reporter: it was on the beaches of this south african town a law student aspired to be a model, posing for these amateur snapshots. a few years later she transformed herself into a cover girl. she might have looked different. but she didn t change inside, said a student friend, carrie smith, who took those pictures on the beach about eight years ago. if anything, that s riva in her natural beauty, not a stitch of makeup on, hair blowing in the wind, sunsetting behind her. another from the shoot. reporter: riva was a confident, professional model and ambitious, says garrett barkley who shot these photographs a few months before she was shot dead by her boyfriend, oscar pistorius. pistorius says it was a tragic accident, that he thought she was an intruder.
that s word today from the family of oscar pistorius, known as the blade runner. and you remember pistorius is charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. we are learning more about her from some newly released photos. here s our robyn kurnow. it was on the beaches of this south african seaside town that a young law student aspired to be a model posing for these amateur snapshots. that young want-to-be model was young reeva steenkamp. just a few years later she had transformed herself into a cover girl. she might have looked different. but she didn t change inside said her student friend carrie smith who took those pictures on the beach about eight years ago. if anything that s reeva in her natural beauty. not a stitch of makeup on. hair blowing in the wind with the sea behind her, sun setting