The trial of Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius over the alleged Valentine’s Day murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa was postponed Tuesday until Aug. 19.

The defense team for the star athlete and double amputee known as the “Blade Runner,” quickly agreed to the prosecution’s motion to delay the case.

The 26-year-old Pistorius appeared composed as he stood in the dock at Pretoria Magistrates Court, hands crossed and silent.

When told a warrant could be issued for his arrest if he did not appear on Aug. 19, he replied, “Yes, sir.”

Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius appears Tuesday in a Pretoria court for the first time since February.

Aug. 19 would have been Steenkamp’s 30^th birthday.

The magistrate went on to say that he was “a little bit concerned” about the extensive coverage of the star athlete’s case, particularly reporters being briefed on the case, adding that he feared a “trial by media.”

"Anyone who has information … must approach” the prosecuting authority he said, adding, “I also read newspapers” and saying there was a danger of “scandalizing” the case.

A lawyer for Pistorius echoed the magistrate’s comments, saying media coverage had been “over the top and grossly disproportionate.”

The brief formal court appearance was the first for Pistorius since he was released on bail Feb. 22. He did not appear at a March hearing during which his bail conditions were lightened, giving him freedom to leave the country.

During a Feb. 19 hearing, Pistorius said in a statement to the court that he had heard a noise in the bathroom and felt “a sense of terror” on the night he fatally shot Steenkamp, insisting he thought someone had broken into his South Africa home.

"I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," he said in the statement.

In that same hearing, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said there was nothing to support Pistorius’ claim that he feared there was an intruder in the house when he killed Steenkamp.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Pistorius was surrounded by family. One relative said there were almost 80 family members present.

A statement from family members said: “We believe in him, love him and will support him every step of the way in what lies ahead.”

Related:

• Uncle says Pistorius 'will bounce back'
• Steenkamp family holds funeral
• More NBC News coverage of the Pistorius case

Alexander Joe / AFP

Carl Pistorius, the older brother of South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The brother of Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was acquitted on Tuesday of the unlawful killing of a motorcyclist in a traffic accident.

Oscar Pistorius is currently facing a murder charge after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home near Pretoria on Valentine’s Day. He says he mistook her for an intruder while she was in a bathroom.

His brother Carl Pistorius was facing a charge of “culpable homicide” – unlawful, negligent killing -- over the death of Maria Barnard in 2008.

However, he was acquitted at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation and other media reported.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Medupe Simasiku said that prosecutors had failed to prove the case against him, SABC reported.

"We are satisfied with the end of it all. We are delighted," Carl Pistorius’ lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, told the station.

South Africa’s Times newspaper reported that Pistorius’ “bakkie” or truck had collided with Barnard’s motorcycle on March 8, 2008, and she had died a few days later.

The paper said Pistorius was also cleared of charges of reckless or negligent driving, and driving without reasonable consideration for another person using the road.

Oscar Pistorius was granted bail of a million rand ($108,000) in March, pending his trial over the Steenkamp’s death.

Related:

• Judge: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius can leave South Africa while on bail in murder case
• Slain model's father: Pistorius will 'suffer' if he's lying about her death
• Oscar Pistorius murder case detective quits South African police

EPA, file

Hilton Botha at the bail hearing of paralympian Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 20.

JOHANNESBURG - Hilton Botha, the South African detective ridiculed for his slipshod handling of the initial investigation into the killing of Olympic track star Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend has resigned from the force, police said on Thursday.

Warrant Officer Botha, a detective with 24 years experience, was the first officer on the scene after the Valentine's Day shooting of law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp.

However, he was pulled off the case after it emerged he was being investigated for seven counts of attempted murder. He was also criticized for mixing up key facts about the investigation at Pistorius' bail hearing.

He handed in his resignation yesterday and it was accepted with immediate effect," police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila told Reuters. "We are not going into the details."

Botha, a detective with 24 years experience, is accused of firing on a minibus taxi full of passengers in 2011 while pursuing a man accused of murdering a woman and disposing of her dismembered body down a drain, local media said.

The charges were withdrawn but reinstated on February 4, 10 days before Steenkamp was shot.

The incident has embarrassed the South African police who regularly come under fire for failing to reduce one of the highest crimes rates in the world and dispel perceptions of a force that is poorly trained.

Last week, eight policemen were arrested for tying a Mozambican taxi driver to the back of a vehicle and dragging him to the station. The video-recorded treatment of the man who later died shocked audiences around the world.

Related:

Pistorius bail hearing in chaos as lead detective is axed from case

Lead detective in Pistorius case faces attempted murder charges

Pistorius: I felt 'sense of terror' on night I mistakenly shot girlfriend

Accused Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius will “suffer” alone if he is lying, the father of his slain girlfriend said in an interview with a South African newspaper.

Barry and June Steenkamp, mother and father of deceased 29-year-old model and law school graduate Reeva Steenkamp, told the Afrikaans-language paper Beeld that they were grief-stricken by the loss of their daughter.

“It doesn’t matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he will have to live with his conscience if he allows his legal team to lie for him,” Barry Steenkamp told Beeld.

“But if he is telling the truth, then perhaps I can forgive him one day,” he told the paper. “If it didn’t happen the way he said it did, he must suffer, and he will suffer … only he knows.”

June Steenkamp said she was sent a flower bouquet and card by Pistorius’ relatives.

“Yes, but what does it mean? Nothing,” she told Beeld. She said the Pistorius family was “not to blame” for her daughter’s death.

Pistorius’ family said that they felt “relief” to have the accused athlete home in a statement on Saturday.

“This constitutes a moment of relief under these otherwise very grave circumstances,” Arnold Pistorius, Oscar’s uncle, said in a statement. “We are extremely thankful that Oscar is now home.”

“We are acutely aware of the fact that this is only the beginning of a long road to prove that, as we know, Oscar never intended to harm Reeva, let alone cause her death,” the uncle said. “We realize that the law must run its course, and would not have it any other way.”

The family announced on Saturday that it was canceling all social media sites for Carl and Aimee Pistorius, Oscar’s brother and sister. Janine Hills, a spokesperson for the family, said that Carl Pistorius’ Twitter account had been hacked.

“It is most unfortunate that during this sensitive time, someone would choose to hack into Oscar Pistorius older brother, Carl Pistorius’ Twitter handle,” Hill said in a statement. “Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva.”

There was no hint that the romance between Steenkamp and Pistorius would come to such a tragic end, the model’s uncle told Rock Center with Brian Williams.

“Nobody ever saw it coming,” Mike Steenkamp said. “Never forewarned.”

Pistorius, 26, is charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine’s Day shooting death of Steenkamp. Pistorius has said that the shooting was an accident, and that he thought he was shooting at an intruder in his Pretoria home. He was freed on bail Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oscar Pistorius granted bail ahead of murder trial

Pistorius' uncle: Olympian in shock, 'will bounce back'

This story was originally published on Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:35 AM EST

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius was granted bail Friday pending his trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Olympic and Paralympic star Pistorius, dubbed the “Blade Runner,” maintains he did not realize Steenkamp was in the locked bathroom of his home in a suburb of Pretoria, South Africa, and fired through the door in a panic over a possible prowler early on Valentine's Day.

However, prosecutors say the 26-year-old committed the “premeditated murder” of Steenkamp, 29, a model and trained lawyer, who was staying overnight at his house.

On the fourth day of his bail hearing Friday, Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair told the court that he had "come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be granted bail."

There was a cry of "yes" from the public gallery after his decision, and his relatives embraced, cried and prayed.

In contrast to the joy of his relatives, Pistorius looked upset.

Nair spoke for more than 90 minutes prior to announcing his decision, summarizing the testimony given to the four-day hearing, citing previous cases and the relevant laws.

He said he had “difficulty” with several aspects of Pistorius’ account of what happened, talking of a number of “improbabilities.”

“I have difficulty in appreciating why the accused did not ascertain the whereabouts of his girlfriend,” Nair said. He said he also struggled to understand “why the accused would not seek to ascertain who was in the toilet” before opening fire.

'Not a flight risk'
But he said he had concluded that Pistorius was "not a flight risk" and said there was no evidence before him that the athlete might interfere with state witnesses. He also said he did not have evidence to suggest Pistorius was "not of a stable mind."

Nair also criticized Warrant Officer Hilton Botha – a police officer pulled from the case because he is facing attempted murder charges -- for making “several errors” during his testimony to the bail hearing.

He also said Botha had “blundered” when he claimed to have found testosterone in Pistorius’ room and had not “spent as much time as he ought to have if he wanted to show the accused has a propensity to violence.”

Nair set bail at a million rand (about $112,000). Pistorius, who was to be freed on payment of the money, was ordered to report to a police station twice a week, among a number of bail conditions.

Pistorius was also ordered to stay away from witnesses, surrender his passports, hand over his firearms and not drink alcohol. The case was then adjourned until June 4.

The athlete left the court at about 5:45 p.m. local time (10:45 a.m ET). He could be seen in a silver Land Rover that was pursued by members of the media on motorcycles after it left the court compound, Reuters reported. The SUV traveled to the home of Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in the Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof, where at least five private security guards kept reporters at bay.

Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the prosecution, said that they respected the court’s decision.

“We would like to assure everyone that we’re still confident of this case,” he said. “We believe that we will make it through during the trial."

Before the bail decision, prosecutor Gerrie Nel had told the court that “one must stretch” to believe Pistorius’ account of what happened on the night of the shooting.

And Nel questioned why Steenkamp would have stayed silent and not alerted Pistorius that she was in the bathroom.

“Why would she not have shouted, 'Where are you (Oscar)? What's going on?’” Nel said. “She did not say a word. She did not scream. She did nothing! I think that's improbable. ... It's not true!"

In a statement read to the court on Tuesday, Pistorius described waking up and and going to his bedroom balcony to bring a fan inside and close the sliding glass doors and blinds. After hearing a noise in the bathroom, the double-amputee said he felt "a sense of terror" and feared a prowler was in the house.

Pistorius' account added:

"I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted at Reeva to phone the police. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance. Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding.

"When I reached the bed, I realized that Reeva was not in bed. That is when it dawned on me that it could have been Reeva who was in the toilet."

Defense lawyer Barry Roux told the court before the decision on bail that Pistorius should at most be charged with culpable homicide, which is the unlawful, negligent killing of someone under South African law.

He said “intent” to possibly kill a burglar could not be transferred to become intent to kill Steenkamp.

Roux said Pistorius would not be able to flee the country unnoticed. If he went through security at an airport, "the system would react."

The lawyer added that Pistorius would not skip bail, saying that his prosthetics needed adjustment every month and that he also required medication for his stomach.

The arrest of Pistorius stunned millions who watched in awe last year as the sprinter reached the semi-final of the 400 meters at the London 2012 Olympics.

In South Africa, Pistorius was seen as a rare hero who commanded respect from both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Pistorius bail hearing in chaos as lead detective is axed from case

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Pistorius' uncle: Olympian in shock, 'will bounce back'

This story was originally published on Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:34 AM EST

Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images

Investigating officer Hilton Botha was removed from the case on Thursday. He allegedly opened fire on a minibus in 2011.

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing descended into chaos Thursday as the lead detective investigating the killing of the Olympian's girlfriend was removed from the case amid attempted murder charges of his own.

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha is due to appear in court in May accused of opening fire on a minibus taxi in 2011. Charges against him were originally withdrawn but reinstated on Wednesday at the behest of the state prosecutor, police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila told Reuters.

The revelation, combined with Botha’s struggle to answer key questions under cross-examination on Wednesday, boosted the confidence of Pistorius’ defense lawyers and his family.

"We're going to win," one relative said as the family entered the courtroom at the start of the third day of a hearing examining whether the double-amputee should get bail. The sprinter is accused of the premeditated murder of model Reeva Steenkamp, 29.

"We're going in the right direction," one of Pistorius' uncles added.

There was further drama when an unidentified woman addressed the court, saying she wanted Pistorius' mental health to be examined. Her intervention was dismissed.

Later, there was a brief adjournment because of an unspecified "threat" to the court building. 

The chaotic scenes in court meant that a bail decision, which had been due on Thursday, was postponed until Friday.

Dubbed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius maintains he fired into his locked bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler. However, prosecutors say the 26-year-old put on his artificial legs and stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her.

Magistrate Desmond Nair said police had showed a lack of urgency in obtaining phone records, and asked Botha why he had given evidence in English rather than his first language, Afrikaans.

After discussion of the Botha revelations, lawyers from both sides began making their final arguments.

Pistorius’ defense lawyer referred to the "poor quality" of evidence gathered by police and said there was no evidence that the sprinter had committed premeditated murder.

He said Steenkamp spending the night at Pistorius' home was "consistent with a loving relationship.”

A prosecution lawyer called Pistorius' account of Steenkamp's death "improbable," saying: "The only reason you'd fire four shots is to kill."

'Stay strong'
The lawyer said the discovery of bullet cartridges in Pistorius' bathroom suggested a deliberate killing at close range.

At one stage, Pistorius began sobbing and his brother, Carl, placed a hand on his back to comfort him. He also whispered: "Stay strong."

Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius appears in court on Thursday.

The prosecution produced a magazine article in which Pistorius talked about having a house in Italy, saying it was evidence that the athlete could easily skip bail and leave South Africa.

Prosecutors also raised the prospect that Pistorius might interfere with witnesses if released on bail. The court heard that Pistorius allegedly tried to manipulate evidence after a previous incident in which his gun was accidentally fired at a restaurant.

Magistrate Nair asked if there would be shock if Pistorius was released on bail. A defense lawyer said there were be shock if the athlete was not released, referring to apparent weaknesses in the prosecution case.

Botha, an experienced detective, testified on Wednesday that a witness heard shouting for an hour coming from the house shortly before the shooting.

Another witness heard gunshots, saw lights on in the house, heard a woman screaming two or three times, then heard another few shots, Botha said.

But under cross-examination, Botha admitted one of the witnesses was 1,000 feet away from the house at the time.

Botha told the court that needles and testosterone were found in the athlete's bedroom.

Defense lawyer Barry Roux disputed that claim, saying the substance was in fact a herbal remedy and that police had misread the label. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel also had to correct Botha when he initially called the substance "steroids."

On the first day of the hearing, prosecutors and the defense presented clashing accounts of how and why Pistorius shot Steenkamp.

A court statement from Pistorius denied "in the strongest terms" that he had deliberately killed the law graduate, adding that the athlete was "deeply in love'' with her, according to Reuters.

"I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Nike on Thursday said it had suspended its sponsorship of Pistorius.

“We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,'” the sportswear company said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

Lead detective in Pistorius case faces attempted murder charges

Pistorius' uncle: Olympian is in shock, 'will bounce back'

Pistorius: I felt 'sense of terror' on night I mistakenly shot girlfriend

This story was originally published on Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:12 AM EST

Themba Hadebe / AP

Attempted murder charges against investigating officer Hilton Botha were reinstated Wednesday.

PRETORIA, South Africa -- The lead detective in Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius' murder case is himself facing attempted murder charges for opening fire on a minibus containing seven people in 2011, South African police said Thursday.

Hilton Botha, who took the stand against Pistorius at the Paralympic gold medalist's bail hearing this week, is due to appear in court in May, police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila said.

"Botha and two other policemen allegedly tried to stop a minibus taxi with seven people. They fired shots," Malila told Reuters.

The charges were provisionally withdrawn, but were reinstated on Wednesday - at the behest of the state prosecutor - after Botha had taken the stand against Pistorius in Pretoria's main magistrates court, he added.

"We were informed yesterday that the charges will be re-instated," Malila said. "At this stage there are no plans to take him off the Pistorius case."

It was unclear why the charges were reinstated against Botha, or how the latest twist in Pistorius' sensational four-day bail hearing will affect the athlete's chances of securing release from custody pending his main trial.

Pistorius - a double amputee dubbed "Blade Runner" because of his carbon fiber racing blades - faces life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder over the shooting of his girlfriend.

South African media said that since the charges were not hanging over Botha when he was in the witness stand, the revelations about attempted murder charges were unlikely to mean his testimony would have to be withdrawn.

The new twist caps an ignominious 24 hours for South Africa's prosecution service.

Under cross-examination at the bail hearing on Wednesday, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in Pistorius' house and had to backtrack on details such as the distance of witnesses from the athlete's home.

Lead defense counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and slip-ups in their initial investigation.

Pistorius is accused of shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at his home early on Valentine's Day.

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Oscar Pistorius in court: Defense exposes cracks in police evidence

Pistorius' uncle: Olympian is in shock but 'will bounce back'

Sportscaster: Pistorius was 'jumpy,' had worries about safety

This story was originally published on Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:13 AM EST

Oscar Pistorius' uncle says the Olympic sprinter is in "extreme shock" -- barely eating and spending his time reading the Bible -- but will "bounce back and be greater than ever" when his murder case is over.

In an interview that aired Wednesday night on the South African television network eNCA, Arnold Pistorius called his nephew a "soft person" and said he's certain he is not guilty of charges he intentionally killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

"Oscar will survive. He will have a tough time going forward, but he is a survivor," the uncle said.

"Nobody can be the same ever again if such a tragedy comes over your life but he will bounce back and be greater than ever.”

His prediction came after the athlete's lawyers and prosecutors faced off in a South African courtroom for the second day of a hearing that will determine if the 26-year-old runner gets bail or sent to prison until a trial. The hearing continues Thursday.

Pistorius, the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics, has been in custody since the Valentine's Day shooting at his Pretoria home.

"He spent a lot of time reading, especially reading his Bible...His mother was extremely religious," Arnold Pistorius said, adding that his nephew had only started eating again Tuesday night.

Pistorius, who claims he thought a prowler was in his house when he shot through a locked bathroom door and killed his model girlfriend, has sobbed through some of the court proceedings.

"He's grieving. He is in extreme shock. I don't expect it to get over it even soon," the uncle said, but added that the Olympian's life and career are far from over.

"I can tell you that Oscar, with his character, is able to work through this," he said. "He will bounce back and be greater than ever."

During Wednesday's hearing, Pistorius' lawyer subjected a police official to a tough cross examination in which he admitted a witness who heard an hour of screaming before the shooting was a thousand feet away from the apartment.

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha disputed Pistorius's version of the shooting, in which he claimed to have opened fire after rushing to the bathroom on his stumps in a panic.

He said the downward trajectory of the shots suggested Pistorius had on the artificial legs that gave him the nickname Blade Runner and aimed at someone on the toilet.

"I believe he knew she was in the bathroom," Botha testified.

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Oscar Pistorius in court: Defense exposes cracks in police evidence

Pistorius: I felt 'sense of terror' on night I mistakenly shot girlfriend

Sportscaster: Pistorius was 'jumpy' about safety

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Defense lawyers exposed apparent weaknesses in the police evidence against Oscar Pistorius Wednesday as a court heard more dramatic details of the night he fatally shot his girlfriend.

The Olympic and Paralympic athlete stared fixedly at the floor, sobbing occasionally, as a senior investigator described the scene when officers arrived at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

Pistorius wore a black suit and blue tie on the second day of a hearing that will decide whether he would be bailed over charges that the shooting of 29-year-old law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp was premeditated.

Dubbed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius maintains he fired into his locked bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler. However, prosecutors say he put on his artificial legs and stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her.

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, an experienced detective, testified that a witness heard shouting for an hour coming from the house shortly before the shooting.

Another witness heard gunshots, saw lights on in the house, heard a woman screaming two or three times, then heard another few shots, Botha said.

But under cross-examination, Botha admitted one of the witnesses was 1,000 feet away from the house at the time.

Botha told the court that needles and testosterone were found in the athlete's bedroom.

The double-amputee's defense lawyer Barry Roux disputed that claim, saying the substance was in fact a herbal remedy and that police had misread the label. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel also had to correct Botha when he initially called the substance "steroids." 

Botha said Steenkamp's body was clothed and covered in towels, and that one bullet cartridge was discovered in the hallway of Pistorius' home, with three more found in the bathroom. A firearm was found on the shower mat.

The investigator said he wanted to charge Pistorius with possession of unlicensed ammunition, according to Reuters.

None of the phones found at Pistorius' house had been used to call police, Botha said.

Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images

The floorplan of Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius' house, shown at a court hearing on Wednesday.

The court heard a discussion about the layout inside of the detached house, in an upmarket, gated compound north of Pretoria.

Botha said the angle at which shots were fired through the door of a locked toilet within Pistorius' en suite bathroom suggested the shooter had aimed specifically to hit somebody on the toilet.

"I believe he knew she was in the bathroom," Botha said.

The downward trajectory of the shots suggests Pistorius was wearing his artificial legs when he pulled the trigger, he added.

However, there were gasps from Pistorius' family as Botha struggled to answer questions under cross-examination. Two female relatives glanced at each other and smiled.

The defense said Steenkamp’s bladder was empty, consistent with having gone to the toilet, as claimed by Pistorius.

It also emerged that Botha had prior dealings with Pistorius, having attended a 2009 incident at the house at which the athlete was arrested but not charged.

There was laughter in the courtroom as Botha insisted there was a risk Pistorius would flee if given bail, despite skepticism from magistrate, Desmond Nair.

As Wednesday's session closed, Pistorius seemed composed. The hearing resumes Thursday, but is expected to conclude by the end of the week.

On the first day of the hearing, prosecutors and the defense presented clashing accounts of how and why Pistorius shot Steenkamp.

A court statement from Pistorius denied "in the strongest terms" that he had deliberately killed Steenkamp, adding that the athlete was "deeply in love'' with her, according to Reuters.

"I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," the statement said.

Pistorius has hired his own high-profile forensic expert to analyze the police reports and post-mortem exam, South Africa news station ENCA reported.

His defense team includes lawyer Kenny Oldwage, who previously won an acquittal for a driver accused of killing Nelson Mandela's great-grandchild in a 2010 accident.

NBC News' Tracy Connor and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

Pistorius: I felt 'sense of terror' on night I mistakenly shot girlfriend

Sportscaster: Pistorius was 'jumpy' about safety

Mother of Pistorius' slain girlfriend: 'Why my little girl?'

This story was originally published on Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:34 AM EST

Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria on Feb. 19. His bail hearing continues Wednesday.

A South African judge will hear more arguments Wednesday before deciding whether Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius should be denied bail and sent to a prison where other inmates have complained about ghastly conditions.

A day after prosecutors and the defense presented clashing accounts of how and why Pistorius fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day, the two sides will spar over where he should spend the months before a trial.

Pistorius arrived in court Wednesday wearing a black suit and blue tie. Prosecutors alleged that a witness heard a "non-stop" argument coming from the Paralympian's home before the shooting.

South African legal experts say that after hearing from witnesses, the magistrate will be asked to evaluate the strength of the prosecution's case and consider whether the double-amputee is a flight risk, a danger to anyone, or likely to intimidate witnesses or destroy evidence.

"Personally, my view is he should get bail because he's got a fixed permanent residence, has no previous convictions, and owns assets in the jurisdiction of the court. He's disabled and easily recognizable," said Steve Tuson, a law professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

But bail could be a tough sell since the judge provisionally entered a charge of premeditated murder after Tuesday's hearing — where Pistorius claimed he fired into his bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler, while prosecutors alleged he calmly put on his artificial legs before he stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her.

Unless the magistrate, Desmond Nair, downgrades the charge after Wednesday's hearing, or the defense convinces him there are extraordinary reasons Pistorius should remain free, the trail-blazing runner is headed to lockup.

Since his arrest, Pistorius, 26, has been held at a local police station, but that's unusual and it's expected he would be transferred to Pretoria's central prison to await further proceedings, experts said.

"It's not too pleasant," Marius du Toit, a South African defense lawyer who has also been a prosecutor and magistrate, said of the central prison.

"I've represented people from overseas who were incarcerated in our prisons. One lost 20 kilos because the food and conditions are so bad. He said, 'I've been in prisons all over Europe and I've never seen anything like this.'"

Two weeks before Pistorius' arrest, six inmates from the Pretoria prison petitioned the High Court to improve conditions, painting a grim picture of daily life behind its walls.

Their complaints included up to three inmates in single-person cells, dirty mattresses with no bedding, sweltering heat and poor ventilation, no time outside, rampant drug dealing and violent threats from fellow prisoners, according to the Pretoria News.

The court has not ruled on the application, which the government planned to oppose, the newspaper said.

Du Toit said that Pistorius' high profile and disability could be grounds for some kind of accommodation if he is sent to prison, but added that officials will be loathe to give him special treatment because the decision to hold him at the police station before the bail hearing was questioned.

If he does wind up behind bars, he could be there for months before a trial and verdict -- which is delivered by a judge since jury trial were done away with in 1969.

Prosecutors and the defense team will be given time to marshal evidence before a trial date is set in stone, Tuson said.

Before the constitutional changes that accompanied the end of the apartheid era in South Africa, prosecutors could keep most of their case under wraps until trial. Now, they have to share all their evidence, Tuson said.

While U.S. trials are often delayed by endless haggling over what evidence is admissible at trial, in South Africa those decisions are made by the judge during the trial.

Tuson said the timeline from charge to verdict normally depends on the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses and how crowded the court docket is. Because the country's judicial system is so clogged, run-of-the-mill cases can face "horrible delays," he said.

Pistorius, however, could be fast-tracked due to the high-profile nature of the case. Tuson predicted the whole thing will be over in six months.

"Because of the media coverage, the state will push for this cases to be held as quickly as possible," du Toit said.

This story was originally published on Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:12 PM EST

Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images

Pallbearers carry the coffin of the late South African model Reeva Steenkamp into the crematorium building in Port Elizabeth Tuesday.

The funeral of model and law-school graduate Reeva Steenkamp – slain by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius – was held in South Africa Tuesday.

As a magistrate ruled he would be prosecuted for premeditated murder, family and friends of Steenkamp spoke of their grief.

Pistorius’ lawyers have admitted he shot Steenkamp while she was in a small, locked bathroom, but claim he thought she was an intruder.

Adam Steenkamp, Reeva’s brother, spoke to reporters after the service at a 90-seat chapel in Port Elizabeth, where Steenkamp grew up.

Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images

A mourner at model Reeva Steenkamp's funeral holds the ceremony program Tuesday.

“There’s a space missing inside all the people that she knew,” he said.

“Everyone is sad understandably, but at certain points we were smiling whilst remembering Reeva because we only have good memories of her,” he added.

'He's a danger'
Reeva’s uncle Mike Steenkamp thanks people who had sent message of support, saying he had been “amazed” that people were “so touched by Reeva’s passing away.”

A cousin, Sharon, said that Reeva’s “love is in our hearts.”

Referring to the bail hearing Tuesday, one mourner, Gavin Venter, an ex-jockey who worked for Reeva's father, told Reuters that Pistorius should remain in jail.

"Without a doubt. He's a danger to the public. He'll be a danger to witnesses. He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva," he said.

Her mother, June Steenkamp, said in an interview with The Times of Johannesburg, that her bubbly, blonde daughter was "the most beautiful person who ever lived."

"Why my little girl?" she said.

"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with," she added. "All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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