According to a new book based on the killing of South African model Reeva Steenkamp, her boyfriend and shooter Oscar Pistorius talked to his ex girlfriend on the phone on the eve of her death.
The main question however, is whether this new discovery would have affected Judge Thozokile Masipa's final ruling for the Oscar Pistorius trial.
The Paralympian athlete fatally shot his girlfriend through the bathroom door of their home on Valentines's Day last year.
According to the authors of "Behind the Door: The Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp Story," the Blade Runner was on the phone for nine minutes with his ex girlfriend, Jenna Edkins, at around 6PM on February 13. Steenkamp was shot at 3AM.
Book authors and Eyewitness News journalists Barry Bateman and Mandy Wiener claim that the police and prosecution failed to bring up the fact in court because the Edkin's phone was registered under her father's name.
Edkins, however, declined to answer questions from Eyewitness News, according to the International Business Times. It was reportedly common knowledge that she and Pistorius remained friends even after their relationship ended.
According to The Week, the a source close to the defence knew about the phone call and Edkins had been ready to testify for Pistorius should the prosecution use the call as a "smoking gun."
If the prosecution had used the phone call for the Oscar Pistorius trial, it would still have been dismissed by Judge Masipa. She had earlier dismissed all evidences and testimonies pertaining to the couple's relationship.
The book also claims that the defendant's brother, Carl, had meddled with investigation, deleting phone logs and WhatsApp messages on the athlete's phone after the shooting. The Pistorius family reportedly denied the allegation.
The star athlete will face Judge Masipa again to hear his sentencing on October 13. The Week notes that it could take days for the proceedings to finish with both parties set to argue on whether to give Pistorius a lighter or heavier punishment.
What do you think will be the final sentence for the Oscar Pistorius trial? How long do you think Judge Masipa will send him to jail for?
