The Olympic athlete's legal team hopes to convince a magistrate the killing was accidental or spontaneous. Source eNCA
- Oscar Pistorius charged with murder of Reeva Steenkamp
- Steenkamp shot four times at sprint star's home
- Police check Steenkamp's mobile phones and iPad
- Police say death premeditated, want to find motive
REEVA Steenkamp's messages to a high-profile sports star could hold the key to investigations into her death amid reports that banned steroids were found in Oscar Pistorius's home.
The model will be cremated later today as Pistorius appears in court for a bail hearing expected to reveal more about what happened the night she was shot dead.
South African police are believed to be checking SMS and text messages from the slain model's iPad and mobile phone to try to establish a motive for her death.
Steenkamp was believed to be in a "close friendship" with South African rugby star Francois Hougaard when she was killed. The pair had reportedly dated in the past.
Olympian Pistorius has been charged with the Valentine's Day murder of 29-year-old Steenkamp who was shot dead at his luxury Pretoria home in a case that has gripped the world.
Defence lawyers are expected to argue that there are "exceptional circumstances'' for Pistorius to be freed pending trial.
As a result, more details will likely emerge of what happened during the Valentine's Day shooting.
Cops are reportedly testing Oscar Pistorius' blood for traces of steroids after finding banned drugs in his home after the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The state, arguing premeditated murder, will oppose bail.
Both sides have called in heavyweight lawyers, setting the scene for a massive legal showdown.
Detectives are also investigating whether the famed "Blade Runner" sprint star was overcome with aggression, or "roid rage", a side effect of the banned drugs, The Sun reports.
Blood samples taken from Pistorius are now being tested for steroid traces.
A senior police officer told South Africa's Times newspaper banned steroids were found in a drawer in a bedroom.
"The drugs and syringes were found shortly after the house was sealed off. Crime scene investigators were searching a room linked to the crime when they found them," the Times quoted an unnamed officer as saying.
South African rugby star Francois Hougaard pictured in in Sydney in 2012. He was a close friend of Reeva Steenkamp.
"Along with the drugs and syringes, officers seized the victim's iPad and mobile phones.
"They are being analysed by computer data experts, who have retrieved important information, including SMSes and social-media site messages, which are potential keys in establishing the motive."
Reports in South Africa have linked Steenkamp with Hougaard, who is also friends with Pistorius.
Hougaard, 24, pulled out of playing for his rugby union side the Bulls at the weekend as speculation grew about his relationship with the slain model.
The speculation was fuelled by postings on Twitter, with journalists and even Nelson Mandela's personal assistant, posting messages which read: "Have you heard rumours about a rugby player alleged to be involved somehow? We all have."
Investigators are looking into whether Steenkamp's friendship with Hougaard may have sparked the rows that were heard in the hours leading up to the shooting.
Oscar Pistorius weeps as he faces court charged with the murder of his girlfriend. Picture: AP
Hougaard, on his Twitter account, reposted a photo of himself with Steenkamp and two other friends, which read: "Happier times with special people. We all miss u so much Reevs".
Hougaard's agent Lorinda Voges said he was in mourning for his friend, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
"Our client will not comment on any rumours or answer any questions regarding Reeva Steenkamp or Oscar Pistorius at this stage as this is still an ongoing investigation ... this sad ordeal has nothing to do with him," she said.
Earlier, police reportedly found a bloody cricket bat and evidence of heavy drinking at Pistorius's home.
The sprint star's family has strongly denied he intentionally killed his girlfriend.
Pistorius's family denies he committed murder though they have not addressed whether he shot her. When word first emerged about the killing there was speculation in the local media that Steenkamp had been mistaken for an intruder in Pistorius' home. Police have said that was not something they were considering.
Oscar Pistorius posing last month with girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, whom he is accused of shooting dead at his home.
In an email to The Associated Press on Monday, Pistorius's longtime track coach - who was yet to comment - said he believes the killing was an accident.
"I pray that we can all, in time, come through this challenging situation following the accident and I am looking forward to the day I can get my boy back on the track," Ampie Louw wrote in his statement.
"I am still in shock following the heart-breaking events that occurred last week and my thoughts and prayers are with both of the families involved."
Earlier, South African media reported that Pistorius nearly shot a friend at an upmarket restaurant recently when the pistol he was looking at accidentally went off.
The incident occurred less than a month before Steenkamp was shot dead.
The body of Reeva Steenkamp has arrived home after she was shot dead inside Oscar Pistorius' house.
Pistorius was looking at a friend's gun at a restaurant in Johannesburg when the firearm discharged accidentally, Kevin Lerena told the Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper on Monday.
"I had quite a fright, because the bullet hit the ground centimetres from my foot," said Lerena, a professional boxer, who described the incident as "a freak accident".
"For some reason, it got caught on his trousers, flipped the safety pin and a shot went off. I wouldn't say he was negligent. Days afterwards he was still apologising."
"The revolver belonged to one of his friends... he wanted to have a look at it."
The restaurant manager heard a loud bang, but Oscar and his friends denied anything had happened, he told the newspaper.
Police also found a bloodied cricket bat at the home of Oscar Pistorius, a local newspaper reported.
Oscar Pistorius' lawyer Kenny Oldwage, left, and brother Carl Pistorius arrive at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday.
Pistorius's father told a newspaper he had "zero doubt" his son had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder and his 89-year old grandmother saying the killing was accidental.
The family has said the 26-year-old is "numb with shock as well as grief" over Steenkamp's death.
It comes as South Africa's independent City Press newspaper quoted police sources close to the investigation saying that the cricket bat had been found and that Steenkamp's skull had been "crushed".
"There was lots of blood on the bat," one source said.
Police are investigating whether the bat was used to assault Steenkamp, who was shot four times in the early hours of Thursday, or if she may have used it to defend herself, the newspaper said.
The law student turned magazine model had been shot in the head, hip, arm and hand.
South African athletics star Oscar Pistorius runs to gold in the final of the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
"The suspicion is that the first shot, in the bedroom, hit her in the hip. She then ran and hid herself in the toilet... He fired three more shots," a police source told City Press.
Pistorius - and later paramedics - struggled in vain to save Miss Steenkamp's life.
As they did, police found the bloodied cricket bat in the athlete's bedroom, the paper said.
Authorities have rejected suggestions that Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and yesterday police spokesman Neville Malila refused to comment on the reports of the cricket bat.
"I don't know where they got it from, but they didn't get it from any official source in the police," Mr Malila said.
Meanwhile, Nike says it has no plans for the Olympic athlete in future ad campaigns.
There are reports that South African police have found a bloodied cricket bat at the home of Oscar Pistorius following the killing of his model girlfriend.
Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins confirmed the shoe company's plans to the Associated Press on Monday. He declined to say whether Nike had previously had any plans for Pistorius, or whether it will pull current advertising that includes him.
A Nike internet ad showing Pistorius starting to sprint in his blades with the caption "I am the bullet in the chamber" has already been pulled.
The family of Oscar Pistorius's slain girlfriend wants answers, her mother told a Johannesburg newspaper, as South Africans braced to hear why prosecutors believe a national hero murdered the model who was shot multiple times.
June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp's mother, told The Times in a front page interview published Monday: "Why? Why my little girl? Why did this happen? Why did he do this?"
"Just like that she is gone," the newspaper quoted her as saying in what it described as an emotional telephone interview.
"In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here."
Oscar Pistorius's sister Aimee is comforted by their uncle Arnold. Arnold Pistorius said that Oscar is numb with shock, as well as grief after the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in South Africa. AP Photo/Denis Farrell
Pistorius has been in custody in Brooklyn police station in Pretoria since Friday. His agent told the AP that there is no way to predict if he will ever run track again.
"For me it's too early to comment," Peet Van Zyl said. "I think it's still a huge shock and tragedy that took the world by surprise so I can't comment on that one (Pistorius's future career) or give any timeline to that at this point in time."
Coach Louw, who is significant for convincing Pistorius to take up track a decade ago and starting him on his journey to worldwide fame, said he had been around Pistorius and Steenkamp, and she often accompanied the athlete to training.
"I found her to be delightful, very friendly ... and I found the two of them to be very happy in each other's company," Louw said.
Aerial shot of the home of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in a gated housing complex in Pretoria, South Africa.
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