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Bailey Sarian (1:00)

How are you today? My name is Bailey Sarian, and today is Monday, which means it's murder, mystery and makeup Monday. Hi. If you're new here. Hi. My name is Bailey Sarian, and on Mondays, I sit down and I talk about a true crime story that's been heavy on my noggin and I do my makeup at the same time. If you're interested in true crime and you like makeup, I would say subscribe because I'm here for you on Mondays. So today we are diving deep into a story that has, like, all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy. Oh, yes. A world famous athlete, a beautiful model, a brutal crime, and a courtroom drama that really captivated the world. Today I'm gonna be talking about Oscar Pistorius, the man who went from being a celebrated sports hero to a convicted murderer. Oscar's story isn't just about, like one night of violence. It's a tale of triumph, fame, and a fall from grace that really shocked everyone. So let's start at the beginning, right? We always do, with the birth of a baby boy who would go on to be known as the Blade Runner. Oscar Pistorius was born November 22, 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family wasn't the wealthiest by any means, but they were comfortable when he was growing up. Like, the family lived a decent middle class life. So when Oscar was born, I guess it was clear from like the start that his life would be anything but ordinary. He was born with a congenital birth defect known as fibular hemimelia. Try not to laugh, but if only you knew how long I've been sitting here trying to get that. Get that word out of me. So basically, what I'm trying to say is he was born without the fibula in both of his legs. Now, the fibula is kind of important. It's like one of the two long bones in your lower leg. Now, it's a crucial bone because it supports the larger tibia, and without it, walking can be a severe challenge. Now, this condition, fibular hemimelia, I guess, is, like, it's pretty rare, and it happens early in pregnancy, between, like, the sixth and the eighth week when the limb buds are forming. Now, the exact cause, I guess, is, like, it's still a mystery. It's possible that it has something to do with the activation of the genes responsible for forming the baby's legs, but they don't really know. No one really knows. For some, the condition is mild, affecting just like, one limb, and it can be corrected with surgery. But in Oscar's case, the deformity was pretty severe. So I guess his feet were also malformed. He had just, like, two toes on each foot, the big toe and the index. So upon the doctor's recommendation, the parents, you know, they had to make a tough decision, and they decided to just have Oscar's legs amputated from, like, halfway between the knee and the ankle at just 11 months old. You know, the doctor just assured it it was going to be, like, the best option for him. So Oscar was fitted with prosthetics before he turned 2 years old, and then by 17 months, he was walking. But Oscar's life wasn't all, like, hardships and challenges. Like, things were good. He came from a loving family. His parents, they ended up getting divorced when he was, like, 7 years old. And, you know, divorce can be, like, really tough on kids. But for Oscar, I don't want to say it was. It wasn't bad because I'm sure it hurt in some way. But, like, he was lucky that both of his parents remained actively involved in his life. I know. Shocker. I was like, wow, rare in these stories, huh? So Oscar would mainly live with his mother. And his mom was said to be, like, strong supportive. You know, she also made sure that he maintained a relationship with his father. There were, like, no strict rules about visitation with daddy. And all of the kids were encouraged to spend time with both parents. So Oscar's parents, they wanted him to spend his kid years and his teenage years like any other kid his age. So they sent him to a mainstream school instead of going to like a school for children with special needs. And it was said from a very young age he developed a passion for sports. So it was said in school that he just threw himself into a variety of activities, from tennis to cricket, soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, you name it. Oscar was all up in it. He would even go on to compete in triathlons and he would lift weights with his dad. I mean, nothing was stopping this guy. He ended up getting his very first medal in wrestling. I don't know how, but like, again, nothing was stopping this guy. So as a teenager, Oscar attended Pretoria Boys High School. It was an English language boarding school. And when he was here, he found himself in like a whole new world. It was the first time he was living outside of Johannesburg. And while he, he definitely had to participate or like endure the typical hazing of a boarding school, for the most part he was largely, like, accepted by his peers. So Oscar started playing rugby and water polo, you know, very serious sports, especially for someone, like, not trying to be mean, but, you know, like, he had prosthetic legs, but he was making it freaking work. Okay. Nothing was stopping this kid. By this time when he was playing these sports, he was using a much lighter hooked shape prosthesis. But, you know, these aren't really perfect. You know, they often, I guess they, they broke a lot, which would cause him a lot of frustration, especially when he was trying to like kick butt and then it would break on him. Then at the age of 15, Oscar experienced another life altering event. His mom ended up passing away following like, complications from a hysterectomy. Yeah, completely unexpected, you know, and this was devastating to Oscar. His mom was like his rock. She was always there to support him, encourage him. Her death seemed to like, just leave a major void, you know, that would never be filled. But Oscar, his life, you know, his life goes on. And in 2003, while playing rugby, he ended up like injuring his knee. At first he didn't like, think it was a big deal, right. He ended up like finishing the match. But by the next day, it was very clear to him that something was seriously wrong. So this injury that he got, it didn't require surgery, but it did require extensive rehab, which included running and water aerobics. And it was around this time that Oscar started wearing his new prostheses. It's called the, like the cheetah. First of all, I was like, wow, cool. It's a different kind of design. Okay. These were like game changers for him. And they were the ones that he could, he would wear throughout his whole athletic career, it was like this hook shape. I forget what it was made out of, but it wouldn't snap like all the other ones would. And it was just groundbreaking. His first race with the Cheetahs was a 100 meter sprint. And he ended up clocking in at 11.72 seconds. Now, his dad was like, holy Toledo. You know, he was so impressed. So he started, like looking up. His dad started looking up times that other people have done this, and he realized that Oscar, his time would actually qualify him for a world record in his Paralympic category. So once his dad and Oscar, like, realized that, you know, he was good, he was real good. You know, Oscar was about to take the world by storm. So after this first race, I think Oscar, like, you know, he had a goal now. He had a. He had a goal. So he threw himself into intense training. He ended up qualifying for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, where he ended up winning silver in the 100 meters and 100 meter, 100 meters, he won silver and then he got gold in the 200 meters. So he complete. He set a new world record. Do you know how hard that is to do? Yeah, you know how hard it is to do, like, what this guy, he did, he was doing it. He set these new world records. But Oscar was not satisfied. He wanted to compete outside of the disabled races. In 2005, he competed in the South African Championships and he ended up coming in sixth in the 400 meters. It was like his first race against able bodied athletes. Sixth place. I mean, that's pretty damn good, right? And like, he didn't stop there. By 2007, he was competing internationally, finishing second in the Gold Gala 400 meters race, which was in Rome. But, you know, like, you win some, you lose some because he ended up competing in another race in Sheffield, where he would end up, like, finishing last. As Oscar's fame grew, so did the scrutiny. People started to question, like, hey, are his prosthetic legs giving him an unfair advantage? You know, they bounce. Feet don't bounce. You know, they're just like looking for reasons to pick it apart. In 2007, the International Amateur Athletic Federation, or IAAF, they expanded their rules to ban any, quote, technical device that incorporates springs, wheels, or any other element. You know, their reason was, like, they believed that it gave the athlete an advantage essentially to Oscar. And like a lot of people, it felt like they were specifically targeting Oscar, his cheetahs and like, anything like that. The iaaf, they said it was because, like, there was these new shoes out that had Springs in the bottom of them. And they were like, no, no, we, we did this because we want to make sure those don't make it in to the competition. But again, a lot of people thought, like, this seems like it's against Oscar. Oscar, when he heard this, he fought back. He got a team together. He got a team of scientists together to prove that his prostheses did not give him a fair. Unfair advantage. Sorry, Unfair advantage. So the ruling was essentially overturned, which would allow Oscar to compete. But the controversy really never died down. Like, people, people really thought, like, it was truly unfair. So despite, you know, the ongoing debate, Oscar made history in 2012 by qualifying for the 400 meters and the 4 by 400 relay at the Summer Olympics in London. First double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games. Pretty groundbreaking, you know. Now, he didn't win, but his participation in itself, again, was groundbreaking because he was the first double amputee to race in the Olympic Games. Like, right? So Oscar, he had carried, like the South African flag in the closing ceremony, and then he went on to win gold in the first by 100 meters, and he won silver in the 200 meters at the 2012 Paralympics. So he's kicking ass. Okay. Just when it seemed like Oscar Pistorius was like, on the top of the world, really, his life took a dark and tragic turn. Riva Steenkamp was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1983. Now, she was stunning. She was beautiful, she was intelligent. She was able to juggle a law degree and be, like, a successful model. Wow. You know, by 2007, she had moved to Johannesburg after being chosen as, like, the face of Avon in South Africa. Avon, the makeup company. So she was now the face of Avon. Now at this time, her. Her career was on the rise. She had big plans. She even, like, applied to the bar in 2011, hoping, you know, to qualify as a legal advocate. By 2013, I guess she and her friend had discussed, like, possibly starting a law firm that would be meant to help abused women. So then, November 2012, Reeva and Oscar, they ended up meeting. I guess they met through, like, mutual friends. They were at some kind of car event. They were introduced, and they must have just hit it off their relationship, like, it became public pretty quickly. Both at this time were well known figures in South Africa and they were good looking, you know, and they just attracted a lot of media attention. By all accounts, they were both deeply in love, you know, and it wouldn't be long. It was like months later. Their love story comes with, like, a devastating end. Just, like, months later. It's where it gets a little funky right here. So It's Valentine's Day 2013. It's like the early morning. Oscar woke up in the middle of the night and he fired four shots with a gun. Four shots through the locked door of his bathroom. Well, let me rephrase that. He shot at the bathroom door, which was locked, and somebody was on the other end. He said that morning or late at night, he heard a window open and he believed that there was an intruder and this intruder had entered the house. So he said that he panicked. He got up out of bed and he walked on his stumps. He grabbed his gun and then he fired, thinking he was defending himself from this intruder. Right. And he would later say he believed that Reeva was sleeping in bed next to him. So according to Oscar, he came down the hallway towards the bathroom with a gun in hand. He then shouted down the hall to the bathroom for the intruder to flee. Oscar said that he needed or he wanted to get between this intruder and Reeva and that he needed to approach this person because he, Oscar, couldn't run away without his legs. That's when he fired four shots from his 9 millimeter pistol. And then Oscar realized, he said he then realized that Reeva wasn't in bed. And at that moment, the horrifying truth had dawned on him that he had just shot and killed his girlfriend. So the bathroom door was locked, but behind the door was Reeva. Reeva was shot in the head, pelvis in the hand. I guess she had. She died almost instantly. Well, 911 was called. And so the paramedics, they arrive on the scene. But, you know, at that point when they showed up, it was too late. Her body was removed around 8:30am and Oscar Pistorius was taken into custody and was being charged with murder. So details start coming out, you know, and they're just swirling around because people don't know whether, like, Oscar's telling the truth. Was it really just, like this awful accident where he was trying to protect himself and his lover from an intruder, or had he intentionally killed Reeva after a heated argument? Now, according to Oscar, it was like he heard this intruder and he didn't put on his prosthetic legs. He just got up, he grabbed his gun, and he wanted to confront the intruder and protect Reva. So he just, like, saw that the door was shut, I guess, saw that the light was on and just shot at the door. That was his reasoning. But a lot of people out there Are like, dude, the first thing I would do is like, look to see if my partner's there. If my partner's not there, then I would assume it was them. If they are there, then I would, like, act. But you wouldn't just shoot at a door. You would wait for a confrontation. So there's a lot of like, I don't know, dude, I don't know. Like, he's not dumb. But according to Oscar, because he didn't have his prosthetic legs on, it to him was like, I have to shoot this person because I can't run away and I can't defend myself. That was his reasoning. I don't know, bro. I don't know with this one. So, you know, the media is reporting on this. People are like, shock, stunned. What? Like they just couldn't wrap their head around this. Who do you believe? So Oscar's ex girlfriend. Gotta love an ex girlfriend because you know she's gonna go, she's gonna have the truth. Her name was Samantha Taylor. Now, she would later testify that Oscar was quick to anger and that he would often scream at her and her family. She even went on to say that Oscar cheated on her multiple times and he never went anywhere without his gun. Now, does that make him a murderer? No, but doesn't look good, right? But then she said, she said, this is the ex girlfriend. She said that there were a couple of times that he had drawn his gun and fired it out of anger on more than one occasion. So I wonder. This is like a side note and has nothing to do with anything, but I wonder what he was so mad about. Like, he had such a loving mom. Usually, like when you have a shit mom or something, you like, you know, it kind of this whole anger thing makes sense. It doesn't make sense, but you get what I'm saying? Like, but he had such a loving mom. So I don't know, what am I getting at? I don't know, it's just like different, you know. So Reva's family was convinced that, like, the killing was not an accident. And, you know, they weren't the only ones who felt this way. Again, the media, the media was all over this and the public opinion was divided. Some people truly believe that, like, you know, well, they saw Oscar as like a tragic figure, A man who just. He made a terrible mistake in the heat of the moment trying to protect his home and his loved one. And then others believed that he was like this cold blooded killer who had finally just like snapped and shown his true colors. So on March 3, 2014, Oscar Pistorius, his trial started, and it was at the Pretoria High Court. So the prosecution was arguing that the killing was premeditated. They presented evidence from neighbors. Now, these neighbors said that they heard a domestic squabble around 3am followed by gunshots. Mm. There were some that even said that they heard a woman scream before the gunshots had fired, they heard screaming. Now, Oscar's defense argued that it was actually him screaming, and he was screaming at the intruder to, like, I don't know, stop or something. But Oscar's team was like, yeah, it was. It was him. He was the one screaming. Now, the trial, it was a media sensation. I mean, every detail was scrutinized, every piece of evidence dissected. People just really didn't know what to believe. Prosecutors said that morning, Oscar, he had time to put on his prosthetic legs. And to them, this was showing the court that he was not in a hurry, as he said he was, but rather that he was cool and collected as he went to kill his girlfriend. Now, listen, this was like the big debate. If he put on his legs, to them, this meant that it was premeditated. If he didn't put on his prosthetic legs, then that meant he was truly, like, in a hurry, just, like, trying to confront the killer or the person who broke in. So they were focusing hard on this part. The defense, they even brought in the bathroom door as evidence to show the angle of the bullet holes. And by these angles, it proved that Oscar was not wearing his prosthetic legs, meaning it was not premeditated. They were arguing that, you know, without his prosthetic legs, he was very vulnerable, which explained, like, his panicked response. The prosecution, they also pointed out that Reva had brought her phone with her into the bath. Remember, it's like 3am or something like that. So she brought her phone with her into the bathroom. They believed, and they were saying that she was trying to call someone to, like, come and pick her up. Call someone for help. Just call someone. The defense came back and said, you know, she's just a young woman. She's just attached to her phone like everyone else. Like, that's why she brought her phone with her. I don't know how I feel about that one. I'm trying to think about it because, like, I get it, like, being attached to your phone and like, bringing it with you everywhere. But, like, if you got up from sleep, let's say, to go to the bathroom, the first thing, I don't know about you guys, but I know I don't grab my phone. If I've woken up from sleep to go to the bathroom, I take my phone. If, like, I'm being shady, if I'm trying to low key call someone or text someone and not get caught, I'll lock myself in the bathroom. I don't do that now. But like, I used to, you know, you'd go in the bathroom, lock the door and be like, fuck, right? But we don't know. We don't know, like, what she was doing. But again, Oscar's team, they were like, Oscar and Reva, they had just bought each other presents recently. Remember, it was Valentine's Day. They had just bought each other presents. So they were in a good spot. Spot in the relationship. They got presents. And therefore Oscar did not plan to the murder presents. That's why. Which might be true. I don't know. The defense countered by saying that Oscar's actions were those of a terrified man. A man who felt he had no choice but to defend himself and his. His loved one. They argued that Oscar was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, which made him hyper vigilant. Hypervigilant. There we go. Also prone to panic. Therefore, this is why he reacted the way he did. Side note, my opinion, I don't know if you are trying to protect your loved one, wouldn't your first response to be like, when you heard someone come in, you wake up, you look over is my loved one? There's. If they are and I'm hearing a noise, then I react. If I wake up because I hear something, would your response be to just go and not look? Right. That part doesn't make sense. And then they're saying like, look, just because he didn't have his prosthetic legs on, it meant that it wasn't premeditated. But like, you know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe he thought that part through. Maybe he's like, hey, if I don't put on my. My prosthetic legs, then I can be like, I didn't know. I'm helpless. Just the. The point of him waking up and reacting and not checking her in the bed, it to me, that is suspicious. Okay, that's questionable. That. And she was in that bathroom with her phone, probably like, fuck, I need to get the fuck out of here. Did anyone look up, like, what she was searching on her phone? I should have looked that up. I can't remember. I don't remember that being brought up, but, you know, too many questions. The prosecution had argued that he knew there was a human being in the bathroom, and his intention was to kill that human being. And they were like, look, if Oscar had shot into a cubicle, knowing that there was, like, a human in this cubicle, then he would be found guilty of murder. Right? You can't just, like, shoot and be reckless about it. And because Oscar had said that he wanted to shoot the intruder and not his girlfriend does not change the fact that it was murder he should be punished for murder is what they're getting at. His plan was to kill who was ever in the room. The media, the public, everyone was very torn. Very torn. And then sentencing or the verdict and all that jazz happened. On September 11, 2014, Judge Tukozile Masipa. Did I do that? Okay, anyways. But this judge, she delivered her verdict, now very controversial. She acquitted Oscar of murder, citing that he did not foresee the possibility of someone dying as a result of his actions. You know, many disagreed with that, because if you have a gun and you're shooting towards someone or at someone, you think the result might be dying, but whatever. Instead, she found him guilty of, quote, culpable homicide, end quote, or negligent killing. The judge ruled that the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he had intended to kill Reeva or anyone else. Now, this distinction was crucial in determining his sentencing. On October 21, Oscar was sentenced to five years for negligent homicide and an additional three years for, I guess, an unrelated gun charge. His team was trying to get the judge to give him, like, a house arrest, but the judge ruled that he should serve time behind bars to send a message to society. Do you think he was doing steroids? And that's why he had such a crazy reaction. Sorry, I just now thought about it, because usually, you know, sometimes steroids are involved, and when steroids. Steroids are involved, they get crazy. Which would make sense why he was. Was like. Would be shooting. I don't know. I'm just trying to think again. The public opinion or their reaction to all this was very mixed. Some felt that, like, justice had been served. And then others believe that the sentence was, like. It was. It was too kind. The debate over whether Oscar was a murderer or, like, a man who just made, like, a tragic mistake, really just continued to rage. So the prosecution, they were not satisfied with the sentence. They were like, hey, this is way too light and completely inappropriate for the circumstances. So then in December 2015, the Supreme Court ended up overturning the conviction and found Oscar guilty of murder. God, I Wonder if he was doing steroids. Not that it excuses his behavior, but it would make a lot of sense. Would it? I don't know. Maybe. Anyhow, he overturned guilty. The court ruled that Oscar should have like, foreseen that firing four shots into a small enclosed space like a bathroom would have lethal consequences regardless of, of who was behind the door. Snaps. That makes sense, right? The appeals court handed the case back to the trial court for resentencing. So In July of 2016, that same judge, Judge Masipa, sentenced Oscar to six years in prison for murder. Just six years, just a little sprinkle. I think this judge like had a crush on him or something thing. Because technically this sentence, the six years, it was like way below the prescribed minimum of 15 years for murder in South Africa. So again, led to some controversy. People are like, what the fuck is going on right now? Now the judge said because of Oscar's disability and his apparent remorse, this was the reason for the lighter sentence. Judge, I have a question. Statement. Maybe because like the whole time Oscar like didn't want to be treated like a man who had a disability. He wanted to be treated like normal. Now's your chance. Treat him like normal. Well, it sounds like it's over, but it's not because the state wasn't done yet. Prosecutors appealed once more, arguing that the six year sentence was shockingly lenient. I mean, it was. In November of 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal agreed and they increased Oscar's sentence to 13 years and five months. So then fast forward to November of 2023, six years after the Supreme Court of Appeal had handed down its final sentence. It was announced that Oscar Pistorius would be released on parole. Now, the parole board set his release for January 5, 2024. Now it said that his parole conditions are strict. He moved in with his uncle in the Pretoria suburb of Waterloof. There's like a random K in this word. Waterkloof. Waterkloof. Anyways, he moved there and this I guess is like the same place that he was staying during his trial. His parole conditions include attending therapy sessions, anger management programs, and programs on violence against women. He's also required to complete community service hours, meet regularly with parole officers and be subjected to unannounced visits until the end of his sentence in 2029. Now, Reeva Steenkamp's mother, her name's June, she didn't oppose Oscar's release, but expressed concerns about his huge anger issues is what she said, which she felt hadn't been addressed in Prison, I guess she had opted to not attend the parole hearing, saying that she couldn't face him again at this stage. Now, Reeva's father, his name was Barry, he had passed away, like, earlier that year, but before, before his death, he actually met with Oscar as a part of, like, the rehabilitation process. We can only imagine what was said. We don't know, you know, but Oscar Pistorius was quietly released on January 5, 2024. He is not permitted to speak to the media as per his parole conditions, but his lawyer mentioned that Oscar's parole allows him limited time each week to attend work commitments and church. He must also continue his therapy and rehabilitation efforts and just be a real good boy. It's just so different, huh? Like, America versus anywhere else, really. Like, they actually. He still. He murdered someone. Look, real talk, but, like, at least they're like, they put you in a bunch of programs and like, trying, I don't know, try and help some kind of way. They do kinda, in America, but, like, not really. Not really. Maybe it's better there. I don't know. I don't think it's better there, but. I don't know. What am I getting at? I don't fucking know. What am I even getting at? I don't know. So here we are. Oscar Pistorius is on parole. His career is in ruins, and his life is forever marked by the events of February 14, 2013. We supposed to feel bad? He's the one that picked up the gun. He's the one that shot at the bathroom door. He's the one that got up. He's him, him, him, him, him, him. You got to take some responsibility for yourself there, bud. Okay? You murdered someone and who, like, really knows if it was on purpose or not? I think it. I think, I think, I think it's. I think it was. I don't know. I mean, it's really unlikely we will ever know, like, whether Oscar truly intended to kill Reva. He continues to maintain that it was a tragic accident, saying, quote, I did take Reva's life and I have to live with it. But regardless of, like, whether it was a heat of the moment argument, a premeditated act, or like an attempt to protect horribly gone wrong, the reality remains that Rima Steenkamp was killed at the hands of Oscar Pistorius, period. I mean, it's a tragedy that's left scars not just on those directly involved, but on everyone who, like, followed the case, who saw the rise of this amazing guy, right? And then the fall of this global icon. Well, friends, thanks for hanging out with me today. Purpose. Not purpose, huh? Doesn't matter. He's out now. You know, at least he still gets to live. Reva does not. She had so much going for her, too. It's such a shame. Well, guys, I hope you have a good rest of your day. You make good choices. You be safe out there, and I'll be seeing you guys really soon. Goodbye.