Oscar Pistorius Case: Top detective appointed as new lead investigator

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius appears at Pretoria Magistrate's Court Feb. 21, 2013.

/ AFP/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa's police head has appointed its top detective as the new lead investigator in Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' alleged murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

PICTURES: Olympic athlete charged with murder

The decision came after it emerged the initial investigator, Hilton Botha, was facing attempted murder charges.

National Commissioner Riah Phiyega says Lt. Gen. Vinesh Moonoo will take over the investigation.

Phiyega says the Pistorius case "shall receive attention at the national level" and Moonoo will "gather a team of highly skilled and experience detectives."

She says Moonoo is the South Africa's police's "top detective."

Botha's future in charge of the investigation into world-famous athlete Pistorius came into doubt after charges of attempted murder were reinstated against him in relation to a 2011 shooting incident, when he and two other police officers allegedly fired shots at a minibus.

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by VA_Jill February 21, 2013 1:58 PM EST: So far the "detectives" have managed to bungle most of the investigation, from not wearing protective shoe covers at the crime scene and other basics, to releasing "information" (read rumors) that they were not authorized to. Even if Pistorius did do it, he could now not get a fair trial anywhere.; Reply to this comment


by steamed2 February 21, 2013 1:00 PM EST: Better late than never, however, as any experienced detective will tell you, this case was a cluster from the start, you might even question whether it was intentionally screwed up, what has been reported so far sounds like mid-50's police work at best. Failure to protect the crime scene and in processing the crime scene, sloppy forensics, these are fatal flaws for the prosecution, once lost it's virtually impossible to recover from. Inconceivable in this day and age, even in South Africa. So what was really going on there?; Reply to this comment


by LourdesKriete February 21, 2013 12:49 PM EST: Read more about Vinesh Moonoo, the new detective in the Oscar Pistorius case! http://dailyentertainmentnews.com/breaking-news/vinesh-moonoo-is-the-new-detective-in-the-oscar-pistorius-murder-case/; Reply to this comment