Oscar Pistorius Trial Update: Prosecution Highlight Blade Runner Temper, Use of Guns
Prosecutors in the Oscar Pistorius murder case are looking to shine a light on the former track star's character, temper, and use of guns, according to the Associated Press.
Pistorius has been indicted on a charge of premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at Pistorius' home in Pretoria last February. The office of South Africa's Police Commissioner maintains that they are confident that they have enough evidence to convict him of premeditated murder.
While Pistorius admitted that he shot Steenkamp, he claims he mistook her for an intruder. Some have cited the very high crime rate in South Africa when raising the question of whether Pistorius acted in fear or with the intent to kill.
The prosecution has listed 107 witnesses, which range from neighbors to experts and beyond. Pistorius' ex-girlfriend, Samantha Taylor, is listed as a prosecution witness and could provide an important testimony as South Africa television channels have said that Taylor was with Pistorius when he allegedly shot a hole through the sunroof of his car. He was apparently upset about being stopped by police at a road checkpoint. It has been said that Taylor's mother wrote a Facebook post saying, "There were a few occasions when things could have gone wrong with her and his gun during the time they dated."
Pistorius has a reputation for being a thrill seeker. He crashed a speedboat in 2009, owned pet tigers, and allegedly once wiped out on a dirtbike and proceeded to joke about it afterwards. New York Times journalist Michael Sokolove once visited Pistorius in South Africa and said that the track star sped his car down the road at 150 miles per hour.
Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if he is ultimately convicted of premeditated murder. He is currently free on 1 million rand ball, which translates to roughly $100,000.
The former Olympian was seen running on the track at The University of Pretoria in late June. Pistorius' coach said in February that it "would be a very good thing" to keep running in order to "get his mind clear."