Forensic Evidence Highlights Possible Contradictions In Pistorius' Claims About His Actions Following Shooting

Pistorius claims that after he realized he had shot Reeva Steenkamp, he put on his prostheses and tried to kick down the locked bathroom door, and then hit the door with his cricket bat. Pistorius denies intentionally killing Steenkamp last year, saying he fired after mistaking her for a burglar.

Witness Police Col. J.G. Vermeulen, a forensic analyst, demonstrated the height Pistorius must have been at for the marks to appear at the level and angle they did.

Vermeulen said the cricket bat marks were "quite low down on the door" and were "not the normal position that I would expect from a mark from a cricket bat."

He said the bat marks were made by Pistorius "being in a natural position without his prostheses."

Whether or not Pistorius was wearing his prostheses when he shot Steenkamp is important as it tests Pistorius' claims about what happened the night Steenkamp was killed.