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South Africa: Defense forensics team visits Oscar Pistorius' home

PRETORIA, South Africa, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Experts were at paralympian Oscar Pistorius' home in Pretoria, South Africa, to help prepare a defense against charges he killed his girlfriend, police said.

The defense's team of forensics and ballistics experts were at the residence Monday to examine the bathroom door and reconstruct the crime scene, South Africa Police Service Lt. Gen. Solomon Makgale said Thursday in a release.

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The double-amputee sprinter known as "the Blade Runner" is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, at his home Feb. 14. He said he thought he was shooting at an intruder when he fired through the closed bathroom door and hit Steenkamp.

"The purpose of this visit was to enable them to have access to the toilet door and to reconstruct the crime scene," he said.

Makgale said the investigating officer and a ballistic expert from the police service were present during the defense experts' visit.

He said Pistorius' experts did not remove any evidence from SAPS storage facilities and didn't have any evidence in their sole position "at any time."

Makgale said Pistorius' home was no longer a crime scene and was "handed back to him long ago."

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The trial is expected to begin early next year.

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