03-19-2014, 10:39 AM
The Ballistics
Police Capt. Christian Mangena said the nature of Steenkamp's wounds indicates she was covering to protect herself.
He testified that Reeva Steenkamp was seated on a magazine rack in a defensive position when he fired through a door killing her, a police ballistics expert said Wednesday in the Olympian's murder trial.
He described Tuesday how he used lasers to track the path of the bullets that Pistorius fired through a door, coming to the conclusion that "the shooter was most likely not wearing prosthetic legs."
The height of the four bullet holes in the door ranged from 93.5 centimeters (3 feet) to 104.3 centimeters (almost 3.5 feet) above the floor. Without his prosthetic legs on, the double amputee runner's elbow height is 96 centimeters (just over 3 feet), Mangena said.
Mangena said Wednesday that he analyzed three possible shooting position and determined that firing without the prosthesis was most probable. Less likely was that Pistorius was on his prosthetic legs, but holding the gun lower. He deemed it impossible that Pistorius was lying on the ground, holding the gun above his head.
The runner maintains that he was not wearing his prosthetics when he killed Steenkamp, and after suggesting at his bail hearing last year that he was wearing them, the prosecution conceded last week that he was not.
That he was not wearing his prosthetics is a vital part of his defense. He argues he was justified in shooting through a toilet room door because he is particularly vulnerable when he is on the stumps of his legs.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/afri...ius-trial/
Police Capt. Christian Mangena said the nature of Steenkamp's wounds indicates she was covering to protect herself.
He testified that Reeva Steenkamp was seated on a magazine rack in a defensive position when he fired through a door killing her, a police ballistics expert said Wednesday in the Olympian's murder trial.
He described Tuesday how he used lasers to track the path of the bullets that Pistorius fired through a door, coming to the conclusion that "the shooter was most likely not wearing prosthetic legs."
The height of the four bullet holes in the door ranged from 93.5 centimeters (3 feet) to 104.3 centimeters (almost 3.5 feet) above the floor. Without his prosthetic legs on, the double amputee runner's elbow height is 96 centimeters (just over 3 feet), Mangena said.
Mangena said Wednesday that he analyzed three possible shooting position and determined that firing without the prosthesis was most probable. Less likely was that Pistorius was on his prosthetic legs, but holding the gun lower. He deemed it impossible that Pistorius was lying on the ground, holding the gun above his head.
The runner maintains that he was not wearing his prosthetics when he killed Steenkamp, and after suggesting at his bail hearing last year that he was wearing them, the prosecution conceded last week that he was not.
That he was not wearing his prosthetics is a vital part of his defense. He argues he was justified in shooting through a toilet room door because he is particularly vulnerable when he is on the stumps of his legs.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/afri...ius-trial/