( CNN ) -- A week before her death , South African model Reeva Steenkamp talked about her secure , blissful environment . `` I woke up in a happy , safe home this morning , '' she tweeted . `` Not everyone did . '' Four days after she posted that message , neither did she . The 29-year-old model was shot dead by her boyfriend at his house in Pretoria . She died on Valentine 's Day last year . Read More : Who is `` Blade Runner '' Oscar Pistorius ? Her boyfriend , Olympian Oscar Pistorius , 27 , has been convicted of culpable homicide , the South African term for unintentionally -- but unlawfully -- killing a person . He was also found guilty of one gun charge in an unrelated shooting at a restaurant . Pistorius has admitted to shooting Steenkamp but says he mistook her for an intruder . Beauty and brains . Before she started dating Pistorius , Steenkamp was famous in her own right . She was a striking , platinum-haired model , gearing up for her reality television debut . A law school graduate , she had a vibrant personality and a slew of modeling gigs under her belt . A haunting message . Her growing exposure brought more opportunities . She was a presenter for FashionTV in South Africa , an FHM cover girl and the face of cosmetics company Avon . FHM described her as a `` beautiful , intelligent and warm-hearted woman '' who had a `` wicked '' sense of humor . `` She was the kindest , sweetest human being , an angel on earth , '' said Capacity Relations , the agency that represented her . And her fame was growing . ' I do n't have any regrets ' Two days after her death , a prerecorded reality show in which she appeared as a contestant aired . In the context of what transpired , her message in it sounds haunting . `` I 'm going home with sort of a sweet taste in my mouth . I do n't have any regrets . I do n't have any bitterness . I 'm going to miss you all so much and I love you very , very much , '' she said as she blew a kiss to the camera . South Africa 's national broadcaster aired the show `` Tropika Island of Treasure '' showing a clip discussing her exit from the taped program . The show features local celebrities competing for prize money . Power couple . Steenkamp was born in Cape Town but moved to Johannesburg years ago to pursue modeling . The two became an item around November 2012 , and were popular in South African social circles . She constantly referred to him as `` my boo '' on social media and posted pictures of their vacations together . But phone messages read during the trial showed a couple that had some rocky patches as well . In some of the messages , she accused him of being overly jealous and overbearing . But he said he loved her and was planning a life with her . About a month before her death , the model shared a picture collage that included the runner . `` Some of my favorite people , '' she described the picture . Shortly after they met , she posted a message that appeared to make a reference to their love . `` The only guy you need in your life is the one who proves that he needs you in his , '' she said . They had big dreams . Pistorius ' relatives said she made him happy . `` All of us saw at first hand how close she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were , '' said Arnold Pistorius , his uncle . Both had big dreams , the uncle said . `` They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time , '' he said . `` We are all grieving for Reeva , her family and her friends . Oscar -- as you can imagine -- is also numb with shock as well as grief . '' The younger Pistorius made history when he became the first Paralympian to compete in the able-bodied Olympics in London in 2012 . He ran on special carbon fiber blades affixed to his legs . He was born without the fibulae in his legs , and they were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old . Empowering women . Before she died , Steenkamp sent out a message urging her thousands of social media followers to empower women . `` Speak out against the rape of individuals '' in South Africa , she said in a post on the photo-sharing site Instagram . `` RIP Anene Booysen . '' Booysen , 17 , was raped and mutilated in South Africa in February 2013 , putting a spotlight on violence against women in the nation . Steenkamp urged her followers on Twitter to wear black the day after Valentine 's to protest violence against women . A tragic end on Valentine 's . Steenkamp was looking forward to Valentine 's Day . `` What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow ? '' she asked her Twitter followers the day before . `` Get excited . '' At dawn , she lay dead in a pool of blood .
The striking , platinum-haired model was gearing up for her reality television debut . `` What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow ? '' she tweeted day before death . Before she started dating Pistorius , Reeva Steenkamp was famous in her own right .