He had no records yet of Reeva Steenkamp's mobile phone calls, no information about the post-mortem, no forensic or ballistic information beyond a few informal conversations with experts at the scene.
But an interim report from the official post-mortem examination suggested "there were no marks of injury or bruises on the body except the rope marks on the neck, " Dr Sharif Astori, an official spokesperson, said.
He carried out a post-mortem examination of seven of Millie's ribs which he said showed no evidence of disease, adding that fractures to them were about four weeks old.