South African newspaper sheds doubt on Oscar Pistorius' accidental shooting claim

Oscar Pistorius weeps in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb 15, 2013, at his bail hearing in the murder case of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. / AP Photo

Double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius has claimed he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp accidentally because he thought she was an intruder, but a report in a major South African newspaper casts some doubt on that scenario.

Police recovered a "bloodied cricket bat" at the 26-year-old runner's Pretoria home after the shooting, and it has turned into a central piece of evidence in the case, City Press reports.

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The paper also claims Steenkamp's skull had been "crushed," and police are investigating whether the bat was the cause of that injury.

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There are allegedly three scenarios police are investigating involving the bat, according to City Press: The first is that Pistorius somehow used it against Steenkamp; the second involves the possibility that Steenkamp used it to defend herself after barricading herself inside a bathroom; the final scenario is that Pistorius used it to break down the bathroom door once she had been barricaded inside.

Police have also allegedly requested a drug test from Pistorius, City Press reports.

A police spokeswoman told The Guardian newspaper she could not explain how the "bloody cricket bat" and drug test claims had emerged in South African newspapers, but did not deny them.

"We are not commenting on anything in the newspapers today as the case is still before the court," she said on Sunday. "They are insinuating they got the information from the police."

Meanwhile, Pistorius' agent told the Associated Press that the double-amputee Olympian has received "overwhelming support" from his fans as he remains in custody in a South African police station.

Peet van Zyl said Sunday outside the Brooklyn police station that "international fans from literally all over the world" have sent their good wishes to Pistorius.

[josephc7b]

the young woman was so nice, how could any man fire a gun at his beloved? how could he have done this to such a good woman, or any human at all? He seems to have hit her with the bat first, then shot her 4 times, and through a door.. and then denies it through his representatives, but all I see is he's the worst biggest jerk ever.. and if they prove he really did intentionally harm Reeva this way, I suspect the inmates will kill him, and frankly Why would any man want to life after hurting a woman like he did? There really isn't much reason to live after killing someone as wickedly as he did. there is no excuse of any kind that is acceptable.. he really needs to be executed.

[thatsbullcbs]

They should chop this fcuker's legs off. Wait a minute...

[lifeline102]

I do hope he bears the full weight of Justice that would be without any regard to his "image" of a sports hero. These men are told so often how great they are and they start to believe it.

[Clarabelll]

Hey these things happen.maybe she should have talked to him in a nicer way. Some women never learn.

[Amaryllis612]

@The_Transcendence. I'm thinking that Clarabelll was being sarcastic, or at least I hope he was.

[nohater]

execute him, execute him, execute him now. as for guns, if guns kill people then stands to reason spoons make people fat.

[alyssajones]

Quite profound to compare guns to spoons...like comparing you to a horse's arse...

[BuckeyeChuck]

If she'd only had a gun to, American NRA

[Annastasia_Beaverhousen]

Yeah because in your nightie, we are ALWAYS packing heat while lounging in a loved ones home. Nevermind it wasn't her home or if it was the shooting may have started in A place where the gun wasn't accessible. Maybe she should have strapped the gun to her boobs

[wizard800]

bad temper and guns equal................ self protection, right? An idiot with a gun is a murder otherwise just an idiot.

[stupa5]

Hang em high in public! this psycopath sico needs to be put down like mad dog!

[Greg1960]

Why so much sympathy for the killer and his family He sounds like a sociopath Sympathy to Reevaluate and her family Pistorious and family should show remorse and humility

[MrsHippy]

For everybody giving him sympathy: Excuse me!!!!! But he admitted shooting her. It doesn't matter what his excuse is, he is still an admitted murderer!

[Amaryllis612]

Not all killings are murder, however, in this case I don't think he's got any defense. Only question is are there any mitigating circumstances. I don't know South African law, but in the US in order for it to be murder one there needs to be premeditation, if it was a crime of passion and not planned it's usually murder two. You can get a long prison sentence for either (and usually life for murder one). You can also be put to death in states that have the death sentence.