Episode 4: Oscar Pistorius (Blade Runner Murderer)

Oscar Pistorius was an inspiration to many. Born without his lower legs, Oscar would later in life become the tenth athlete in history to compete at both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games in the same year. Oscar was honored in Time Magazine's 100 list of most influential people, appeared on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and had sponsorship deals worth $2 million. So how would it come to be that only months later, Oscar Pistorius would be on trial for murder, with that trial ultimately going to the Supreme Court? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

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Episode Sources:

• Amazon Prime Pistorius https://www.amazon.com/Pistorius-Season-1/dp/B07G1Y3R1C
• BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29777703
• Wikipedia Oscar Pistorius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistoriushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius 
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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Transcript

00:00

Oscar Pistorius was an inspiration to many. Born without his lower legs, Oscar would later in life become the tenth athlete in history to compete at both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games in the same year.  

00:14

Oscar was honored in Time Magazine's 100 list of most influential people, appeared on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and had sponsorship deals worth $2 million. So how would it come to be that only months later, Oscar Pistorius would be on trial for murder, with that trial ultimately going to the Supreme Court? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

00:38

Music Interlude

01:05

Welcome to Controversial Figures; a podcast about intriguing figures in the media.

My name is Tammy Hawkins. If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a 5 star rating and comment on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts - and please don't forget to subscribe to the show. 

01:22

Visit Controversial Figures on Patreon and donate anything you can. I will give you a shout out on a future show, and send along occasional swag to regular donators. If you donate at higher tier levels, you will obtain access to additional content on a regular basis. And with that, let's discuss our Controversial Figure for today.

01:51

Oscar Pistorius was born in South Africa in 1986 of Italian and Afrikaner ancestry. But life would not have an easy start for young Oscar, as he was born with fibular hemimelia. That is a congenital absence of the fibula,  or the lower leg bone, in both legs. At eleven months old, both of Oscar's legs were amputated below his knees.

02:16

However, Oscar Pistorius never let his differing abilities hold back his natural capability and drive for sports. In school, Oscar played rugby, water polo and tennis. Oscar also took part in club Olympic style wrestling. He suffered a serious rugby knee injury in June 2003. It was during the rehabilitation for this injury when Oscar was introduced to running - and discovered the new sport in which he would excel.

02:46

So, brief pause for anyone who may not familiar with the Oscar Pistorius story. You might be thinking…wait I thought Oscar was missing 1/3 of his legs how is he doing these intensive sports, especially running? 

03:01

Well, the answer is through a combination of a lot of hard work athletically, along with really impressive innovative prostheses trial and error. Ultimately, the use of the lower leg prosthetic equipment would lead to Oscar Pistorius being referred to in the media as the blade runner. And it would to controversy in the Olympics world.

03:23

Oscar Pistorius's first racing blades were fitted by South African prosthetist Francois van der Watt. Van der Watt was unable to find suitable running blades readily for sale in Pretoria, South Africa; so he ordered a pair to be custom made by a local engineer. 

03:37

Unfortunately version 1.0 quickly broke. So, Van der Watt sent Pistorius to American prosthetist and Paralympic sprinter Brian Frasure to be fitted for blades by Icelandic company Össur.

03:50

Pistorious would most successfully run with J-shaped carbon-fiber prosthetics which were called the "Flex-Foot Cheetah". These were developed by biomedical engineer Van Phillips and again manufactured by Össur.

04:05

Using these prosthetic devices, Pistorius ran in both non-disabled sprint events and in sprint events for below-knee amputees. He won a series of gold medals in these events. 

04:17

Pistorius had big ambitions - which included competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. However, Oscar Pistorius was not selected by the South African Olympic Committee at that time.

04:32

As he obtained success, Oscar also obtained criticism. There were claims that his artificial limbs gave him an advantage over runners with natural ankles and feet. Yes, this was really a thing. Competitive sports are REALLY competitive.

04:51

In fact, on 26 March 2007, the IAAF (or the International Amateur Athletic Federation) changed its competition rules to include a ban on the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".

05:17

The IAAF stated that the amendment was not specifically aimed at Oscar Pistorius. Yet, Oscar was the first one they targeted with further scrutiny. To analyze whether Oscar Pistorius was running with an unfair advantage, the IAAF monitored his track performances using high-definition cameras to film his competitive races in July 2007.

05:42

In November 2007, Oscar Pistorius was invited to take part in a series of scientific tests at the German Sports University Cologne. After two days of tests, the reported findings claimed that Oscar's limbs used 25% less energy than runners with complete natural legs running at the same speed. The doctor stated this led to less vertical motion combined with 30% less mechanical work for lifting the body.

06:11

The doctor that performed the study was quoted as saying that Oscar Pistorius "has considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs who were tested by us. It was more than just a few percentage points. I did not expect it to be so clear." 

06:28

Based on these findings, on 14 January 2008, the IAAF ruled Oscar's prostheses ineligible for use in competitions conducted under the IAAF rules, including the 2008 Summer Olympics.

06:44

Oscar Pistorius called the decision "premature and highly subjective" and pledged to continue fighting for his dream. 

06:53

Oscar appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, and appeared before the tribunal at the end of April 2008.

07:02

After a two-day hearing, on 16 May 2008, CAS upheld Oscar Pistorius' appeal and the IAAF council decision was revoked with immediate effect. The CAS panel unanimously determined that the previous examination tested Pistorius' biomechanics only at full-speed when he was running in a straight line (unlike a real 400-metre race). 

07:30

The arbitrator felt the report did not consider the disadvantages suffered at the start and acceleration phases of the race; and that overall there was no evidence that Oscar had any net advantage over non-disabled athletes.

07:43

In response to the announcement, Oscar said: "My focus throughout this appeal has been to ensure that disabled athletes be given the chance to compete and compete fairly with non-disabled athletes. I look forward to continuing my quest to qualify for the Olympics.

08:00

Unfortunately, after many trials, while he would come very close, Pistorius did not qualify to compete in the 2008 Olympics.

08:08

Oscar Pistorius, however, was gaining notoriety around the world as the blade runner. In May 2008, Pistorius made the "Time 100" – this is Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people – appearing third in the "Heroes & Pioneers" section.

08:27

Oscar Pistorius did compete in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing in the 100, 200 and 400 meters races. 

08:37

On 9 September, in the 100 meters, Oscar set a Paralympic record with his impressive time of 11.16 seconds. 

08:47

Oscar went on to win gold from the United States' Jerome Singleton in the 100 meters in the Paralympics.

08:52

Also, in the 200-meter sprint, Oscar won gold in the event with a time of 21.67 seconds, setting another Paralympic record. 

09:00

And, he completed a hat-trick by winning gold in the 400 meters in a world-record time of 47.49 seconds on 16 September, calling it "a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life".

09:17

An incredibly inspirational story indeed. Oscar was a star on the rise.

09:23

Oscar Pistorius had an autobiography, Dream Runner, which was published in Italian in 2008. An English version titled Blade Runner was released in 2009. 

09:37

In 2010, Pistorius appeared on the Italian version of Celebrity Survivor. In January 2012, he appeared as a special guest on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars. And soon, Oscar would receive the news he has been waiting upon for many years…his dream was about to come true.

09:55

On 4 July 2012, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee announced that Pistorius had been included in the 2012 Olympic team for the 400-meter and the 4 × 400 meters relay races. Finally, Oscar Pistorius' dream of competing in the Olympics was true!

10:18

Pistorius would be the tenth athlete to compete at both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games in the same year. 

10:27

At the 2012 Summer Olympics on 4 August 2012, Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games. 

10:37

In the 400-meter race, he took second place in the first heat of five runners, finishing with a time of 45.44 seconds advancing to the semi-finals. Oscar then ran in the second semi-final, where he finished eighth and last with a time of 46.54 seconds.

10:54

While he did not win a gold medal, in an incredible honor, Oscar Pistorius was chosen to carry the South African flag for the closing ceremony in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

11:07

Pistorius also carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics on 29 August 2012, where he would go on to again win numerous gold medals.

11:19

When asked by a journalist for his "sporting motto", Pistorius once said: "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."

11:31

On 9 October 2012, Pistorius appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

11:38

And as his fame hit its peak, Oscar Pistorius was honored in the Time 100 annual list of most influential people again in 2012. He had sponsorship deals worth $2 million USD a year, and was even invited to occasional modeling jobs for advertising campaigns. His net worth was estimated to be $5 million. And soon, Oscar would find love.

12:02

In November of 2012, Oscar would meet and fall in love with a beautiful woman who soon would move in with him. The young lady's name was Reeva Steenkamp. 

12:14

Reeva was a South African model and paralegal originally from England. 

12:19

She modeled for FHM magazine and was the first face of Avon cosmetics in South Africa. She also had parts in a variety of television and magazine advertisements and shows. 

12:30

Reeve had beauty and intelligence, graduating with her Bachelors of Laws degree and applying towards the bar in 2011. By all accounts, she and Oscar were quickly, deeply, and intensely in love.

12:43

Such a happy story of a hard working athlete on the rise. However, if you know anything about this podcast…it's usually around this point when things unfortunately start crashing down for our main controversial figure. And this is no exception. So buckle up, here we go.

13:05

So, buckle up, here we go. Something completely unexpected would occur only a few months later that would change Oscar's…and Reeva's…lives forever.

13:11

Oscar and Reeva's relationship was known to be dynamic, as many relationships are. June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother has been quoted as describing Oscar Pistorius "moody", "combustible", and "possessive". You could say she wasn't a fan.

13:26

Reeva was deeply in love with Oscar, but even she felt like the dramatics were escalating to an unhealthy level, as exemplified by the following text Reeva sent to Pistorius that would later be prescient when revealed in court: “scared of you sometimes and how u snap at me and of how you will react to me”. 

13:48

In the early morning of 14 February 2013, yes - Valentine's Day - Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria. Pistorius readily admitted that he shot his girlfriend four times, causing her death. However, he said it was all a tragic mistake; that he mistook her for a possible intruder hiding in the bathroom.

14:15

Oscar  said he and Reeva had dinner at around 7pm before going to bed at 9pm. Then he said he woke in the early hours, spoke briefly to his girlfriend and then got up to close the sliding door and curtains.

14:32

Oscar said it was then that he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.

14:42

Oscar said he grabbed his firearm and yelled to Reeva, who he thought was still in bed, to call the police. 

14:50

Oscar Pistorius could see the bathroom window was open and toilet door closed. He said he did not know whether the intruders were outside on a ladder or in the toilet.

15:00

He had his firearm in front of him, he heard a movement inside the toilet and thought whoever was inside was coming out to attack him.

15:09

'Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door,' he was quoted as saying.

15:13

That was his story and he was sticking to it.

15:17

Pistorius' trial for murder began on 3 March 2014, in the Pretoria High Court. 

15:23

On May 20, 2014, the trial proceedings were halted until June 30th to allow Pistorius to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. This was to establish whether he could be held criminally responsible for shooting Reeva. 

15:37

On June 30, 2014, the trial resumed after the evaluation said Pistorius could be held criminally responsible. 

15:45

Reflecting on Oscar Pistorius's story, the trial judge said it made no sense that Reeva Steenkamp did not hear him scream 'Get out' or call the police, as she had her mobile phone with her.

15:58

 The judge said she did not accept that Mr Pistorius fired the gun by accident or before he knew what was happening. She said he had armed himself with a lethal weapon and clearly wanted to use it. 

16:12

The other question, she said, was why he fired not one, but four shots before he ran back to the room to try to find Reeva.

16:21

Oscar Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom and noticed that Reeva was not there. He said this was when he realized she could have been in the bathroom and rushed back.

16:33

Oscar said he screamed for help and went back to the bathroom where he found the toilet was locked. He returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs and turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat. 

16:46

When the door panel broke, he found the key and unlocked the door and found Reeva slumped on the floor with her head on the toilet bowl. He then carried her downstairs, where he was met by neighbors.

17:00

The defense closed its case on 8 July and closing arguments were heard on 7 and 8 August.

17:10

On 12 September, Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide and one firearm-related charge of reckless endangerment related to discharging a firearm in a restaurant. 

17:19

Oscar was found not guilty of two other firearm-related charges relating to possession of illegal ammunition and firing a firearm through the sunroof of a car. 

17:28

On 21 October 2014, Oscar received a prison sentence of a maximum of five years for culpable homicide and a concurrent three-year suspended prison sentence for the separate reckless endangerment conviction.

17:40

In June 2015, Pistorius was recommended for early release. The South African Commissioner of Correctional Services released the following statement to the press: "Under South African law he is eligible for release under 'correctional supervision' having served a sixth of his sentence."

17:59

After Pistorius served approximately one-sixth of his prison term, his release date to house arrest was announced for August 21, 2015. This release was based on good behavior and the fact that he was not considered a danger to the community. Unbelievable.

18:19

Oscar Pistorius was expected to remain under house arrest and correctional supervision, and was expected to perform community service as part of his continuing sentence. Regardless of his release from prison, Oscar could not return to any official athletic competition until the entire five years of his sentence was complete.

18:38

However, on August 19, Oscar's release was unexpectedly blocked by South Africa's Justice Minister. He felt the parole board's decision for early release was "premature." 

18:50

Legal experts noted that the move was likely due to political pressure and had implications for other cases of pending early release. Oscar Pistorius ultimately was released from prison on October 19, 2015. Less than 2 years after he killed Reeva in cold blood. Public outrage was palpable in reflection of the light sentence and the early release for such a notorious case.

19:16

On November 4, 2014, prosecutors applied to the sentencing judge for permission to appeal the culpable homicide verdict, stating that the five-year prison term was "shockingly light, inappropriate and would not have been imposed by any reasonable court". 

19:32

The judge ruled on December 10, 2014 that the prosecution could challenge the ruling of acquitting Oscar Pistorius of premeditated murder and convicting him of the lesser charge of culpable homicide; however she ruled that the state could not appeal the length of the sentence. 

19:51

The case was set for appeal in front of a five-person panel at the Supreme Court of Appeal. The date for the appeal hearing was set for November 2015. 

20:01

The prosecutors' argument rested on the original Judge's application of the legal principle of dolus eventualis - this legal concept considers whether an accused did actually foresee the outcome of his actions, rather than whether he or she should have. 

20:17

The prosecutors argued that the judge made an error in concluding Pistorius had not foreseen that by firing four shots through the closed door of the toilet cubicle, he would kill or injure whoever was behind the door.

20:30

The appeal was heard on November 3rd, 2015, in the Supreme Court of Appeal. The matter was heard before five Supreme Court judges. By a unanimous decision, the court overturned Oscar Pistorius' culpable homicide conviction, and found him guilty of murder in the death of Reeva Steenkamp. 

20:50

The panel of five judges found for the prosecutor's argument that Pistorius must have known that someone would die if he fired through the closed door into a small toilet cubicle. 

21:01

To quote the ruling, "Although he may have been anxious, it is inconceivable that a rational person could have believed he was entitled to fire at this person with a heavy-caliber firearm, without taking even the most elementary precaution of firing a warning shot, which the accused said he elected not to fire as he thought the ricochet might harm him."

21:25

According to the judgement, the person who Pistorius thought was in the cubicle had nothing to do with the results of his actions. The culpable homicide verdict was replaced with a murder conviction, and the case was referred back to the trial court for a sentencing hearing when it reconvened on 18 April 2016.

21:42

On December 8, 2015, it was announced Oscar Pistorius would continue to remain free on bail but under house arrest pending his appeal to the Constitutional Court. 

21:53

On March 3, 2016, it was announced Pistorius had been denied his right to appeal.

22:02

On July 6, 2016, Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for murder, rather than the original  five years imprisonment for culpable homicide. It was anticipated that Pistorius would be eligible for release on parole, after serving three years of his sentence, in 2019. But the public and the court system were not done punishing Oscar Pistorius yet.

22:25

On September 19, 2017, it was confirmed that the South African Court would hear the state's arguments appealing to extend Pistorius' sentence in November 2017.

22:38

On 24 November 2017, a South African court increased Pistorius' jail sentence to 13 years and five months. Prosecutors had argued that the six-year term was too short. The SCA ruled his sentence be increased to 15 years, less time already served. For those who are counting we've now increased from 5 years to 15 years, less time served.

23:04

On 19 December 2017, it was confirmed that Pistorius had filed papers with the Constitutional Court to appeal the newly increased sentence and have his previous six-year sentence reinstated. On April 9, 2018, it was confirmed that the appeal was dismissed by the courts; Oscar Pistorius will not be eligible for parole until at least 2023.

23:29

We often idolize the famous, be they actors, singers, or sports stars. It is disappointing when these figures reveal a darker side to themselves, especially when we've supported their inspirational rise. Alas, at the end of the day, they are mere fallible humans. Aren't we all?

23:49

Thank you for listening to this episode of Controversial Figures. Just a reminder, please like, subscribe, and leave a rating and comment for Controversial Figures in your favorite podcast app. We have a Twitter page now @FiguresPodcast - so please follow us, give us recommendations of Controversial Figures you'd like to hear.

24:08

This podcast is an independent podcast created by Tammy Hawkins. This is funded by those that donate, so please join Patreon and give what you can - once I hit 50 Patreon subscribers, I'll send out swag to all donators! And I'll give shout outs during the show to anyone that's donated. Research references are available in the show notes as are musical references. Thank you so much for listening, thank you so much for your support - be well.

Amazon Prime Pistorius

BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29777703

Wikipedia Oscar Pistorius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistoriushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius