Was Oscar Pistorius Using Steroids When He Shot Reeva Steenkamp? 'Roid Rage' Defense Debated

Oscar Pistorius kept steroids in his Pretoria, South Africa home where he allegedly murdered his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, who was born without calf bones or fibulas, became the first double amputee to compete in the able-bodied Olympic Games at the London 2012 Olympics. In the aftermath of the tragic death of Steenkamp, the authorities sealed his house and proceeded to search for ancillary evidence to make sense of the crime. Along with a bloodstained cricket bat, they found a cache of drugs in the athlete’s bedroom.

“Boxes and boxes” of steroids were reportedly said to have been found in Pistorius’ drawers, according to the UK Daily Mirror. They added that the performance enhancing drugs supposedly came in “every form possible,” including syringes and capsules. When the police inquired about the drugs, Pistorius allegedly claimed he was holding them for a friend.

If Pistorius had in fact been on the steroids at the time, the authorities will soon have an answer. The former Olympian was subjected to blood and urine tests following his arrest at the end of last week, according to South Africa’s City Press. At today’s bail hearing, the prosecutors raised the idea that Pistorius may have killed Steenkamp in a steroid-induced jealous rage after spotting a Facebook message from her ex-boyfriend, rugby player Francois Hougaard.

While the prosecution seems poised to use the steroids to their advantage, it seems just as likely for the defense to use them to barter for a lesser charge and sentencing. However, some in the medical community don’t believe the focus should be put on Pistorius' potential steroid use. “Unfortunately, every once in a while someone is going to commit a heinous act and they could be using one of any number of illegal substances,” scientist and author of Anabolics William Llewellyn told International Business Times. “It’s very salacious, so it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that steroids played a role.”