One tragic night

By Mandy Wiener

Subjects: Death and burial, Trials, litigation, Crime, africa, Trials (Murder), Athletes, Paralympic games

Description: "At 8:03 on the morning of Valentine's Day 2013, news broke that the Paralympic superstar had shot and killed his girlfriend at his home in a housing estate in Pretoria. Within minutes, the story reverberated around the world as banners flashed across television screens broadcasting global news networks. At first glance, it appeared to be a heart-wrenching, tragic accident. Pistorius had mistaken Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder, reminiscent of a similar incident involving a retired rugby player who had shot his daughter a decade earlier. This resonated with an empathetic South African society rattled by a pervasive fear of violent crime. But as the morning unfolded, a second version of events began to reveal itself, indicating that the country's celebrated icon, its 'Golden Boy', may have murdered his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in a fit of rage."-- From publisher's description.