Reeva Steenkamp’s mother speaks publicly for the first time since the start of the Pistorius trial.
In an exclusive live interview, June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot and killed by Olympian Oscar Pistorius, will appear on NBC’s Today show, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4. Pistorius says he approached the bathroom with a gun in an effort to protect Steenkamp and has accused the prosecution of once again using “unsubstantiated allegations” to argue that he murdered Reeva Steenkamp.
The Paralympian has also accused the prosecution of trying to use inadmissible evidence for the “assassination of my character” and said that suggestions he deliberately killed Reeva Steenkamp “could not be further from the truth.”
The witness, Michelle Burger, told the court she heard two people – a man and a woman – shouting, adding: “The fear in that woman’s voice; you only fear like that if your life is threatened.”
Burger says media reports that Pistorius had shot Reeva Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder “did not make sense” given the fear she heard in Steenkamp’s voice.
Pistorius, who is out on bond, arrived at the Pretoria High Court for the trial through a back door, avoiding a massive media circus assembled in front.
As the trial began, he pleaded not guilty to murdering Steenkamp inside his house a year ago. He also pleaded not guilty to several weapons-related charges.
It’s expected to take about three weeks for Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa to hear the case and decide whether Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for a burglar, as he says, or killed her in cold blood.
South Africa abolished jury trials in 1969, so this will be a bench trial deciding the fate of Pistorius. If he’s found to have knowingly killed an intruder, instead of his former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he could get 25 years imprisonment.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)