Oscar Pistorius to Be Charged With Premeditated Murder by Prosecutors
Did Oscar Pistorius purposely murder his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp? That is the thinking behind prosecutors' decision to seek the charge of premeditated murder against the Olympic star.
Steenkamp was allegedly shot four times in the head and hands during what was first reported as an accident. Reports stated that Pistorius may have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder and fired without thinking, given South Africa's propensity for home invasions and violence.
Now, however, new details are emerging that are causing investigators to look at things in a different light.
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"Screaming and shouting" woke neighbors, who then called police. Shots were fired and police responded to the situation, only to find Steenkamp dead and a pistol in Pistorius' home.
"There are witnesses and there have also been interviews," Brigadier Denise Beukes told the press. "We are talking about neighbors and people that heard things that happened earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place."
It's not the first time that police were called to Pistorius' home for a "domestic nature," Beukes added. Right now Steenkamp's death is being investigated as a murder, not an accident, and prosecutors revealed that they would seek charges of premeditated murder against Pistorius.
Prosecutors will also protest any idea of bail for the Olympic star but did not give a reason for that decision or the decision to file charges of premeditated murder. For now, Pistorius remains in the custody of the Pretorian court. During his appearance yesterday, CNN reported, Pistorius "shook uncontrollably" and "broke into tears" as the judge read the official charges against him.
Pistorius became an international sensation when he ran in the 2012 London Olympics even though he had two prosthetic legs. While he did not earn a medal in those Olympics, he was quickly named an inspiration and had a huge following of supporters.
"Being an international sportsman, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that," he once told CNN's Piers Morgan.
