permanently numb with rigormortis. He's not numb, he's in shock that he didn't get away with it.
Pistorious murdered his girlfriend. He shot her twice. It would be a lot more believable that it was an accident, if he had shot her once. The abused becomes the abuser! I bet he sobbed in court, he wants out of jail so he can live his fabulous life... I bet the girlfriend and he were fighting. She was cheating, he found out, and waited for her to get home... Fool!
the media loves it, white man, with gun kills woman.
Yeah, he shot her 4 times! The news report initially said twice... I have no doubt he did it on purpose. HE SHOT HER 4 F UCKING TIMES. Previous domestic violence reports from his house... Open and shut case here.
Thank you for your expert legal analysis. Where'd you graduate? If Boalt Hall, we're alumni.
Uncle's comments directly conflict with those of Pistorius' father who says he never met the girlfriend.
Fry this D-Bag.
People are assuming it was Reeva in the bathroom and the shots
went into the bathroom. Oscar might have been the one in
the bathroom hiding from what he thought was an intruder and
if the shots went out of the bathroom, then it's likely that he
did not know it was Reeva. As far as I know, all we've been told
is that there were shots through a bathrrom door, and the media might be
assuming it was Reeva in the bathroom. Has anyone heard differently?
Is there any police statement as to who was in the bathroom?
That is a real stretch. Apparently they had been heard arguing earlier, so at what point did she leave and he hear something, assume it wasn't her but an intruder and then hide in the bathroom firing shots through the door. Yes that or other scenarios are possible and all must be explored but do you really think that is what happened?
Can he hire the OJ defense team? At least the ones still living.
I have to wonder what has him numb with shock... the fact that his girlfriend is dead or that he got caught/is being held accountable for her death??
until you hear the facts of the case and what the prosecution comes up with you ppl might as well say he found out his gf was an alien and in a klingon drug fit rage he shot at himself in the mirror and instead hit her.
Stop making stuff up.
My opinion is that this is just another case of "If I can't have you, then no one can." Her career was on the rise and he is too stupid and jealous to be happy for her, so let's just wipe her off the planet. I hope he is executed... life for a life. Paybacks are hell aren't they?
Headline: Blade Runner's uncle: Pistorius 'numb with shock'
This should come to know surprise. All psychopaths appear 'numb with shock'.
I bet that he has some of you snowed.
As the songs says, "No One Knows What Goes On Behind Closed Doors". -Charlie Rich-
yes, but who was behind the bathroom door, him or her?
as an ex con it's a simple formula for me. do crime? do time. pretty simple. no excuse for taking a life. spare us all the cost of a show trial, and take a plea. take responsibility for what you did. and just go away. at least let her rest in peace, and spare her family any more pain. hope you enjoy "count time" as much as i did.
Forget all the analyzing of this guy. Apart from his fame, underneath he was abusive and just a dick. His girlfriend deserves the tears. He deserves nothing!
what a dum as ftten people to believe this bull sh it, the guy is scared now and say hello to you new girl freind mr big buba , you dum as , lets hear what the dum as , has to say , about killing someone that looks like her , and yea he had every thing even a good looking woman , what a wimp , dum fteer , buba is waiting , stick his as in a cell with buba, and watch we will have to watch this wimp merriage on msn , to buba , buba you take wimy boy to love and be your wife , buba say aw haa sure do , buba like buba like, , ftten dum as,
ahh he could have been cleaning his gun drunk and it misfired..he may have heard her come in and in a hyper paranoid drug induced state thought she was an intruder...list goes on with maybe and what ifs.
Slow "news" day, eh MSNBC?
i'm tired of hearing about him in shock........ his family this his family that. how about i shove one of his leg blades up his ass mr tough guy with a gun.
I agree. He is attempting to become the victim.
“numb with shock, as well as grief”
How about "as well as guilt?"
If he took her life as seems likely, then he must pay dearly with a long prison sentence. If it truly was premeditated with past abuse life in jail is just dandy. Steroid rage mixed with paranoia and loads of weapons is a prescription for this kind of tragedy proving my point that guns do not make you safer despite the contention of the NRA. That's not only true in America but South Africa as well. Also a lot of suicides are fueled by guns.