South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius had the world at his fingertips, but it was soon to come tumbling down. The hero of the London Olympics, and first Paralympian to race with able-bodied runners, stands accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day, bringing him the world’s attention for all the wrong reasons.
In a case that left him bailed but broken, according to his friend, the 26-year-old Olympian, who claims he shot Steenkamp through a bathroom door thinking she was an intruder, is said to be a man broken and suicidal as he’s set to stand trial for her murder.
"He just always seems to mention Reeva and to ask us to pray for her and her family," Mike Azzie said, speaking in the upcoming BBC3 documentary 'Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?’
"He has no confidence in his tone of voice and he is just a man that is almost like someone that is walking around in circles and doesn't know where he is going,” Azzie admitted, who the Olympian refers to as Uncle Mike.
According to the documentary filmmakers, police in Johannesburg said they have requested all records of telephone calls and messages exchanged between Pistorius and Steenkamp on the day she was killed.
They have, indicated police, a massive amount of text messages from Steenkamp’s own phone.
Though the case shocked Pistorius' newly found fanbase, not every Pisotrius watcher was as stunned by the occurrences.
"Here, I think, you had a troubled athlete," said South African sports journalist Graeme Joffe. "Not so much this incredible role model for the rest of the world -- no question about that -- but deep down, this was a troubled athlete."
Jaffe indicates that much of Pistorius' adulation came from the public relations machine behind his successes, which all but made him untouchable.
Some have even said the adulation has protected the runner, with friends and colleagues casting doubt on the carefully crafted image of the South African bladerunner.
There have been indications, but little proof, that Pistorius had a history of runs in with the law. Friends say he was armed everywhere he went.
While much speculation remains around the case, there are no plans for police to enter into a plea bargain with Pistorius for a lesser charge, the documentary's makers claimed.
No date has been set for the trial.
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