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.
🔬 Ballistics Analysis in the Pistorius Trial
1. Weapon and Ammunition
The firearm: 9mm Parabellum Taurus PT 917 pistol.
Ammunition: Black Talon-type expanding bullets (Winchester Ranger SXT), known for their deep penetration and rapid expansion.
These bullets are often criticized for their destructive power, which prosecutors used to argue that Pistorius intended maximum damage.
2. Door and Bullet Holes
Forensic officers photographed and measured four bullet holes in the bathroom door.
Holes were grouped closely, with vertical spacing suggesting deliberate targeting rather than random panic.
Two holes were at a height consistent with hitting someone standing or crouched inside the cubicle.
Capt. Chris Mangena, South Africa’s leading ballistics expert, reconstructed the shooter’s position using trajectory rods and laser alignment.
Conclusion: Pistorius was standing on his stumps (without prosthetic legs) when firing, angling the shots slightly downward.
This detail was consistent with his testimony, but trajectory control indicated purposeful aiming.
3. Bullet Trajectory and Reeva’s Injuries
The sequence of shots, as reconstructed from autopsy and ballistics evidence:
1. First shot — hit Steenkamp’s right hip, shattering bone. She fell backward onto the magazine rack next to the toilet.
2. Second shot — missed.
3. Third shot — hit her right arm, causing massive soft tissue damage.
4. Fourth shot — struck her in the head, proving fatal.
The pattern suggested that at least the last three shots were fired after she had fallen — meaning Pistorius adjusted aim between shots. This undermined the defense’s claim of blind, reflexive firing.
4. Acoustic and Timing Evidence
The timing between shots was analyzed from witness testimony and sound simulation.
Shots were fired in rapid sequence, but not so fast that aiming adjustments were impossible.
Prosecution suggested Pistorius had enough time to realize Steenkamp was in the cubicle before the final shot.
💥 Prosecution vs. Defense Interpretation
Pistorius’ Version
Heard noises, feared an intruder, and fired through the door without confirming the target.
Claimed he shouted warnings and did not know Steenkamp was in the bathroom.
Prosecution’s Argument
Ballistic evidence showed controlled grouping, downward angles, and aimed shots.
The use of hollow-point style ammunition was incompatible with the idea of firing only to “neutralize” an intruder.
Witnesses heard a woman screaming prior to the shots — suggesting an argument and intent.
⚖️ Legal Outcome
2014: Pistorius found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter equivalent).
2015: Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the verdict, convicting him of murder under dolus eventualis — the legal principle that if you foresee the possibility of death but act anyway, you are guilty of murder.
Sentenced to 13 years and 5 months in prison.
🔬 Lessons in Forensic Ballistics
1. Trajectory mapping can establish shooter position, height, and intent.
2. Shot sequence analysis can reveal decision-making during an incident.
3. Ammunition choice can influence how intent is perceived in court.
4. Integrating ballistics with witness testimony strengthens or weakens narratives.
📚 References
State v Pistorius, South African High Court, 2014.
Supreme Court of Appeal Judgment, 2015.
Testimony of Capt. Chris Mangena, SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory.
BBC News archives, 2013–2015.
🔗 More forensic case studies at: ForensicPerspectives.blogspot.com
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