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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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The sob should be completely numb! Like dead!
Let's fit Oscar with prostheses that conduct electricity. We then electrify the running track so that each time one of his "limbs" touches the track, he receives a shock from the contact. So he has to keep moving to lessen the effects of the received shocks. But, of course, in spite of all the time the court gives him to get into great shape, for his last "run", he's eventually overcome with fatigue. That let's the shocks become more prolonged, until they are finally lethal. This would all be video-taped and then posted on youtube. It sets a record for internet hits surpassing previous record-holders by an order of magnitude. Oscar breaks another world record. The pig.
He is "numb" well better feeling that than the empty darkness of Reeva's corpse.
In 2009 Pistorius was arrested and charged with common assault by South African police for slamming a door on a woman at his home. The charges were later dropped. So this time he used a gun after the door was closed. Do you suppose the charges will be dropped again this time since he is both rich and white? Oh yeah ... Guns don't kill people, people kill people, and monkeys and Olympic athletes do too (if they have a gun). E. Izzard
Guns and manhood are two different things.
And yet another do-do who believes guns are the answer, reveals the truth. Very unfortunate it was this poor innocent girl who got shot 4 times by this parinoid goof and not someone deserving like Wayne LaPierre, but hey thanks to his own stupidity theres plenty of mental deficents with guns out there! So Wayne ole boy theres always hope for tomorrow! You DumbAzz!
This guy should not even have been allowed to compete in the Olympics in the first place. These blades give him an advantage. Everyone else competes with arms, legs, feet and hands. Why can't able-bodied athletes strap mechanical devices to the bottom of their feet if this guy can use these blades? It is admirable that he overcame his disablility but the whole Olympic thing was a farce.
I have to wonder if he was caught up in a bout of rage... because of likely use of steroids. All these athletes use them. Steroids change people and my theory is that this is what happened here. It's a shame.
Is anybody in the media questioning themselves over why they preferred to run with a fantasy story rather than dig for reality?
Let the pathetic excuses begin, he had PTSD since he didn't come in first in the Olympics!! Must be roid rage! She moved his blades, on and on make any excuse. It was her fault! Must have been an accident, since he only shot her four times.!!This is not the first time domestic violence and the police being called to his home. One can only hope that the justice system in S.A. will not have a pitty party for him and will proceed to convict him to the full extent of the law.
Condolences to Reeva's family
They were so close and he was so happy? I am not familiar with that type of closeness and happiness where you pick up a gun and shoot someone. Hmmm
Takes a very certain type of person to kill another human being, otherwise we would all be killing each other off. My condolences to her family and hopefully Justice will prevail. Someone mentioned a thug, is a thug what else can you say.
Lets see how he overcomes some of life's REAL challenges...
Man, someone's charged with a crime and everybody starts screaming for his blood right away. Perhaps he's guilty, but perhaps he's not. I, for one, don't believe in making judgments and insulting everyone when the facts are not all in.
What is the internet these days, just therapy for a lot of angry, hate-filled people? I'll bet the blowhards here would have been right at home during the public festivals that accompanied beheadings a few centuries ago (or nowadays in Saudi Arabia).
If this guy is guilty, he'll have to accept his sentence and shut up about it, but I don't believe in conducting a trial in the public media.
It's the same idiots who always know exactly what happened with no information. A product of a very low IQ.
It makes no difference how bad this guy feels for doing this, what does matter is this womans' family having to go through this senseless killing. I don't care how bad he now feels for shooting her, I don't care if he's locked up forever.. I do care about how easy it was for him to get that gun and blow her away in a few seconds, see what guns do? no gun, no shots through that door, no dead woman..
Give us all a break with your stupid gun speeches Lori.
Plain and simple the bastard killed his girl friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We have to stop protecting these high class athletes. They will let him off because by the time the news twists the story and everybody falls for his story she wi;ll have been the one that made him do it. The public is a idiot!!
Your reporter tonight said that the family "strongly refuted" police charges. I hear no refutation, only a semi-REBUTTAL. Wish your reporters and copy editors spoke and wrote English---not Inglish {for non-literates: read Orwell's "1984")
Your reporter tonight said that the "family strongly refuted" the police charges. I heard no refutation (because none was offered). Hire reporters and copywriters who can tell the difference between "refuted" and rebutted." Better yet, hire such employees who speak and write ENGLISH--not INGLISH (George Orwell "1984") or pidgin.
as much I feel its in bad taste to show her tv show,, I think it will keep her in the light and not just be a nobody who was killed,, take the star spot light off the dude,,
Awww...he is numb...I wonder how his victim feels. I bet she is pretty numb too.
Oh dear...compassion for Oscar. He is `numb’ with shock, but the girl `friend’ is
dead numb from multiple bullets...and one to the head.
It sounds like he doesn't have a leg to stand on unless he says the gun had a hair trigger and it went off 4 times before he could stop it. Boy, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes or blades. I hope he bought Mama a new house while he had the money.
I would like to think he didn't do it.
Had there be no gun at the house, the victim would have ended up in ER with a bruised face, maybe a broken jaw. But thanks to their version of the "second amendment" she's now DEAD. Guns are made to KILL, period.
This was a respectable young man, hero and a motivator for millions who until he pulled the trigger, was a law abiding citizen. Live by the gun die by the gun. Another trophy for gun nuts, I guess.
Pistorius says he thought his girlfriend was an intruder when he shot her, but I don't think he has a leg to stand on.