Lead cop faces criminal charges, replaced

When the bail hearing resumed on Thursday — Pistorius's fourth court appearance since the shooting — the chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, began by acknowledging the charges against Detective Botha, but said prosecutors did not realize that the case had been reinstated when Detective Botha testified against Pistorius on Wednesday.

The case has continued to take a toll on Pistorius's global reputation as an emblem of athletic prowess and of triumph over adversity. On Thursday, Nike became the latest corporate sponsor to suspend ties with him. "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely," the company said in a statement on its website.

The Pistorius case has riveted South Africa and fascinated a wider audience, reflecting Pistorius's status as one of the world's most renowned athletes, whose distinctive carbon-fiber running blades inspired the nickname Blade Runner.

He was born without fibula bones in both legs and underwent amputation before he was 1. Yet he went on to become a Paralympic champion and, in the 2012 London Olympics, the first Paralympic sprinter to compete against able-bodied runners.

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