Oscar Pistorius and the Science of Ballistics: How Forensic Evidence Unraveled the Truth
courtesy photo By Forensic Perspectives 🔍 Introduction When South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013, the world was stunned. What followed was not just a media spectacle, but a legal battle in which forensic ballistics played a decisive role. This was not a straightforward murder case. Pistorius claimed he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder hiding in his bathroom. Prosecutors alleged that it was a deliberate act following an argument. The difference between those narratives hinged on what the bullets could reveal. 📅 The Night of the Shooting At approximately 3 a.m., Pistorius fired four shots through a locked bathroom door made of meranti wood. Steenkamp was inside, reportedly standing close to the toilet. Neighbors testified to hearing a woman’s screams before the shots. Pistorius denied this, claiming the screams came afterward and were his own, in distress after realizing Steenkamp was hit. ...
