The disgraced former Paralympian track star Oscar Pistorius was spotted for the first time in eight years following his release from prison for the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius, now 37, served nine years of a 13-year prison sentence for fatally shooting Steenkamp, 29, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
During his trial, he maintained that he thought Steenkamp was a burglar when he opened fire through a closed bathroom door in the middle of the night.
Prosecutors argued that he knew she was the one on the other side of the door because they had just had an argument, and he watched her run in and slam the door.
In images first captured by South African news site Netwerk24, the former track star is seen grinning from ear to ear, yet looking like a shadow of his old self, now fully gray and noticeably thinner than his previous weight gain in prison.
Since his release back in January, Pistorius has been hidden away at his uncle’s Pretoria mansion. Sources told the Mirror that he had reportedly been regularly working out since his release and has been following a strict alcohol-free diet.
He has also been allowed out on parole until 2029. However, he must follow a strict set of rules including random check-ins from his parole officer, and he is prohibited from using social media or having any contact with the Steenkamp family, the New York Post reported.
According to the Mirror, Pistorius must also undergo a course of “anger management” to help him cope with his raging temper which prosecutors believe led him to kill Reeva.
OLYMPIC RUNNER OSCAR PISTORIUS RELEASED FROM PRISON AFTER SERVING 9 YEARS FOR MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND
One of Steenkamp’s friends told the Mirror that she is very bothered by the recent photos.
“It is very disturbing to see Pistorius smiling like he doesn’t have a care in the world. If I could, I would wipe that smile off his face. I don’t know how he sleeps at night for what he did,” the friend, who wished to stay anonymous, told the Mirror.
The New York Post also previously reported that when he was first released from prison, he was struggling to find work.
“He’s too toxic to work with now,” a member of South Africa’s Paralympic Committee told the New York Post, after Pistorius allegedly reached out trying to find employment there. “There’s nothing for him here.”
Before he was a killer, Pistorius was a Paralympic track star who earned the name “Blade Runner” due to the prosthetic legs he ran on in races with able-bodied men. He made history when he competed in the 2012 London Olympics.
He was born without fibula bones in either leg and had amputations below both knees before his first birthday.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
