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Frennie Shivambu / JustusMedia via Reuters
South African "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius, right, smiles with his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Nov. 4. Steenkamp is dead, Pistorius is being charged with her murder and the woman's mother wants answers.
The mother of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot to death Thursday in the home of Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, vented her grief and frustration to a South African newspaper.
The interview, conducted by telephone Sunday and reported Monday by The Times of Johannesburg, appears to be June Steenkamp's first since her daughter's death at Pistorius' home in the gated Silver Woods Luxury Estate outside Pretoria.
"Why? Why my little girl?" she asked. "Why did this happen? Why did he do this? What for?"
Pistorius, 26, has been in custody since the shooting and is to be formally charged in a court appearance Tuesday with the murder of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate, model and actress who had gained global attention with her blond good looks and bubbly personality.
He has strongly denied allegations that he murdered his girlfriend.
NBC News' full coverage of the Oscar Pistorius case
June Steenkamp told The Times that she and her family are left searching for logic in a time of grief and shock.
"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with," she said. "All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."
Reeva Steenkamp was recently featured in the new season of a reality show, "Tropika Island of Treasure"; had done promotional work for international brands including Toyota; and was on the December 2011 cover of FHM magazine, which named her one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" two years in a row.
"She had so much of herself to give and now all of it is gone," June Steenkamp said. "Just like that, she is gone. … In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here."
Mike Steenkamp, whom The Times identified as a family spokesman, said the Steenkamps were trying to simply make it through the funeral, which like Pistorius' court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
"For now, we are just focusing on … getting this part of the difficult journey behind us," he told The Times.
"We're trying not to think about Oscar or the court appearance," he added. "We have deliberately not watched TV or listened to the radio. We just don't want to think about it. We want to blank it all out and focus for now on the here and now."
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This is a cycle for some people to get into troubled relationships, it's a shame know one saw the signs of her troubled relationship from this guy. Very Sad!.
She may have ignored the signs. Friends/family may not have seen it.
Ike:
You are right, it is a cycle. I read somewhere that a relationship Reeva was in before she was with Oscar was abusive and she had the courage to get out. I guess she fell for the same type of guy but lost the chance to get out. It's tragic.
May she rest in peace
murder in the first degree.
Does South Africa carry the death penalty or does it take 20 years on death row to get someone removed from society permanantly like we do here.
Maximum sentence, from what I heard, is 25 years in prison...
My heart and condolenses go out to the family of this young .. bright young lady .. a parent should never have to bury a child. It is supposed to be reverse, you are all held in my prayers and may you get the answers you seek in time .. R.I.P Reeva
Most guys when they are mentally abused by women give in and live with it or get out of the relasonship because the laws favor women. Some are macho and do the un thinkable. What he did was not acceptable however take a look at the root causes not the result.
Paul-540042 No one should have to put up with abuse from anyone. You do have the option of leaving. Revenge, however, is an ugly thing that often leads to violence.... and violence cannot be condoned.
First time the guy lays violent hands on you, get out. And don't come back.
Skyblue54 .. there are many who prefer a Man who works 40 hours a week and quality time at home with the right one to complete them. but as others have stated as well there are many who seek the * Bad Boy * image so inticing that they run after it. My fiance if placed on a petalstool by me for who he is.. yes hes average but loving and knows how to treat a lady.
I guess i can say i am very lucky indeed for what i have with him .. Blessed Be..
I don't believe this guy has a leg to stand on...............
Screw it- there's just nothing left to say about the shrewdly marketed personal arms race that has the planet in it's lethal grip. Happy, Mr LaPierre and others of your ilk around the world??
I think we will know the truth. Lets just wait and see. There is a lot more forensic tests then there was for OJ hopefully the crime scene hasnt been tanted.
This man, born without legs took on the most difficult challenge he could have possibly tried; running. He must have had great character and determination to accomplish such a feat.
I imagine due to his deformity, he must have had a lot of rejection from women. No one knows exactly what happened, but the mix of alcohol and anger led to this tragedy. A raging drunk, male or female can maim or kill.
This woman is now gone and his life and career are forever destroyed. So heartbreaking.
I am no necrophiliac, but I would say she is definately do-able.
Something was wrong at that house and wrong between the two of them. Loud fighting overheard by the neighbors and police called to the residence. Not the first time police called either due to domestic disturbances. Anyway, police come, then leave, the fight resumes ending in Reeva's violent death.
I don't think Reeva feared for her life when the police came the first time or she would have left with them. I don't understand why she wasn't nervous fighting with him with all the weapons in the house. Bat, handgun, machine gun, etc.. And Oscar apparently had issues responsibly handing firearms having recently "accidentally" fired a gun off at a restaurant table filled with friends. One almost shot in the foot. The report is the trigger shagged on his sweater or something like that??? I ask you, Who brings out/passes around a gun at a restaurant table?! What's up with that?? And when it goes off and is investigated everyone at the table (I understand Reeva was there too) claims they don't know what happened? I guess covering for a friend. Maybe some of this is falsely reported. I guess we'll know more as the investigation continues. It's all very tragic. Young lives cut so short, ruined.
I think he murdered her. I think they had better communication, he did know she was home, and nobody is that stupid to shoot first when he knew very well it could have been her. His story is bull@!$%#.
Why is there sorrow over all the earth? When SATEN tempted ADAM and EVE to go against what GOD had told them not to do, he was given the legal right to become the god of this world,BUT JESUS took that authority from him when he offered his perfect sinless blood scrafice for my and all sin.Read Hebrews 9:27,2 Peter3:9,2 Corinthians 4:4 and confess out load Romans 10:9-10,in the same book[THE HOLY BIBLE] that PRESIDENT OBAMA placed his right hand on when he became president of the united states of AMERICA.
Saro, one thing I won't have to wait to know until after I die is that God DID create the world in 7 days. Why? Because He's God and He can.
On another note -- if this poor girl was plain looking, would this get as much attention? Whether she was beautiful or not is not the point -- she deserved to have a good life. I am so sorry for her family. May God hold you in His hand.
With all these losers walking around even if they have money a woman should be smart and always keep her legs shut until she is married. This will really help in a woman not being used and abused.
He is going to get away with killing your daughter. Pistorius is a white MALE althlete, your daughter is just a white FEMALE. White males have been killing white females sense the beginning of time. Remember the witch erra.
Witches were mostly white women, some children were included. Good luck to you.