Trial Discussion Thread #26 - 14.04.15, Day 23

[Freya1977]

OMG he's a medical expert now

It's ridiculous. He's not even a medical doctor, let alone a forensic pathologist

 

[jay-jay]

Also it seemed to me more like people were making to much of the fact that she gave him a card like it means he should walk free immediately.

Yup, I've noticed that.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Contusions, bruises, abrasions on her back...
IMO...Some are pellet marks.

 

[G.bng]

LOL is all I can say to this. Her hip was shattered & unable to support her but she was standing in front of the door

I think the point of going back over the ballistics must be to show the shots were in quick succession with no gap and that Reeva didn't have time to screa since both sides appear to have agreed the head shot was last. In which case as you note if she was still standing when she received the arm shot it would mean if not a double tap a shot very quickly after the first. just thinking not saying

 

[Freya1977]

Would you also be surprised then that the very last time my abusive/violent ex partner went off on one of his all day/all night long rampages was over me asking him to make me a cup of tea? After me having got the police to remove him from my house (once again) he came back in the night and climbed through my bedroom window .. got the police out again to remove him from my house .. then the next day he broke into my house (while I was out, thank god) and smashed the place up leaving blood smeared all down the walls and all down the stair carpet .. (had to get the police out yet again, just to make sure it was safe to enter the house when I got back home from my trip out .. so that was three times in the space of two days I had to call the police to my address) it was like a scene from a horror movie when I entered that house with the police.

.. and all over a cup of tea ..

I'm so sorry jay jay. Having been in a DV relationship 7 years, and another 18 months of stalking thereafter, I absolutely understand. Hugs xx

 

[LaLaw2000]

OMG he's a medical expert now

Beats all I've ever seen...................

Wait until Nel gets ahold of him!

 

[jay-jay]

Sorry, I was not clear. I meant where did you hear about OP using morphine patches? I am just trying to keep up with everything.

Oh, sorry .. didn't realise that was what you meant .. Val mentioned it upthread and I've heard it mentioned previously too, but I've no idea where now. But only as 'pain patches' .. it's me who is wondering whether they were morphine/opoid based ones.

 

[soozieqtips]

I totally disagree and think far, far too much is being made of that card that Reeva wrote TO Oscar.

I was in a very abusive marriage for a number of years. I wrote similar messages expressing my love in cards over the years. Many, many times. He still almost killed me twice. The second time a gun was involved.


Being in a relationship with a narcissist, self-indulgent, control freak is very complicated. Don't assume she didn't love him. You can't make sense of it until you remove yourself from the toxic environment.

BBM It really is. One card FROM Reeva doesn't prove a thing. I'm sure there are numerous accounts of murderers who had Valentine's Day cards given to them by the person they ended up murdering. We already know OP had a low opinion of women by the way he treated them. I was also in an abusive relationship, and you can't make sense of it until you accept it had nothing to do with you WHY they were like they were. Anyone minimising the patronising and disrespectful way OP treated Reeva has either not been in that type of relationship, or has been, but has become desensitised to that sort of control and abuse.

 

[Forensics]

It's ridiculous. He's not even a medical doctor, let alone a forensic pathologist

Here is his CV....

A chemist and geologist by training, I was until recently the manager of a very varied forensic laboratory, the Materials Analysis section of the Forensic Science Laboratory utilising a variety of disciplines, a diverse staff and a range of sophisticated analytical techniques for the analysis of a wide range of materials, including explosives, gold, paint, soil, plants, oils and toxic waste.

My scientific expertise covers a broad range, and I enjoy investigative research and problem-solving. I worked at the Forensic Science Laboratory from 1994 to 2012. Prior to that, I worked for the Geological Survey as a mineralogist and later was Curator of the Museum of the Geological Survey. I have published in excess of 50 articles and books, both locally and internationally, in the fields of geology, mineralogy, botany and history. In thirteen years I have conducted more than 1000 forensic investigations, in a number of disciplines, and have testified in South African courts as an expert witness in most of them.

Specialties:Mineralogy and geology, forensic trace evidence, environmental forensics, editing and publishing

 

[hetty]

Would you also be surprised then that the very last time my abusive/violent ex partner went off on one of his all day/all night long rampages was over me asking him to make me a cup of tea? After me having got the police to remove him from my house (once again) he came back in the night and climbed through my bedroom window .. got the police out again to remove him from my house .. then the next day he broke into my house (while I was out, thank god) and smashed the place up leaving blood smeared all down the walls and all down the stair carpet .. (had to get the police out yet again, just to make sure it was safe to enter the house when I got back home from my trip out .. so that was three times in the space of two days I had to call the police to my address) it was like a scene from a horror movie when I entered that house with the police.

.. and all over a cup of tea ..

I'm not surprised at anything people do, as I said I've witnessed much and been on the receiving end of much too, and I'm very sorry for anyone who has had to endure that, it stays with you forever.

 

[Carol70]

Where is Zwiebel today?? Does she know she is not allowed to take breaks while we are in court!! I have no clue what is going on!

 

[aoibhinn]

Roux called the next defence witness, Roger Dixon, expert in forensic geology, fibres, trace evidence as well as a wide range of other areas. He is not a wound ballistics expert but has applied his skills in such cases. He testified about the lighting (or lack of it) in pistorius' bedroom, did tests on bat and bullet sounds to argue they sound similar, took photos from the bathroom window to show what was visible from street, examined the toilet door to prove that the bat strikes came after the bullet entries, photographed scuff marks and two white fibres which came from Oscar when he tried to kick the door down (white fibres were from his socks)...then they took a lunch break.

Thanks so much to everyone for the informative posts and transcriptions. I'm staying caught up via Websleuths, so very grateful.

I think they would need an acoustics expert as opposed to a 'jack of all trades', if I'm reading this right.

Some links on a) acoustic questions arising from Pistorius trial and b) forensic gunshot acoustics/gunshot acoustic properties.

ACOUSTIC QUESTIONS IN THE PISTORIUS CASE
http://www.dbxacoustics.com/acoustic-questions-pistorius-case/

Bat on door sound is basically a very loud knock.

Forensic Gunshot Acoustic Analysis
http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2012/10/forensic-gunshot-acoustic-analysis-heating-dont-get-burned

"Gunshots produce two different sounds—a “bang,” caused by rapid expansion of gasses that push the bullet through the barrel, and a “crack,” caused by shockwaves in the air made by supersonic bullets."

I can't see how they could be mistaken or compare at all....

 

[canny]

OP's tinnitus is back with a ferocity unknown to science.

 

[Freya1977]

Here is his CV....

A chemist and geologist by training, I was until recently the manager of a very varied forensic laboratory, the Materials Analysis section of the Forensic Science Laboratory utilising a variety of disciplines, a diverse staff and a range of sophisticated analytical techniques for the analysis of a wide range of materials, including explosives, gold, paint, soil, plants, oils and toxic waste.

My scientific expertise covers a broad range, and I enjoy investigative research and problem-solving. I worked at the Forensic Science Laboratory from 1994 to 2012. Prior to that, I worked for the Geological Survey as a mineralogist and later was Curator of the Museum of the Geological Survey. I have published in excess of 50 articles and books, both locally and internationally, in the fields of geology, mineralogy, botany and history. In thirteen years I have conducted more than 1000 forensic investigations, in a number of disciplines, and have testified in South African courts as an expert witness in most of them.

Specialties:Mineralogy and geology, forensic trace evidence, environmental forensics, editing and publishing

Hmmmm. "a varied forensic laboratory" could mean a lot of things I guess.

 

[Forensics]

The expert is now saying that the bruises on Reeva's back were caused by the magazine rack, as opposed by the Prosecution which says it was caused by shrapnel.

 

[jay-jay]

I'm so sorry jay jay. Having been in a DV relationship 7 years, and another 18 months of stalking thereafter, I absolutely understand. Hugs xx

.. thanks .. I think there are quite a few of us here aren't there, and probably why this particular case has so much resonance .. it's one of those things that unless you've been there yourself you never really understand, imo .. I know that I certainly never understood it until I got into that kind of relationship and I even thought, prior to that, that it was something which would never happen to me because I was so naive as to think you can actually have any control over it :facepalm:

 

[04009margaret]

Where is Zwiebel today?? Does she know she is not allowed to take breaks while we are in court!! I have no clue what is going on!

She may have made the same mistake I did. I thought the last break was the end of the day

 

[Carmelita]

please!

he was asleep for five hours.

reeva could have unlocked, opened the bedroom door at any time during his sleep
they could have entered via the front door.

And then re-locked the door and returned the cricket bat?

Also why would she lock a third party into Oscar's bedroom, wouldn't she more likely let someone in the house and they would stay in a guest bedroom, I'm sorry but inviting a third party into a dark bedroom makes no sense.

 

[Hatfield]

New to this thread and was hoping someone could answer. Has it been determined if any of the bat strokes to the door happened before the gunshots?

Also was there any blood found on the bat?

There was so much blood in that bathroom it sure looked like he beat her after he got in there. I know the injuries were very severe so I suppose she could have blead that bad too.

Anyway JMO.....I dont believe him one bit. And the "my lady" or whatever he throws at the end of everything he says has been rubbing me the wrong way.

IMO if he had an intruder locked in his bathroom and he really thought it was intruder then you get your girlfriend and escape to neighbors. It is BS IMO.

 

[Freya1977]

.. thanks .. I think there are quite a few of us here aren't there, and probably why this particular case has so much resonance .. it's one of those things that unless you've been there yourself you never really understand, imo .. I know that I certainly never understood it until I got into that kind of relationship and I even thought, prior to that, that it was something which would never happen to me because I was so naive as to think you can actually have any control over it :facepalm:

Yes there does seem to be a few. This case resonates with me because my go-to safe place was the locked toilet. Ugh.