Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius - Part 3 of 3
Added 2026-01-04 02:37:19 +0000 UTCOn February 14, 2013, Valentine’s Day, the world was stunned by the news that South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius had shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, inside his home in Pretoria.
What followed was one of the most closely watched criminal trials of the 21st century — a case that forced the public to grapple with uncomfortable questions about celebrity, justice, gender-based violence, and how much of a public figure’s private life we ever truly see.
This is not just a story about a famous athlete’s fall from grace. It’s a story about the gap between who someone appears to be and who they are behind closed doors, and how a young woman’s life was cut short in a moment of irreversible violence.
Today's snack: South African picnic bread
Comments
That’s a good point. You absolutely have the right to protect yourself in your own home but owning a firearm comes with a serious responsibility. Taking a life, even in self-defense, carries an expectation of restraint, judgment, and due diligence which Oscar didn't use but the psychology of his disability might have played into his rash decision, too.
Rich Bentley
2026-01-06 20:01:57 +0000 UTCWhile I agree the evidence doesn't show premeditated murder. He still shot an innocent woman. I fully believe in the second amendment rights. And yes this didn't happen in America. I don't think he received enough prison time. If someone was invading my house or in the process of breaking into my house I can tell you my first instinct is NOT to start shooting. It would be to grab my weapon for sure. My mind continues to go back to the victim. You have to pay the price for actions. Consequences to every choice.
Haley Lehmkuhler
2026-01-06 11:46:35 +0000 UTCthese are very good points! sometimes I wish our smart listeners could be in the room asking questions!
Rich Bentley
2026-01-05 04:04:13 +0000 UTCThese episodes were very well-written and delivered- great job!! I think the mid-range charge (manslaughter) was the correct one; a man his age and with his experience with guns has to know that if you fire a gun FOUR TIMES through a door into a very small room, any person on the other side is very likely to die. I do wonder about the locked door to the toilet room. Her locking the door while staying the night in his home, which it seems she did often, strikes me as odd. Were they still in the stage of a romantic relationship where she would still lock the door? Close it, yes, but to me, the locked door suggests she might have been trying to get away from him. We have no way of knowing, but it does give me pause.
Sara Thurmond Parker
2026-01-04 19:49:15 +0000 UTC
