Bloodied Cricket Bat Is the Latest Bit of Grisly Evidence in the Oscar Pistorius Murder Investigation

A new grisly detail has slithered out of the investigation into sprinter Oscar Pistorius’ alleged murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. South African police say they are now investigating the discovery of a “bloodied” cricket bat at Pistorius’ home, a revelation that comes in the wake of a “fightback” media campaign launched by Pistorius’ family.

Parroting a series of local South African reports, the Telegraph explains that police believe the bat may have been used to attack Steenkamp on the morning of Valentine’s Day. Investigators have suggested several theories for the bat’s role in Steenkamp’s murder, mainly that it was either wielded by Pistorius to break down the door to the bathroom Steenkamp was hiding in, or that Steenkamp used the bat to defend herself against Pistorius.

A single bullet cartridge was found in Pistorius’ bedroom, and police are trying to determine whether he “chased” Steenkamp and fired the first shot before she locked herself in the bathroom and he fired three more shots through the door. Whatever the exact circumstances of Steenkamp’s death, a source close to the investigation says that the case against Pistorius, in spite of familial chatter that the sprinter mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and shot her “accidentally,” is “rock solid,” adding the gory detail that “there was lots of blood on the [cricket] bat. Forensic tests will show whose blood it was.”

Oscar Pistorius murder charge: bloodied cricket bat found at Paralympic athlete’s home [Telegraph]