A bombshell new report has
claimed that Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius may have shot his
girlfriend dead after learning that she was pregnant with his child.
If
true, the revelation would be the latest in a string of twists since
the death of model Reeva Steenkamp at Pistorius' home on Valentine's
Day.
Pistorius
claims he killed Steenkamp accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her
for an intruder in his bathroom.
Pregnant? A new report claims that Reeva
Steenkamp, pictured left with Oscar Pistorius, had been murdered after
revealing that she was pregnant
Memorial: Oscar Pistorius is at his uncle's home
after being granted bail following his hearing and is planning to hold a
memorial for his dead girlfriend
But prosecutors say he intentionally shot
her in cold blood after the couple had an argument.
The National Enquirer reported on Monday that the argument was sparked by the news that Pistorius was about to become a father.
A source close to investigation told the supermarket tabloid: 'Police
believe the pregnancy secret she revealed is what sent Pistorius over
the edge and left her dead, with bullet wounds to the head, chest,
pelvis and hand.'
The source added: 'Later that night, neighbors complained of shouting and fighting coming from the house.
'Police
were called to investigate, but it appeared to be just another lover’s
spat, so nothing was done except to ask them to quiet down.'
No warning: Steenkamp is pictured outside Pistorius' home in her car hours before she was murdered
An autopsy on Steenkamp's remains would
prove whether she was carrying a child or not, but police have said that
the results of her post-mortem would not be revealed.
It's the latest lurid claim to hit
the case, which has seen numerous sensational allegations in the wake of
Steenkamp's death. However, it remains unconfirmed in South Africa.
Pistorius,
who had both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was just 11
months old, competed on a set of prosthetic blades, earning him the
nickname 'blade runner.'
He has competed as a sprinter in each of the Paralympic Summer Games
since 2004 until running alongside able-bodied athletes in the 2012
Summer Olympics in London.
But his days as a runner will be numbered if he's found guilty of Steenkamp's murder.
His
family said on Tuesday that the runner held a private memorial service
for Steenkamp at his Uncle Arnold's home in Pretoria, where he has been
staying since he was freed on bail.
In mourning: Friends and family arrived to pay
their respects at Arnold Pistorius house in Pretoria, South Africa,
where Oscar has been since he was released on bail, as a memorial
service was held for Reeva Steenkamp
Arrivals: The South African Paralympic athlete,
26, who denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp, 29, has been free on bail
since last Friday. Friends and relatives were pictured arriving at his
uncle's home in Pretoria last night
The runner's family has asked for privacy but confirmation of the memorial service came after a leak in the media, Sky News reported today.
A
statement by Pistorius' representatives said: 'This statement is
released in response to a leak to the media regarding a planned private
memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp.
'Oscar Pistorius, will hold a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, tonight.
Oscar Pistorius claims he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead by accident believing her to be an intruder at his home
'Oscar
specifically requested the memorial service as he continues to grieve
and remains in deep mourning for the loss of his partner Reeva.
'Since
it is such a sensitive issue, Oscar has asked for a private service
with people who share his loss, including his family members who knew
and loved Reeva as one of their own.
'The
Pistorius family would like to make a personal request to the media, to
please respect their privacy at their home in Pretoria tonight.'
Also on Tuesday, it was revealed that Desmond Nair, chief magistrate of the Pretoria Magistrate's Court who presided over the bail hearing, is in mourning after it is believed one of his relatives killed herself and her children.
The bodies of a woman and her two
sons were found on Sunday evening at their Johannesburg home by her
ex-husband, police warrant officer Balan Muthan said.
Authorities suspect the woman administered a substance that killed her children, and took her own life by ingesting it as well.
'I can confirm the deceased is my first cousin,' Nair said.
The
woman's brother, Vishal Maharaj, identified her as Anusha Maharaj.
Police said Maharaj was her family name before she married. South
African media identified her as Anusha Mooljee.
Muthan
said police suspect 'she took her own life by ingesting a substance
that killed her,' and that she 'most probably' gave the same substance
to her children.
Autopsies were conducted on Monday and
toxicologists were analyzing the substance believed to have killed the
three family members.
Suicide
notes were found and a murder investigation was underway, Muthan said.
He said copies of the notes were admitted as evidence in the probe and
declined to comment on the contents.
Eyewitness
News, a South African media outlet, said the boys who died were 12 and
17 years old and cited neighbor Claire Osment as saying she rushed
outside after hearing screams coming from the townhouse where they
lived.
Pistorius is staying at the home of his uncle
Arnold, right, while he is on bail and planning to hold the memorial
there. Arnold is pictured here comforting his niece Aimee
Pretoria chief magistrate Desmond Nair, who
presided over the Pistorius bail hearing in Pretoria, South Africa, is
in private mourning, reports said
'We asked what happened. The dad just said, "She has killed my boys." He was just crying,' Eyewitness News quoted her as saying.
'He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe that his sons are gone.'
Nair, 44, has presided over a number
of high-profile cases, including the 2008 conviction on fraud charges of
Sydney Maree, a South African who took American citizenship and became a
track star in the United States.
He
also presided over a 2011 plea agreement in which rugby player Bees
Roux received a five-year suspended prison sentence for the beating
death of a policeman; and inquiries into alleged misconduct by
magistrates around South Africa.
On
Friday, Nair delivered a lengthy discourse on why he was granting bail
to Pistorius, including an assertion that prosecutors had not argued
persuasively that the Paralympian was a flight risk.
Nair
criticized shortcomings in the state's investigation, but he also said
aspects of Pistorius' account of what happened were not convincing.
Charged: Carl Pistorius, with sister Aimee, in
court to see their brother Oscar granted bail after being charged with
murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
The murder-suicide would be the the latest in a series of twists that have come along with the Pistorius trial.
Last
week, the chief investigator in the case against Pistorius, Hilton
Botha, was removed from the inquiry after it was revealed that attempted
murder charges against him had been reinstated in early February.
The charges relate to a 2011 incident in which Botha and two other police officers allegedly fired on a minibus.
In
another surprise, a lawyer for the Pistorius family said Sunday that
Oscar's brother, Carl, faces a charge of unlawful, negligent killing for
a 2008 road death.
That charge had also been dropped and later
reinstated.
DAILYMAIL
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