Oscar Pistorius Case Update: 'Blade Runner' indicted on murder charges
South African track star Oscar Pistorius was formally indicted Monday on charges of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in an overnight shooting in February.
The former Olympian known as "Blade Runner" admitted to shooting Steenkamp on Valentine's Day earlier this year but maintains his innocence and claims that he mistook her for an intruder. He shot four times through a bathroom door and struck Steenkamp three times; he says he thought she was in bed. She was staying over for the night at his home in Pretoria.
Prosecutors are trying to prove that Pistorius shot Steenkamp "with the intention to kill" and the office of South Africa's Police Commissioner said that they are confident that they have enough evidence to convict him of premeditated murder. According to The Associated Press, prosecutors provided a list of more than 100 witnesses, including family members, neighbors, and others who were familiar with Pistorius and Steenkamp.
At the hearing on Monday, prosecutors said that witnesses heard someone screaming before the gunshots were fired. They will try to prove that the two were arguing in the time leading up to the shooting. Others, however, have defended Pistorius by saying he just reacted in fear because of South Africa's high crime rate.
In addition to the murder charge, Pistorius will also face illegal possession of ammunition charges during the trial, which will take place Mar. 3 in the South African capital of Pretoria. South Africa does not have a jury system.
Pistorius faces up to 25 years in prison if he is convicted of premeditated murder. He is currently free on bail as his legal team prepares for the upcoming trial.
The incident shocked the nation as it was just months after Pistorius was branded a national and global hero following his performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Pistorius has largely avoided the spotlight as he awaits the trial, but he was seen running on a track in April at The University of Pretoria.
Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 on Monday, was a model and a well-known public figure in South Africa.
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