Oscar Pistorius Trial Date Set for March 3, Olympic Star Faces Life in Jail for Murder

Oscar Pistorius cried quietly to himself before his trial began on Monday, when he was indicted on murder charges concerning the death of his late girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

The double-amputee Olympic sprint runner appeared in court for allegedly shooting Steenkamp to death on Valentine's Day, the Associated Press reported. The prosecution said that witnesses claimed to have heard a woman screaming before gunshots rang out into the early morning air-and that the South African sports star was the one who pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors gathered in the South African capital of Pretoria's Magistrate court also said that Pistorius fired the arm "with the intention to kill a person," after the couple had a fierce argument.

"Some of the state witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by moments of silence, then heard gunshots and then more screaming," the 11-page indictment read.

According to AP, the prosecutors also stated that Steenkamp died shortly after 3 a.m. from gunshot wounds. They will attempt to prove that Pistorius shot his weapon through the door of a toilet stall, striking the model three times and killing her.

The runner who surmounted great obstacles to become a champion sprinter now has a trial date for charges of premeditated murder on March 3. If he is found guilty, Pistorious could be hit with a life sentence, along with a minimum of 25 years in prison before being considered for parole, AP reported.

According to the defense, the runner said he thought someone had invaded his home and was hiding in the bathroom, while Steenkamp slept in bed. He didn't know she was actually sitting in the toilet cubicle, he stated.

The 26-year-old shook slightly on Monday as he used a tissue to wipe away his tears. He spoke two times during the trial, when the magistrate asked if he was alright-to which he responded, "Under the circumstances, ja (yes)"-and when he was asked if he understood the indictment. He said that he did.

Pistorius' trial period was set for the window of March 3-20.

The trial will now go to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where a judge will decide whether or not Pistorius is innocent or guilty. There is no trial by jury in South Africa.

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