Every morning I click online to watch the latest from the Pistorius murder trial. If you’ve been in a closet, cave or North Korea for the last year, Oscar Pistorius is the double amputee sprinter on trial for the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The guy quivers daily like a bowl of jello (who wouldn’t when facing 25 years in a cozy South African jail cell with 28 other cellmates and no legs?).
I wake up, have a cup of coffee and bagel and watch pit bull prosecutor Gerrie Nel tear off another limb. Nel is NOT a big believer of Oscar’s story and has called him an outright liar (My Lady judge had to actually tell Gerrie to tone it down). Oscar tends to get even more emotional right before answering a crucial question so good thing they brought him a bucket (heave ho).
In between sobbing and heaving and puking and blubbering, Oscar managed to haltingly get out his side of the story which involved hearing a noise in the bathroom (doubtful), grabbing his pistol (at the ready), getting out of bed, entering the bathroom and and blasting four holes through the toilet door…all while thinking Reeva is still on the other side of the bed counting sheep (hardly).
He’s up on charges on first degree murder and now it’s the defense attorney’s chance to make their case which is basically that Oscar, ever worried about home intruders, thought there was one and fired, accidentally killing Reeva.
Don’t know about you, but I’m havin’ a hard time believing Oscar’s love story. Wherever I go I do my own mini-poll to see who believes what and so far 9 out of 10 say it’s manslaughter (not first degree murder). I totally agree and think they were having a fight, she ran to the bathroom and the guy went nuts, grabbed his gun and fired. After all, he is a guy who’s at home on the range.
We’ll see what the defense can do to balance the scales right after Easter break, but it’s obvious Oscar is on the hot seat and, for the first time, running for his life.