Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host, Jay Harris, ready to serve up a story that's gripped the entire world with its highs of human triumph and low's steeped and terrible tragedy. Is it a palatable tale? Absolutely not. But I know you crave bold blends and it's my job to deliver up all the juicy details. So drink up and that's gonna move on, because today we need to keep pace with Oscar Pistorias, the South African sprinter known as the blade Runner. Oscar Pistorias shattered records and broke barriers by becoming the first amputee to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, running on prosthetic blades that earned him both his nickname and a place in sports history. But beneath the smile of this celebrated athlete lay dangerous complexities that were destined to surface. From day one, it was clear that Oscar Pistorius would have obstacles to overcome. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November twenty second, nineteen eighty six, Oscar was born with fibular hemomilia a rare congenital disorder that left him without fibulas in both legs. The fibula runs between the knee and ankle beside the tibia, and nowadays, children born with fibular hem amelia typically undergo limb lengthening surgery as a first course of treatment, but Oscar's parents, Hank and Sheila, took doctor's recommendations to amputate both of his legs below the knee when he was just eleven months old. This severe surgery, taking place before his first birthday, would forever impact the trajectory of Oscar Pistorius's life. Hank and Sheila Pistorius initially provided great stability for Oscar and his two siblings, an elder brother named Karl and a younger sister named Amy. But despite the Pistorias family's proud Africana heritage infused with steadfast Christian values and financial affluence, life in Johannesburg during the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties was tumultuous. South Africa was transitioning from the oppressive regime of apartheid to a fully democratic society. The era was marked by both intense conflict and profound hope, with significant social and economic challenges. Oscar's mother, Sheila, recognized the challenges of the time and taught her children to face adversity head on. According to The Daily Mail, she even penned a motivational note for Oscar before his double amputation, with a message he would be able to digest when he was older. It famously read, the real loser is not the one who crosses the finish line last. The real loser is the one who sits on the side, the one who does not even try to compete. Sheila's words would indeed resonate with her son Oscar as he grew up in an uneasy society and ultimately an uneasy home. By nineteen ninety two, when Oscar was six years old, his parents, Hank and Shila Pastorius, called it quits on their marriage. While it's unclear what specifically precipitated their divorce, numerous news outlets, from International Business Times UK to The Sun have since described Hank as a party animal with a taste for young women, so we can speculate that Hank's Christian values may have taken a tumble when met with temptation. In any event, Hank left Sheila, who was unprepared to raise three children as a single mother. According to Nation reporter Jeff Anthony, Sheila struggled in anguish as a single mother, raising Oscar and his siblings Amy and Karl with barely enough cash flow. She was terrified of crime and lived in agitation of an intruder breaking into her home. This is because when Hank left, she and the children moved to a smaller home in a rougher neighborhood. There were several break ins, to which Sheila responded by taking an extreme precaution of sleeping with a loaded pistol under her pillow. Sheila also battled with an inner grief from her divorce that led to her solitary drinking. Her addiction led to a liver complication. Watching his beloved mother's descent from a strong can do figure to an always worried single parent would forever strain Oscar's relationship with his father, Hank. Hank, meanwhile, was seemingly unconcerned by his ex wife's and children's struggles. He relocated himself seven hundred miles southeast of Johannesburg to the bustling coastal city of Port Elizabeth. Hank would try to buy favor with his children, purchasing things like a small speedboat for them to use during visits. But Sheila was undoubtedly Oscar's rock. Even as she faced her own demons, Shila did her best to empower her children with strength. Oscar would recall a story about a boy who ripped all the buttons off his shirt at school. When he came home that day, his mother told him not to let it happen again. So when the boy ripped the buttons off Oscar's shirt a second time, Oscar got into his first fight. When Sila Pastorius was summoned by the headmaster, she defended Oscar for fighting and then sent the shirt to the boy's mother to sew the buttons back on. My family always believed in standing up for yourself and standing up for what you believe in, Oscar explained. We were taught that you have got to cope. Part of Oscar's coping strategy was undoubtedly his engagement with sports. From his early school years at Constantia Koloff Primary School to his early teens at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, Oscar participated in athletics. Even with prosthetic legs, he played on his school's rugby team, and between the ages of eleven and thirteen, he even played tennis and water polo at the provincial levels. But at age fifteen, while he was thriving athletically and academically as a boarding student at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, his foundation was shaken with the news of his mother's sudden, life threatening illness. Initially misdiagnosed with hepatitis, Shila's health took a terrible turn when she received the wrong medical treatment. Realizing that Sheila was declining precipitously, her friend Gillian Silcock rushed her to the hospital and later told Ianca via The Epoch Times that Sheila had had a brain hemorrhage at that point. But she didn't go. She didn't let go and go be with her dad in heavy until the boys, Oscar and Carl got there. When her boys walked in, they were able to see her and say goodbye, and she waited because after a short period of time, fifteen minutes or so, she went after her son's arrived. It was March six, two thousand and two, and at just fifteen years old, Oscar Pastorius said a final goodbye to his mother, Sheila, who had always stood steadfastly by him and profoundly shaped his upbringing. He would say a quiet prayer for her before every competitive sports event for the rest of his life. In the wake of his mother's death, Oscar doubled down on his athletic pursuits. Sport was my salvation, as it helped me get through this difficult time, Oscar Pistorius wrote, my mother had been a strong woman, the center of my world. Sporting activity was the only thing that could distract me from such a loss. Oscar trained incredible hard. In fact, one trainer, Jenny Brooks, recalled how Oscar used his gym in Pretoria for six months boxing, skipping and doing press ups before Jenny realized Oscar had no legs. It was remarkable and a testament to how Shila Pastorius had raised her son. Oscar was just one of the bunch, Jenny said, doing everything in the gym at the same pace as everybody else. But a year after Sheila's death, hardship would strike Oscar yet again when he shattered his knee on the rugby pitch. This was an injury from which Oscar could not heal quickly. In fact, he was now back under the care of the very same medics who had carried out his amputations at eleven months old. However, this period of enormous distress did come with a silver lining. It was during his rehabilitation at the University of Pretoria's High Performance Center that he was advised to take up running to help his knee joint recover. And the timing of this recommendation was kick because Chris Hadding, a longtime family friend of the Pastorius and design engineer, was now working for a US firm focused on developing new lighter prosthetics. When Chris learned that Oscar had taken up running, he invited him to the US to try the cutting edge flex foot Cheeta blades, manufactured by Oscer, a company well established for non invasive orthopedic braces. It was a game changer for Oscar, as reported by the BBC, three weeks after taking up sprinting with the flex foot Cheetah blades, Oscar Pistorius ran his first one hundred meter race. He won the race in a time faster than any double amputee had achieved before, eleven point seven to two seconds. A star was born. Oscar quickly realized that pivoting to sprinting was not just part of his physical rehabilitation, it was his future. His unique running style and the sounds of his artificial limbs hitting the synthetic rubber track became symbolic of his resilience. Two thousand and four proved to be a pivotal year for the now seventeen year old Oscar. He burst onto the international scene at the Athens Paralympics, where he won the gold medal in the two hundred meters and set a new Paralympic record with the world best time of twenty one point nine seven seconds. His performance was more than a victory, It was a statement to the world that disability did not define ability. It was an Athens that Oscar gained the nickname which would follow him evermore, blade Runner. Now. For many people, Oscar the Blade Runner was an inspiration period, but for others, his win at the Athens Paralympics sparked a broader controversy about the intersection of technology, ability and competition. Oscar's use of cutting edge prosthetic blades was viewed by some as an unfair advantage, and so his signature blades become a heated point of debate as he expressed his desire to compete against able bodied athletes. If the blade legs did provide such an advantage that some of the people are claiming, Oscar argued, then there would be a lot of amputees using the exact same prosthetic legs I have, running the exact same times I have, And that's not the case. And so ever, his mother's son, Oscar pushed naysayers to the side and forged ahead with his ambition to compete against able bodied athletes. His quest for parody would challenge the norms and rules of international sports. In two thousand and seven, for example, Oscar set his sights on competing in the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. This was an unprecedented goal for a double amputee and necessitated challenging the regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which stipulated that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage over able bodied runners. Experts were divided. Some of them thought Oscar's blades gave him the ability to move in a way that no able bodied person could, while others argued that the blades hindered him more than helped him. In the end, however, science broke it down. The average elite male sprinter moves his leg from back to front in thirty seven hundreds of a second. The five most recent world record holders in the one hundred metersh average thirty four hundreds of a second. Oscar Pistorius could swing his leg in twenty eight hundreds of a second, largely because his prosthetics were lighter than a regular human leg. With his rivals swinging lower legs with an average weight of five point seven kilograms versus his lower prosthetic weight of two point four kilograms, Oscar did have an advantage right wrong, because the blades didn't allow Oscar as much force in pushing off between strides. This, it was argued, was a disadvantage for Oscar that was more significant than any potential limb weight advantage he gained when competing, and so, after a series of legal battles and scientific tests, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Oscar Pistorius' favor. In May two thousand and eight, CNN World Sports Don Riddell described the ruling in Oscar Pistorius' favor as groundbreaking, and he was right. It was undeniably an historic moment for sport, opening doors for future athletes with disabilities to compete in mainstream events, and it was a huge moment for Oscar Pistorius, whose international fame grew as his inspiring story became known globally. Weeks after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in his favor, Oscar Pistorius was featured in the Time one hundred, which is Time magazine's list to the world the world's most influential people, where he was heralded for challenging perceptions of disability in sports. This newfound prestige fueled Oscar's impact, turning him into an icon for millions around the world. The only disability in life is having a bad attitude. He equipped to the delight of people grappling with disability and adversity generally. Even though Oscar Pistorius missed qualifying for the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics by seven tenths of a second, his tenacity had made him a gold medalist in the court of public opinion. While Oscar was disappointed to not qualify for the Olympics, the two thousand and eight Beijing Paralympic Games were still in his sights. He competed in three events there, the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred meters Held at the Iconic Bird's Nest Stadium, these Paralympic Games were a chance for Oscar to prove his medal on the world stage once again, and he did not disappoint. Oscar's performances were nothing short of spectacular. In the one hundred meters, Oscar Pistorius blazed through the track, winning gold with a time of eleven point one seven seconds. In the two hundred meters, he set a new Paralympic record, clinching another gold with a time of twenty one point sixty seven seconds. This victory highlighted his dominance in the sprint events, and in the four hundred meters, Oscar kept off his Paralympic campaign with a third gold medal, finishing in forty seven point four to nine seconds. Oscar Pistorius's success at the two thousand and eight Paralympics solidified his status as a trailblazer and celebrity in the world of athletics. His achievements in Beijing were celebrated around the world, inspiring countless individuals with disabilities to pursue their dreams. But Oscar's Olympic dreams were still unfulfilled. His close but not quite qualifying for the Able Bodied Olympics, no doubt, stung the man hailed for his near herculean determination. Oscar threw himself into training, determined to qualify for the twenty twelve London Olympic Games, even as his sponsorship deals and media appearances multiplied. Tony Garrett, a Paralympic commentator, summed up the frenzied excitement around the young sprinter Oscar, with his personality, athletic prowess and the fact that he was trying to compete in the able bodied Olympics made him the big breakthrough name who brought sponsorship and Paralympic sport to the next level internationally, Tony Garrett told the BBC, and Tony was right on the mark. It was later revealed by Market Realist that Oscar was earning approximately two million dollars a year, largely derived from sponsorships. He was also earning accolades on the track, and ultimately all his hard work paid off. Oscar qualified for the Olympics. On August fourth, twenty twelve. He made history in London by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics by running in an opening heat of the men's four hundred meter event. He finished second in his heat with the season best time of forty five point four to four seconds, which advanced him to the semifinals. It's just an unbelievable experience, Oscar said shortly after his first Olympic race. I found myself smiling on the starting blocks, which is very rare, and although he finished last in the semifinal round with a time of forty six point five to four seconds, what he achieved was remarkable. Five days later, Oscar's Olympics would continue with the South African relay team's four by four hundred meter race. On August ninth, twenty twelve, During the first semifinal, a collision caused by Kenyon runner Vincent Keelu led to the South African team's second leg runner of Fence Muggawane, falling to the track with a disc located left shoulder before he could hand over to Oscar. South African officials acted promptly, citing interference to the International Association of Athletics Federation or IAAF and lodging an appeal. When the IAAF upheld this appeal, Oscar was a static to have a renewed chance at meddling in London. It's on, tweeted Oscar after the favorable decision was announced by the Jury of appeal. We are in the final. Team management protested as offence was taken out and we have been given lane nine. While South Africa finished eighth in a field of nine and Oscar Pistorius did not ultimately medle in London, his participation at the Olympics was a game changer for athletes with disabilities, was a unifying moment for South Africans, regardless of their political affiliations, and fulfilled his personal dream to comp speed against the world's top able bodied runners. As a nod to his tremendous journey, Oscar was chosen to carry the South African flag during the closing ceremony of the twenty twelve Games, underscoring his personal role as a trailblazer and inspiration. After the Olympic Games, twenty five year old Oscar Pistorius was on top of the world. His endorsement shot up in price, with brands like Nike, Oakley and BT eager to ink deals. Public speaking opportunities were endless, and he advocated heavily for technological advancements and policy changes to promote inclusion in sports at all levels. Everyone knew who he was. Oscar Pistorius was a beloved man. The cracks first started to publicly show in Oscar Pistorius's facade of perfection at the twenty twelve Summer Paralympics, which was also held in London. Once again, Oscar demonstrated his exceptional athletic prowess, competing in the four by one hundred meter relay as well as the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred meter races in the T four to four classification, which is the sports classification which applies to athletes with single below knee amputation or who can walk with moderately reduced function in one or both legs. While Oscar dominated in the four hundred meters, winning gold and setting a new Paralympic record with a time of forty six point sixty eight seconds, in the two hundred meters, he was defeated by Brazil's Alan Olivera, who also ran on blades. Faced with losing to another blade runner, a stunned Oscar Pistorius struck out publicly questioning the legitimacy of Alan Olivera's blade length. Immediately after the race, he hit out at the International Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of some athletes blades and to the public, it very much seemed as though their golden boy was being a sore loser. Oscar seemingly realized that his public image had taken a hit because he tried to roll back his vitriol in a statement to the Press Association Sport, saying I would never want to detract from another athlete's moment of triumph, and I want to apologize for the timing of my comments after yesterday's race. I do believe that there is an issue here, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it with the International Paralympic Committee. But I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong. That was Allen's moment, and I would like to put on record the respect I have for him. The International Paralympic Committee shot back quickly stating that all athletes competing in the men's two hundred meter T forty four final were checked by international classifiers in the call room ahead of the race, All blades were within the regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook, and Alan Olivera himself expressed sadness that Oscar Pastorius had tarnished his gold medal win, explaining that the two had frequently competed and been friends prior to the two hundred meter race. The situation between Oscar and I is grim, Allan confessed to the BBC. Now Oscar passes me and does not talk to me. Oscar's mood, while certainly not improved by losing to Alan in the two hundred meter race at the twenty twelve Paralympics, had generally soured as his fame grew. Oscar's lifestyle and image changed, and clearly something got to him and he wasn't the same person. There were so many demands on his time. Commentator Tony Garrett recalled, I think he let rip every so often, and he wouldn't have done that a few years ago. Other people who knew Oscar Pistorius agreed with Tony's assessment. Sports journalists Graham Jaffi, for one, co owned a racehorse named Tiger Canyon with Oscar and three others. The two had been acquainted for thirteen years and Graham had always been impressed by Oscar's personality, which he described as confident and friendly. But when Graham met up with Oscar alongside the other racehorse owners in twenty twelve, he noticed a clear shift in his demeanor. I immediately thought there was something about Oscar that had changed. Graham said, he was a different man to the one I had interviewed so many times, in the sense that he was a bit stand offish and a little bit cold, not his usual warm self. He was showing a spoiled brat attitude that came out at the Paralympics in twenty twelve when he embarrassed the country. And it wasn't just Oscar's attitude that had become problematic. The famous printer had also become increasingly reckless, as was evidenced by his dangerous handling of a speedboat on the Vaar River, resulting in a need for him to be airlifted, placed on a ventilator and rushed into surgery. He recovered physically from that accident, but his increased tendency towards danger continued to manifest in an ever growing attraction to firearms. Oscar became a frequent visitor to shooting ranges, and his social media often featured photos and video clips of his sessions. In one such video, Oscar was seen firing at a watermelon, which exploded as the athlete hit it dead center. Then a voice which sounds very much like Oscar's is heard saying it's not as soft as brains, but it's a zombie stopper, as his entourage shrieked with laughter. Now, some of oarguty was always probable for Oscar to develop a fixation with guns. First, there were his memories of his mother, Sheila, always keeping a gun close at hand for protection after his father Hank left, And second, the reality is that guns are part of life in South Africa. High crime rates make personal security a significant concern for many citizens. According to the BBC, there are more than two point seven million legal gun owners in South Africa, which is roughly eight percent of the adult population. Now, this statistic pales in comparison to gun ownership in the Usa, which was at thirty two percent of the adult population as of twenty twenty three. But the big difference is that in South Africa violent crime rates are significantly higher. Last year, there were fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty murders in South Africa versus twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety six murders in the United States. When you're just those figures for population, that put South Africa's murder rate per million people at three hundred and eighteen point eighty six versus the US murder rate per million people at forty two point oh one. That is a massive difference. Understanding that South Africa's bullet heavy culture was ingrained in Oscar Pistorius is significant. He was not an outlier for having a private arsenal and engaging in routine shooting practice. In South Africa's climate of heightened security concerns, it isn't at all uncommon for households and especially households in wealthier neighborhoods such as the oscars, to employ extensive security measures, including alarm systems, high fences, having guns on side at the ready, and professional armed response services on call. Oscar had grown up in an environment where fear loomed, and as his sprinting winds made of a household name increased, career pressure and concerns about personal safety may well have started to shake his pedestal from the outside looking in. However, Oscar Pistorias seemed to have found his anchor in November twenty twelve when he started dating twenty nine year old model, reality TV star in law graduate Reva steam Kemp. Reva had it all, brain's beauty and a winning personality. Local media rushed to compare their relationship to the likes of David and Victoria Beckham. Reva was not arm candy for Oscar. She had her own achievements and a promising future. Reva's friend from Port Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Carrie Smith, described Reva as more than just a pretty face. She had a beautiful heart and ambition. Carrie also said that Reva aspired to use her legal degree to help women in abusive situations, alleging that Reva had come out of an abusive relationship with the jockey Wayne Agrella prior to dating Oscar. Now Wayne Agrella has adamantly denied Carrie's claim, but Carrie told the BBC that for Reva, I think with Wayne it was mainly mental. I don't know that he was physically abusive, but definitely emotionally abusive. When she was with Wayne, she all always felt she had to cover up. She would always be on these fad diets with him. She lost a lot of weight. It wasn't a healthy relationship. When she moved to Johannesburg, we were grateful because it meant she would be free from him. Was Carrie's assessment of Reva's previous long term relationship accurate. Later, Revas Steenkamp's sister Simone would tell the Sydney Morning Herald the exact opposite, saying that Reva didn't know anything about volatile relationships and fighting. She was beautiful and much loved. She had had a few boyfriends, and they remained close even after the romance was over. Regardless of Reva's dating history, where differing accounts from her friends and family members make an objectively true account elusive, one thing that cannot be denied is that Oscar Pistorius's dating history was volatile, violent, and egregiously underreported. According to Oscar's ex girl friend, Samantha Taylor, who dated him for eighteen months before he cheated on her with Reva, Oscar would bite and pinch her, leaving her scarred and bruised. He also allegedly locked her in his house with no food, and on one occasion, because she was so frightened of his temper, she hid his gun from it. According to Reva Steinkamp's mother, June, even in the early days of her daughter's relationship with Oscar Pastorius, Reva saw red flags. As reported by The Guardian, Riva told Oscar on more than one occasion that she was scared of him. Text messages from Riva to Oscar included statements like I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me. Far from the glittering lights of the star studded events they attended together, the relationship between Oscar and Reva was becoming increasingly worrisome. According to The Independent, there was a time when Riva called her mother June on the phone, terrified to say that Oscar was driving dangerously at one hundred and sixty one miles per hour with her in the car, and Bussull reported that according to junesteen Camp By month three of the relationship, Reva was looking for a way out. In fact, June told The Times that Riva had confided to me that she hadn't slept with Oscar. They'd shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level. She didn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure. June further noted that, in her opinion, as Riva's mother, the relationship was done. In her heart of hearts, Reva didn't think the relationship was making either of them happy, but be that as it may. Oscar Pistorius had a terrible temper, he didn't like to lose, and the situation was a powder keg waiting to explode. February thirteenth, twenty thirteen, allegedly began like any other day for Oscar Pistorius and Riva steam Camp. They woke up in their mansion in the prestigious gated Pretoria community silver Woods Estate. Reva was preparing for a scheduled speech about empowering women. Oscar claims to have spent his morning training. As night fell, the couple allegedly decided to stay in for a quiet dinner at home. There are no reports of visitors or unusual activities at the home during the evening. Security footage and electronic communications from the day indicate nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary. Now this is where February thirteen, twenty thirteen, derails. This is Oscar Pistorius's account of what happened. Oscar claims that by around ten PM, he and Reva were in their bedroom, where she was practicing yoga and he was watching television. He claims that his prosthetic legs were off, as he generally slept without them. He arranged two fans in the doorway lead heading out to the balcony because their air conditioning wasn't working. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter. During the early morning hours of February fourteenth, Valentine's Day, Oscar says he woke up because the bedroom was hot and humid. Oscar claimed that Reva had also woken up and asked him, you can't sleep, baba. Realizing that neither of them would be able to sleep unless the room was cooled down, Oscar says he got up without his legs on and moved the fans from the balcony doorway to inside the bedroom. He then pulled the curtains tight to block a slim bit of light that was peeping through, and moved Reva's jeans from the floor to cover a small led light that was bothering him on an amplifier. However, before he finished covering the led light, he heard the sound of a window opening in the bathroom. Oscar claims that he believed the noise was from an intruder who was in the house, possibly via a ladder to the window. Still on his stumps, Oscar says he retrieved his gun from beneath the left side of the bed. He claims to have whispered to Riva to call the police, and then moved into the hallway leading to the bathroom with a gun pointed in front of him. Oscar says he then leaned against the hallway wall for better stability on his stumps. He yelled for the person to get out of his house and yelled for Reva to call the police. Oscar claims he felt vulnerable on his stumps and he feared that someone was about to come out of the bathroom when he heard the sound of wood moving and thought the door was opening. He describes having been overcome with fear in this moment and reacted by firing four shots in quick succession through the bathroom door. Due to the close range gun shots, Oscar says his ears were ringing and he was unable to hear anything. Then Oscar retreated back down the hallway to the bed, still aiming his gun at the bathroom and case it intruder emerged. Oscar says he felt for Riva in the bed in the dark and didn't find her there. He thought she might be hiding on the floor or behind the curtains, so he checked both places. This, Oscar says, was the haunting moment when he first suspected that Riva may have been in the bathroom. He described it as the moment when everything changed. Oscar says he moved as quickly as he could back to the bathroom door, still holding the gun, and tried the doorknob. When he found the door was locked, he says he went back to the bedroom, put on his legs, opened the curtains to the balcony while screaming for God to help him. Then, with his legs on, he slammed into the bathroom door with his body. When that was unsuccessful, Oscar says he got a cricket bat and smashed a hole in the bathroom door so he could reach in, pick up a key from the floor, and let himself in. Once inside the bathroom, Oscar says he discovered revastein Camp slumped over the toilet. He sat over her and cried. Then he ran to the left side of his bed to retrieve his phone and returned to Reva's body, where he called a neighbor at three nineteen am. At three twenty am, he phoned the ambulance service, and at three twenty one am he called security at his estate. Then Oscar Pastoria says he picked up revastein Camp and took her downstairs near the front door. When the neighbor arrived, Oscar had his fingers in Reva's mouth to keep her airway open and a hand on her hip to try and staunch the bleeding. When police and paramedics arrived, they asked Oscar to move away from Riva and wait in the kitchen. Soon after, a paramedic informed Oscar that Reva was dead. Oscar next asked the police if he could wash his bloody hands because the smell was making him feel ill. About two hours hours later, He requested that the police take whatever photos of him were needed so he could remove his bloodstoak clothing. And then Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, the toast of the sports world, found himself handcuffed and charged with murder. Police just couldn't see how Oscar's story added up. Why had Reva apparently locked herself in the bathroom. Why was a duvet strewn on the floor in the bedroom indicating the couple had been arguing rather than in bed as Oscar claim. Why did multiple neighbors say they heard arguing from the house before the gunshots. Oscar's account of what had happened was highly improbable, authority said, if not outright impossible. The terrible crime was a pivotal moment that would spark a global media frenzy and televised court battles probing deep into issues of gun control, disability rights, and domestic violence. The once ce athlete Oscar Pistorius watched his career and public image unravel overnight. The Steamkamp family mourned the loss of their beloved, talented daughter, Reva, who had done absolutely nothing wrong yet had her entire future stolen. Join Me your host, Jay Harris, as I swoll up and serve out the rest of this tragic story next week on Playing Dirty Sports Scandal. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claire.

Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host, Jay Harris, ready to serve up a story that's gripped the entire world with its highs of human triumph and low's steeped and terrible tragedy. Is it a palatable tale? Absolutely not. But I know you crave bold blends and it's my job to deliver up all the juicy details. So drink up and that's gonna move on, because today we need to keep pace with Oscar Pistorias, the South African sprinter known as the blade Runner. Oscar Pistorias shattered records and broke barriers by becoming the first amputee to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, running on prosthetic blades that earned him both his nickname and a place in sports history. But beneath the smile of this celebrated athlete lay dangerous complexities that were destined to surface. From day one, it was clear that Oscar Pistorius would have obstacles to overcome. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November twenty second, nineteen eighty six, Oscar was born with fibular hemomilia a rare congenital disorder that left him without fibulas in both legs. The fibula runs between the knee and ankle beside the tibia, and nowadays, children born with fibular hem amelia typically undergo limb lengthening surgery as a first course of treatment, but Oscar's parents, Hank and Sheila, took doctor's recommendations to amputate both of his legs below the knee when he was just eleven months old. This severe surgery, taking place before his first birthday, would forever impact the trajectory of Oscar Pistorius's life. Hank and Sheila Pistorius initially provided great stability for Oscar and his two siblings, an elder brother named Karl and a younger sister named Amy. But despite the Pistorias family's proud Africana heritage infused with steadfast Christian values and financial affluence, life in Johannesburg during the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties was tumultuous. South Africa was transitioning from the oppressive regime of apartheid to a fully democratic society. The era was marked by both intense conflict and profound hope, with significant social and economic challenges. Oscar's mother, Sheila, recognized the challenges of the time and taught her children to face adversity head on. According to The Daily Mail, she even penned a motivational note for Oscar before his double amputation, with a message he would be able to digest when he was older. It famously read, the real loser is not the one who crosses the finish line last. The real loser is the one who sits on the side, the one who does not even try to compete. Sheila's words would indeed resonate with her son Oscar as he grew up in an uneasy society and ultimately an uneasy home. By nineteen ninety two, when Oscar was six years old, his parents, Hank and Shila Pastorius, called it quits on their marriage. While it's unclear what specifically precipitated their divorce, numerous news outlets, from International Business Times UK to The Sun have since described Hank as a party animal with a taste for young women, so we can speculate that Hank's Christian values may have taken a tumble when met with temptation. In any event, Hank left Sheila, who was unprepared to raise three children as a single mother. According to Nation reporter Jeff Anthony, Sheila struggled in anguish as a single mother, raising Oscar and his siblings Amy and Karl with barely enough cash flow. She was terrified of crime and lived in agitation of an intruder breaking into her home. This is because when Hank left, she and the children moved to a smaller home in a rougher neighborhood. There were several break ins, to which Sheila responded by taking an extreme precaution of sleeping with a loaded pistol under her pillow. Sheila also battled with an inner grief from her divorce that led to her solitary drinking. Her addiction led to a liver complication. Watching his beloved mother's descent from a strong can do figure to an always worried single parent would forever strain Oscar's relationship with his father, Hank. Hank, meanwhile, was seemingly unconcerned by his ex wife's and children's struggles. He relocated himself seven hundred miles southeast of Johannesburg to the bustling coastal city of Port Elizabeth. Hank would try to buy favor with his children, purchasing things like a small speedboat for them to use during visits. But Sheila was undoubtedly Oscar's rock. Even as she faced her own demons, Shila did her best to empower her children with strength. Oscar would recall a story about a boy who ripped all the buttons off his shirt at school. When he came home that day, his mother told him not to let it happen again. So when the boy ripped the buttons off Oscar's shirt a second time, Oscar got into his first fight. When Sila Pastorius was summoned by the headmaster, she defended Oscar for fighting and then sent the shirt to the boy's mother to sew the buttons back on. My family always believed in standing up for yourself and standing up for what you believe in, Oscar explained. We were taught that you have got to cope. Part of Oscar's coping strategy was undoubtedly his engagement with sports. From his early school years at Constantia Koloff Primary School to his early teens at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, Oscar participated in athletics. Even with prosthetic legs, he played on his school's rugby team, and between the ages of eleven and thirteen, he even played tennis and water polo at the provincial levels. But at age fifteen, while he was thriving athletically and academically as a boarding student at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, his foundation was shaken with the news of his mother's sudden, life threatening illness. Initially misdiagnosed with hepatitis, Shila's health took a terrible turn when she received the wrong medical treatment. Realizing that Sheila was declining precipitously, her friend Gillian Silcock rushed her to the hospital and later told Ianca via The Epoch Times that Sheila had had a brain hemorrhage at that point. But she didn't go. She didn't let go and go be with her dad in heavy until the boys, Oscar and Carl got there. When her boys walked in, they were able to see her and say goodbye, and she waited because after a short period of time, fifteen minutes or so, she went after her son's arrived. It was March six, two thousand and two, and at just fifteen years old, Oscar Pastorius said a final goodbye to his mother, Sheila, who had always stood steadfastly by him and profoundly shaped his upbringing. He would say a quiet prayer for her before every competitive sports event for the rest of his life. In the wake of his mother's death, Oscar doubled down on his athletic pursuits. Sport was my salvation, as it helped me get through this difficult time, Oscar Pistorius wrote, my mother had been a strong woman, the center of my world. Sporting activity was the only thing that could distract me from such a loss. Oscar trained incredible hard. In fact, one trainer, Jenny Brooks, recalled how Oscar used his gym in Pretoria for six months boxing, skipping and doing press ups before Jenny realized Oscar had no legs. It was remarkable and a testament to how Shila Pastorius had raised her son. Oscar was just one of the bunch, Jenny said, doing everything in the gym at the same pace as everybody else. But a year after Sheila's death, hardship would strike Oscar yet again when he shattered his knee on the rugby pitch. This was an injury from which Oscar could not heal quickly. In fact, he was now back under the care of the very same medics who had carried out his amputations at eleven months old. However, this period of enormous distress did come with a silver lining. It was during his rehabilitation at the University of Pretoria's High Performance Center that he was advised to take up running to help his knee joint recover. And the timing of this recommendation was kick because Chris Hadding, a longtime family friend of the Pastorius and design engineer, was now working for a US firm focused on developing new lighter prosthetics. When Chris learned that Oscar had taken up running, he invited him to the US to try the cutting edge flex foot Cheeta blades, manufactured by Oscer, a company well established for non invasive orthopedic braces. It was a game changer for Oscar, as reported by the BBC, three weeks after taking up sprinting with the flex foot Cheetah blades, Oscar Pistorius ran his first one hundred meter race. He won the race in a time faster than any double amputee had achieved before, eleven point seven to two seconds. A star was born. Oscar quickly realized that pivoting to sprinting was not just part of his physical rehabilitation, it was his future. His unique running style and the sounds of his artificial limbs hitting the synthetic rubber track became symbolic of his resilience. Two thousand and four proved to be a pivotal year for the now seventeen year old Oscar. He burst onto the international scene at the Athens Paralympics, where he won the gold medal in the two hundred meters and set a new Paralympic record with the world best time of twenty one point nine seven seconds. His performance was more than a victory, It was a statement to the world that disability did not define ability. It was an Athens that Oscar gained the nickname which would follow him evermore, blade Runner. Now. For many people, Oscar the Blade Runner was an inspiration period, but for others, his win at the Athens Paralympics sparked a broader controversy about the intersection of technology, ability and competition. Oscar's use of cutting edge prosthetic blades was viewed by some as an unfair advantage, and so his signature blades become a heated point of debate as he expressed his desire to compete against able bodied athletes. If the blade legs did provide such an advantage that some of the people are claiming, Oscar argued, then there would be a lot of amputees using the exact same prosthetic legs I have, running the exact same times I have, And that's not the case. And so ever, his mother's son, Oscar pushed naysayers to the side and forged ahead with his ambition to compete against able bodied athletes. His quest for parody would challenge the norms and rules of international sports. In two thousand and seven, for example, Oscar set his sights on competing in the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. This was an unprecedented goal for a double amputee and necessitated challenging the regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which stipulated that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage over able bodied runners. Experts were divided. Some of them thought Oscar's blades gave him the ability to move in a way that no able bodied person could, while others argued that the blades hindered him more than helped him. In the end, however, science broke it down. The average elite male sprinter moves his leg from back to front in thirty seven hundreds of a second. The five most recent world record holders in the one hundred metersh average thirty four hundreds of a second. Oscar Pistorius could swing his leg in twenty eight hundreds of a second, largely because his prosthetics were lighter than a regular human leg. With his rivals swinging lower legs with an average weight of five point seven kilograms versus his lower prosthetic weight of two point four kilograms, Oscar did have an advantage right wrong, because the blades didn't allow Oscar as much force in pushing off between strides. This, it was argued, was a disadvantage for Oscar that was more significant than any potential limb weight advantage he gained when competing, and so, after a series of legal battles and scientific tests, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Oscar Pistorius' favor. In May two thousand and eight, CNN World Sports Don Riddell described the ruling in Oscar Pistorius' favor as groundbreaking, and he was right. It was undeniably an historic moment for sport, opening doors for future athletes with disabilities to compete in mainstream events, and it was a huge moment for Oscar Pistorius, whose international fame grew as his inspiring story became known globally. Weeks after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in his favor, Oscar Pistorius was featured in the Time one hundred, which is Time magazine's list to the world the world's most influential people, where he was heralded for challenging perceptions of disability in sports. This newfound prestige fueled Oscar's impact, turning him into an icon for millions around the world. The only disability in life is having a bad attitude. He equipped to the delight of people grappling with disability and adversity generally. Even though Oscar Pistorius missed qualifying for the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics by seven tenths of a second, his tenacity had made him a gold medalist in the court of public opinion. While Oscar was disappointed to not qualify for the Olympics, the two thousand and eight Beijing Paralympic Games were still in his sights. He competed in three events there, the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred meters Held at the Iconic Bird's Nest Stadium, these Paralympic Games were a chance for Oscar to prove his medal on the world stage once again, and he did not disappoint. Oscar's performances were nothing short of spectacular. In the one hundred meters, Oscar Pistorius blazed through the track, winning gold with a time of eleven point one seven seconds. In the two hundred meters, he set a new Paralympic record, clinching another gold with a time of twenty one point sixty seven seconds. This victory highlighted his dominance in the sprint events, and in the four hundred meters, Oscar kept off his Paralympic campaign with a third gold medal, finishing in forty seven point four to nine seconds. Oscar Pistorius's success at the two thousand and eight Paralympics solidified his status as a trailblazer and celebrity in the world of athletics. His achievements in Beijing were celebrated around the world, inspiring countless individuals with disabilities to pursue their dreams. But Oscar's Olympic dreams were still unfulfilled. His close but not quite qualifying for the Able Bodied Olympics, no doubt, stung the man hailed for his near herculean determination. Oscar threw himself into training, determined to qualify for the twenty twelve London Olympic Games, even as his sponsorship deals and media appearances multiplied. Tony Garrett, a Paralympic commentator, summed up the frenzied excitement around the young sprinter Oscar, with his personality, athletic prowess and the fact that he was trying to compete in the able bodied Olympics made him the big breakthrough name who brought sponsorship and Paralympic sport to the next level internationally, Tony Garrett told the BBC, and Tony was right on the mark. It was later revealed by Market Realist that Oscar was earning approximately two million dollars a year, largely derived from sponsorships. He was also earning accolades on the track, and ultimately all his hard work paid off. Oscar qualified for the Olympics. On August fourth, twenty twelve. He made history in London by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics by running in an opening heat of the men's four hundred meter event. He finished second in his heat with the season best time of forty five point four to four seconds, which advanced him to the semifinals. It's just an unbelievable experience, Oscar said shortly after his first Olympic race. I found myself smiling on the starting blocks, which is very rare, and although he finished last in the semifinal round with a time of forty six point five to four seconds, what he achieved was remarkable. Five days later, Oscar's Olympics would continue with the South African relay team's four by four hundred meter race. On August ninth, twenty twelve, During the first semifinal, a collision caused by Kenyon runner Vincent Keelu led to the South African team's second leg runner of Fence Muggawane, falling to the track with a disc located left shoulder before he could hand over to Oscar. South African officials acted promptly, citing interference to the International Association of Athletics Federation or IAAF and lodging an appeal. When the IAAF upheld this appeal, Oscar was a static to have a renewed chance at meddling in London. It's on, tweeted Oscar after the favorable decision was announced by the Jury of appeal. We are in the final. Team management protested as offence was taken out and we have been given lane nine. While South Africa finished eighth in a field of nine and Oscar Pistorius did not ultimately medle in London, his participation at the Olympics was a game changer for athletes with disabilities, was a unifying moment for South Africans, regardless of their political affiliations, and fulfilled his personal dream to comp speed against the world's top able bodied runners. As a nod to his tremendous journey, Oscar was chosen to carry the South African flag during the closing ceremony of the twenty twelve Games, underscoring his personal role as a trailblazer and inspiration. After the Olympic Games, twenty five year old Oscar Pistorius was on top of the world. His endorsement shot up in price, with brands like Nike, Oakley and BT eager to ink deals. Public speaking opportunities were endless, and he advocated heavily for technological advancements and policy changes to promote inclusion in sports at all levels. Everyone knew who he was. Oscar Pistorius was a beloved man. The cracks first started to publicly show in Oscar Pistorius's facade of perfection at the twenty twelve Summer Paralympics, which was also held in London. Once again, Oscar demonstrated his exceptional athletic prowess, competing in the four by one hundred meter relay as well as the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred meter races in the T four to four classification, which is the sports classification which applies to athletes with single below knee amputation or who can walk with moderately reduced function in one or both legs. While Oscar dominated in the four hundred meters, winning gold and setting a new Paralympic record with a time of forty six point sixty eight seconds, in the two hundred meters, he was defeated by Brazil's Alan Olivera, who also ran on blades. Faced with losing to another blade runner, a stunned Oscar Pistorius struck out publicly questioning the legitimacy of Alan Olivera's blade length. Immediately after the race, he hit out at the International Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of some athletes blades and to the public, it very much seemed as though their golden boy was being a sore loser. Oscar seemingly realized that his public image had taken a hit because he tried to roll back his vitriol in a statement to the Press Association Sport, saying I would never want to detract from another athlete's moment of triumph, and I want to apologize for the timing of my comments after yesterday's race. I do believe that there is an issue here, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it with the International Paralympic Committee. But I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong. That was Allen's moment, and I would like to put on record the respect I have for him. The International Paralympic Committee shot back quickly stating that all athletes competing in the men's two hundred meter T forty four final were checked by international classifiers in the call room ahead of the race, All blades were within the regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook, and Alan Olivera himself expressed sadness that Oscar Pastorius had tarnished his gold medal win, explaining that the two had frequently competed and been friends prior to the two hundred meter race. The situation between Oscar and I is grim, Allan confessed to the BBC. Now Oscar passes me and does not talk to me. Oscar's mood, while certainly not improved by losing to Alan in the two hundred meter race at the twenty twelve Paralympics, had generally soured as his fame grew. Oscar's lifestyle and image changed, and clearly something got to him and he wasn't the same person. There were so many demands on his time. Commentator Tony Garrett recalled, I think he let rip every so often, and he wouldn't have done that a few years ago. Other people who knew Oscar Pistorius agreed with Tony's assessment. Sports journalists Graham Jaffi, for one, co owned a racehorse named Tiger Canyon with Oscar and three others. The two had been acquainted for thirteen years and Graham had always been impressed by Oscar's personality, which he described as confident and friendly. But when Graham met up with Oscar alongside the other racehorse owners in twenty twelve, he noticed a clear shift in his demeanor. I immediately thought there was something about Oscar that had changed. Graham said, he was a different man to the one I had interviewed so many times, in the sense that he was a bit stand offish and a little bit cold, not his usual warm self. He was showing a spoiled brat attitude that came out at the Paralympics in twenty twelve when he embarrassed the country. And it wasn't just Oscar's attitude that had become problematic. The famous printer had also become increasingly reckless, as was evidenced by his dangerous handling of a speedboat on the Vaar River, resulting in a need for him to be airlifted, placed on a ventilator and rushed into surgery. He recovered physically from that accident, but his increased tendency towards danger continued to manifest in an ever growing attraction to firearms. Oscar became a frequent visitor to shooting ranges, and his social media often featured photos and video clips of his sessions. In one such video, Oscar was seen firing at a watermelon, which exploded as the athlete hit it dead center. Then a voice which sounds very much like Oscar's is heard saying it's not as soft as brains, but it's a zombie stopper, as his entourage shrieked with laughter. Now, some of oarguty was always probable for Oscar to develop a fixation with guns. First, there were his memories of his mother, Sheila, always keeping a gun close at hand for protection after his father Hank left, And second, the reality is that guns are part of life in South Africa. High crime rates make personal security a significant concern for many citizens. According to the BBC, there are more than two point seven million legal gun owners in South Africa, which is roughly eight percent of the adult population. Now, this statistic pales in comparison to gun ownership in the Usa, which was at thirty two percent of the adult population as of twenty twenty three. But the big difference is that in South Africa violent crime rates are significantly higher. Last year, there were fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty murders in South Africa versus twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety six murders in the United States. When you're just those figures for population, that put South Africa's murder rate per million people at three hundred and eighteen point eighty six versus the US murder rate per million people at forty two point oh one. That is a massive difference. Understanding that South Africa's bullet heavy culture was ingrained in Oscar Pistorius is significant. He was not an outlier for having a private arsenal and engaging in routine shooting practice. In South Africa's climate of heightened security concerns, it isn't at all uncommon for households and especially households in wealthier neighborhoods such as the oscars, to employ extensive security measures, including alarm systems, high fences, having guns on side at the ready, and professional armed response services on call. Oscar had grown up in an environment where fear loomed, and as his sprinting winds made of a household name increased, career pressure and concerns about personal safety may well have started to shake his pedestal from the outside looking in. However, Oscar Pistorias seemed to have found his anchor in November twenty twelve when he started dating twenty nine year old model, reality TV star in law graduate Reva steam Kemp. Reva had it all, brain's beauty and a winning personality. Local media rushed to compare their relationship to the likes of David and Victoria Beckham. Reva was not arm candy for Oscar. She had her own achievements and a promising future. Reva's friend from Port Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Carrie Smith, described Reva as more than just a pretty face. She had a beautiful heart and ambition. Carrie also said that Reva aspired to use her legal degree to help women in abusive situations, alleging that Reva had come out of an abusive relationship with the jockey Wayne Agrella prior to dating Oscar. Now Wayne Agrella has adamantly denied Carrie's claim, but Carrie told the BBC that for Reva, I think with Wayne it was mainly mental. I don't know that he was physically abusive, but definitely emotionally abusive. When she was with Wayne, she all always felt she had to cover up. She would always be on these fad diets with him. She lost a lot of weight. It wasn't a healthy relationship. When she moved to Johannesburg, we were grateful because it meant she would be free from him. Was Carrie's assessment of Reva's previous long term relationship accurate. Later, Revas Steenkamp's sister Simone would tell the Sydney Morning Herald the exact opposite, saying that Reva didn't know anything about volatile relationships and fighting. She was beautiful and much loved. She had had a few boyfriends, and they remained close even after the romance was over. Regardless of Reva's dating history, where differing accounts from her friends and family members make an objectively true account elusive, one thing that cannot be denied is that Oscar Pistorius's dating history was volatile, violent, and egregiously underreported. According to Oscar's ex girl friend, Samantha Taylor, who dated him for eighteen months before he cheated on her with Reva, Oscar would bite and pinch her, leaving her scarred and bruised. He also allegedly locked her in his house with no food, and on one occasion, because she was so frightened of his temper, she hid his gun from it. According to Reva Steinkamp's mother, June, even in the early days of her daughter's relationship with Oscar Pastorius, Reva saw red flags. As reported by The Guardian, Riva told Oscar on more than one occasion that she was scared of him. Text messages from Riva to Oscar included statements like I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me. Far from the glittering lights of the star studded events they attended together, the relationship between Oscar and Reva was becoming increasingly worrisome. According to The Independent, there was a time when Riva called her mother June on the phone, terrified to say that Oscar was driving dangerously at one hundred and sixty one miles per hour with her in the car, and Bussull reported that according to junesteen Camp By month three of the relationship, Reva was looking for a way out. In fact, June told The Times that Riva had confided to me that she hadn't slept with Oscar. They'd shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level. She didn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure. June further noted that, in her opinion, as Riva's mother, the relationship was done. In her heart of hearts, Reva didn't think the relationship was making either of them happy, but be that as it may. Oscar Pistorius had a terrible temper, he didn't like to lose, and the situation was a powder keg waiting to explode. February thirteenth, twenty thirteen, allegedly began like any other day for Oscar Pistorius and Riva steam Camp. They woke up in their mansion in the prestigious gated Pretoria community silver Woods Estate. Reva was preparing for a scheduled speech about empowering women. Oscar claims to have spent his morning training. As night fell, the couple allegedly decided to stay in for a quiet dinner at home. There are no reports of visitors or unusual activities at the home during the evening. Security footage and electronic communications from the day indicate nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary. Now this is where February thirteen, twenty thirteen, derails. This is Oscar Pistorius's account of what happened. Oscar claims that by around ten PM, he and Reva were in their bedroom, where she was practicing yoga and he was watching television. He claims that his prosthetic legs were off, as he generally slept without them. He arranged two fans in the doorway lead heading out to the balcony because their air conditioning wasn't working. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter. During the early morning hours of February fourteenth, Valentine's Day, Oscar says he woke up because the bedroom was hot and humid. Oscar claimed that Reva had also woken up and asked him, you can't sleep, baba. Realizing that neither of them would be able to sleep unless the room was cooled down, Oscar says he got up without his legs on and moved the fans from the balcony doorway to inside the bedroom. He then pulled the curtains tight to block a slim bit of light that was peeping through, and moved Reva's jeans from the floor to cover a small led light that was bothering him on an amplifier. However, before he finished covering the led light, he heard the sound of a window opening in the bathroom. Oscar claims that he believed the noise was from an intruder who was in the house, possibly via a ladder to the window. Still on his stumps, Oscar says he retrieved his gun from beneath the left side of the bed. He claims to have whispered to Riva to call the police, and then moved into the hallway leading to the bathroom with a gun pointed in front of him. Oscar says he then leaned against the hallway wall for better stability on his stumps. He yelled for the person to get out of his house and yelled for Reva to call the police. Oscar claims he felt vulnerable on his stumps and he feared that someone was about to come out of the bathroom when he heard the sound of wood moving and thought the door was opening. He describes having been overcome with fear in this moment and reacted by firing four shots in quick succession through the bathroom door. Due to the close range gun shots, Oscar says his ears were ringing and he was unable to hear anything. Then Oscar retreated back down the hallway to the bed, still aiming his gun at the bathroom and case it intruder emerged. Oscar says he felt for Riva in the bed in the dark and didn't find her there. He thought she might be hiding on the floor or behind the curtains, so he checked both places. This, Oscar says, was the haunting moment when he first suspected that Riva may have been in the bathroom. He described it as the moment when everything changed. Oscar says he moved as quickly as he could back to the bathroom door, still holding the gun, and tried the doorknob. When he found the door was locked, he says he went back to the bedroom, put on his legs, opened the curtains to the balcony while screaming for God to help him. Then, with his legs on, he slammed into the bathroom door with his body. When that was unsuccessful, Oscar says he got a cricket bat and smashed a hole in the bathroom door so he could reach in, pick up a key from the floor, and let himself in. Once inside the bathroom, Oscar says he discovered revastein Camp slumped over the toilet. He sat over her and cried. Then he ran to the left side of his bed to retrieve his phone and returned to Reva's body, where he called a neighbor at three nineteen am. At three twenty am, he phoned the ambulance service, and at three twenty one am he called security at his estate. Then Oscar Pastoria says he picked up revastein Camp and took her downstairs near the front door. When the neighbor arrived, Oscar had his fingers in Reva's mouth to keep her airway open and a hand on her hip to try and staunch the bleeding. When police and paramedics arrived, they asked Oscar to move away from Riva and wait in the kitchen. Soon after, a paramedic informed Oscar that Reva was dead. Oscar next asked the police if he could wash his bloody hands because the smell was making him feel ill. About two hours hours later, He requested that the police take whatever photos of him were needed so he could remove his bloodstoak clothing. And then Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, the toast of the sports world, found himself handcuffed and charged with murder. Police just couldn't see how Oscar's story added up. Why had Reva apparently locked herself in the bathroom. Why was a duvet strewn on the floor in the bedroom indicating the couple had been arguing rather than in bed as Oscar claim. Why did multiple neighbors say they heard arguing from the house before the gunshots. Oscar's account of what had happened was highly improbable, authority said, if not outright impossible. The terrible crime was a pivotal moment that would spark a global media frenzy and televised court battles probing deep into issues of gun control, disability rights, and domestic violence. The once ce athlete Oscar Pistorius watched his career and public image unravel overnight. The Steamkamp family mourned the loss of their beloved, talented daughter, Reva, who had done absolutely nothing wrong yet had her entire future stolen. Join Me your host, Jay Harris, as I swoll up and serve out the rest of this tragic story next week on Playing Dirty Sports Scandal. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claire.