Reeva Steenkamp
Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door on Valentine's Day. He claimed he thought she was an intruder. He was convicted of murder.
- Status
- Solved
- Type
- Homicide
- Date
- February 14, 2013
- Location
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Age
- 29
- Gender
- Female
- Decade
- 2010s
- Open
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- ClosedSolved
The case was resolved, for example through a posthumous DNA identification of the perpetrator or the person being found.
Case background and investigation
In the early morning hours of Valentine's Day 2013, Oscar Pistorius, the famed 'Blade Runner' Paralympic sprinter, fired four shots through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria, killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate.
Pistorius claimed he believed an intruder had broken in and was hiding in the bathroom. Prosecutors argued the couple had been fighting and Reeva had locked herself in the bathroom to escape.
Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide (manslaughter) in 2014. On appeal, this was upgraded to murder in 2015. He was sentenced to 13 years and 5 months in prison.
Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024 after serving about half his sentence. The case generated worldwide attention due to his celebrity status and the dramatic televised trial.
Timeline
-
February 14, 2013Pistorius shoots Reeva Steenkamp through bathroom door.
-
December 3, 2015Conviction upgraded to murder.
-
January 5, 2024Pistorius released on parole.
Sources
References used for this entry. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
About this entry
This case is recorded as solved and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. The case was resolved, for example through a posthumous DNA identification of the perpetrator or the person being found.
To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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