‘I’ve killed my baba,’ Pistorius said to friend just after Steenkamp shooting
examiner.com
The “Blade Runner,” Oscar Pistorius, has claimed since the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Thursday — tragically, Valentine’s Day — that he did not murder her. On Sunday, one of his close friends spoke in an interview and told of how the former Olympian called him immediately after the shooting, in tears.
Justin Divaris, said to be Pistorius’ best friend, said he was called by the “Blade Runner” just before 4 a.m. local time on Thursday — and before Pistorius called emergency services. Divarious, ironically, had introduced Steenkamp to Pistorius. Pistorius cried to him:
My baba, I’ve killed my baba. God take me away.
Shocked, Divaris, who couldn’t understand what was happening, replied:
I said to him, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand you?” He then repeated himself — “There has been a terrible accident; I shot Reeva.”
It is precisely what Pistorius has been claiming since the incident, and exactly what was first reported. Initial news reports said that the former track star had shot his girlfriend, believing her to be an intruder. However, police are seeking a charge of premeditated murder against the 26-year-old.
At that point, Pistorius’ neighbor took the phone away from the sobbing Olympian. Divaris continued:Next thing his neighbor picked up the phone and told me it was true and told me to get to Oscar’s home.
I was in total shock. I asked the neighbor, “Is she [Steenkamp] OK? Did the gun go off by accident?” She replied, “No. She’s not OK. You need to get here.”
By the time Divaris arrived on the scene, the authorities were there already. Eventually, Divaris was allowed to speak to his friend, who continued to in-coherently repeat the same thing over and over again:
My baba, I’ve killed my baba. God take me away.
The couple had been dating since November. Some reports, though, have said that Steen-kamp had recently become concerned that he was becoming possessive.
However, one of her final tweets indicated she was looking forward to Valentine’s Day on Thursday. She tweeted,
What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???
Pistorius being held without bail is scheduled to be back in court Tuesday to enter his plea, and to possibly gain bail.
Pistorius was born with fibular hemimelia (congenital absence of the fibula) in both legs. When he was 11 months old, his legs were amputated halfway between his knees and ankles. He uses carbon-fiber prosthetics to run.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics on Aug. 4, 2012, Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games.
