Former lead detective on Oscar Pistorius case resigns

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha was criticized for mishandling facts at the athlete's bail hearing

Published March 8, 2013 4:40PM (EST)

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, a former lead detective on the Oscar Pistorius murder case, has resigned from the police force. Botha had 24 years of experience as a detective.

Botha, who was the first officer on the scene of the shooting at Pistorius' home that left Reeva Steenkamp dead, came under fire for getting crucial facts wrong at the athlete's bail hearing and again when it was publicized that he faced attempted murder charges for a 2011 case in which he fired at a vehicle.

"He handed in his resignation yesterday and it was accepted with immediate effect," said police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila. "We are not going into the details."


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Hilton Botha Murder Trial Oscar Pistorius Reeva Steenkamp South Africa