Oscar Pistorius' story doesn't make sense,

[MoonRiver]

and his bizarre emotional outbursts just seem manipulative and phony to me. If, as he said, he was so worried about the welfare of Reeva, why didn't he reach across the bed to check on her? When he noticed the bathroom door was locked from the inside, hardly normal behavior for a violent intruder, why did he break it down and start shooting? He claims he was trained as a child to be a tough guy, but his whiny, whimpering behavior on the stand belies that account. I think he IS upset, but probably because he's been caught. Hope the judge throws the book at him.

Oh, and neighbors heard them arguing that night. Reeva was indicating that she wanted to end the relationship. Hmmm

[kcr]

1. His defense is starting right off with the overwrought emotional plea

of how sorry he is and how it's tearing him apart, rather than getting right to the facts. There is so much plea to emotion in it that I to me it looks like it's meant to distract from how strong the case is against him. They even prayed together! In the beginning I thought he would get away with it but now I'm not so sure. Unless this judge firmly had her mind made up to acquit him from the beginning, I think he's in trouble.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Much like George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn.

Basically, "I'm sorry I killed the victim, but I was totally justified in doing what I did."

Of course, in that type of situation--where the defendant's participation in the shooting is not in doubt--that's pretty much the standard line of any defense.

[gvstn]

3. His only defense

to explain his bizarre reaction is that he was afraid in a way that most people can't understand because they don't have his disabilities which make him feel extremely vulnerable. I think all the tears and emotion are part of bolstering that argument. Prior to being accused of murder he played the tough jock but now he wants us to believe he is vulnerable and fearful all the time.

A jury might buy it but because S.A. only has the judge deciding, I think he is in trouble.

[MoonRiver]

6. In this case only a judge will decide.

She's been completely poker faced.

[laundry_queen]

4. I agree with your assessment.

At first, I wondered if his breakdowns were because he really was sorry (some abusers, even though they are sick, believe they really love their targets) but now it's just getting to be too much - like theatre. I wish I could see his face, because when you are really upset, tears just fall but when it's a put on, not very many tears are squeezed out. That's what I've noticed with narcissists anyway. It's been a never-fail tell every time I see it.

[MoonRiver]

7. Yes, that was the case with Arias.

She was constantly heaving and supposedly sobbing, but nary a tear was ever seen.

[BainsBane]

15. Arias changed her story multiple times

Pistorias hasn't. He's been consistent. I haven't watched the trial, but from the news coverage I've seen, his grief has always seemed genuine. Now as to what precisely happened that night, I don't know.

[MoonRiver]

19. To me he comes across as extremely emotionally volatile and unstable.

That's a dangerous type of personality, especially when handed a gun.

[butterfly77]

30. Guilty..

[WinkyDink]

5. His lying is revealed by one thing: He keeps using the verb "screamed" for himself, as opposed to

"shouted." This, to explain Reeva's actual screaming (and hiding, cowering, and dying).

(A commenter on the DM site said this, and ITA.)

[BainsBane]

20. Where do you watch coverage of the trial?

All I can find on cable is the missing plane.

[MoonRiver]

21. There's a link for livestream down thread.n /t

[Aerows]

24. I'll be glad when they finally find the plane

To help the families of the victims get closure, and so cable news can finally talk about something else.

[riverwalker]

8. the phoney blubbering

and sobbing is not fooling anyone.

[Lex]

9. Another angry gun nut.

And he bullied his girlfriend until he finally lost it completely and shot her. Then made up a pathetic story about it.

[MoonRiver]

10. That's what I think.

She was fed up with his angry, mean arse, and he wasn't having any of it.

[UTUSN]

11. I was going to post a warning against turning on the 24-hrs cable shows because he's wailing on all

of them, but it wasn't worth my opening a thread for that.

[phylny]

12. It didn't make sense from the beginning.

Most people with a gun, no matter how paranoid, should feel protected enough to call out the name of your loved one and knock before shooting up the bathroom behind a closed door, even if you didn't "check the bed" next to you.

[lapislzi]

13. Go with the feeling.

Crocodile tears if ever I saw any. The only time a narcissist feels sorry is when he gets caught. And then only for the getting caught part.

Justice for Reeva

[MoonRiver]

14. I really hopes she gets justice.

Problem is celebs tend to get a pass, at least in this country. Hope the SA judge does the right thing.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. cuz it's a lie

[WinkyDink]

17. Livestream:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-live-here-oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-april-9th/

[Ron Obvious]

18. South Africa doesn't have jury trials

And I can't imagine the emotional pleas will carry much weight with the judge.

I haven't followed this case very closely, but I understand he fired through a closed bathroom door. Even if he legitimately believed he was confronting an intruder (and I don't discount the possibility), he can't get away from the fact that he wasn't in immediate danger and is at, at the very least, guilty of manslaughter or negligent homicide.

[malaise]

22. He cries as much as he lies

He's going down for a long long time. He's an awful human being -he is arrogant, confrontational, believes he is entitled to make up stuff as he goes along. I was watching live on BBC this morning and the prosecutor was tearing hi a new one but in his little mind the pisser though he was going head to head with him.

Oscar is going to prison hopefully for the rest of his life.

[MoonRiver]

23. I think it's more likely to happen under a judge,

than 12 starry eyed fans on a jury.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

25. From the testimony of the text exchanges, Reeva was at times afraid of him...

He obviously has anger issues and I think he IS upset, not just because of what has happened after he killed Reeva but also because his anger this time cost not only Reeva's life but now his own.

Anger can be very powerful and can crescendo into a violent nightmare fairly quickly.

They were most likely fighting just before she ran into the bathroom and locked the door and by doing that he was pushed over the edge and started blasting the door.

Often for someone with anger issues, the anger is most intense in the moment but when the anger subsides one can be quite cool, calm, and reflective. And remorseful.

[WinkyDink]

26. I know why he keeps saying "My Lady," but it's very weird in reply to the male Prosecutor.

[sendero]

29. Well yes..

... when I am sleeping with a woman in the same bed and I hear something in the bathroom, the conclusion I jump to and any normal person would jump to is that she got up to pee.

And it would take less time to verify that she is in the bed still than to get a gun.

I don't believe a fucking word this guy says because IT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.

The fact that neighbors heard them arguing loudly before the incident doesn't help either.

[madokie]

28. I think he's a murderer

and should spend the rest of his miserable life locked up doing hard labor
That's what I think

[BootinUp]

31. Of course it doesn't

The guy has serious emotional issues and he is a danger to others if not himself.

[undeterred]

32. He reminds me of Lance Armstrong.

He's a talented athlete and a habitual liar.

[moondust]

33. Yup.

It would take an awful lot of paranoia and trigger happiness to blindly unload on somebody or something heard behind a closed door without asking for some explanation or ID. Wouldn't somebody that paranoid have a dozen locks and deadbolts on all their exterior doors just so they could sleep at night?