Oscar Pistorius Verdict: Not Guilty of Murder, But Could Face Jail Time for Culpable Homicide
After several months of hearings, Judge Thokozile Matilde Masipa said on Sept. 11 that "there were not enough facts" for Oscar Pistorius to be found guilty of premeditated murder. This means that the Olympian will not be facing a sentence of lifetime imprisonment, but it is still possible for him to be charged with a lesser sentence.
"Culpable homicide is a competent verdict," said the judge, but she did not deliver any formal verdicts in the shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp, Pistorius' girlfriend.
Culpable homicide refers to a negligent killing, and it can carry anything from a suspended sentence to a long jail term. Though Pistorius has been acquitted of murder, he can still be sent to jail for years if it has been found that he acted negligently in Steenkamp's death.
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Judge Masipa described Pistorius as "a very poor witness" who appeared "evasive" on the stand. But she also dismissed the evidence that were presented by the prosecution's witnesses, and said that the Olympian's lack of composure and poor performance on the stand does not make him guilty of murder.
Masipa also disregarded text messages between Pistorius and Steenkamp that have been presented as evidence. The prosecutors presented the text messages as evidence that there was tension in their relationship. But the judge said that the evidence does not prove anything.
"Normal relationships are dynamic and unpredictable most of the time, while human beings are fickle," she said.
Pistorius sat in the wooden dock as the judge read to a jampacked courtroom filled with lawyers, journalists, and relatives of both Steenkamp and Pistorius. As the judge was speaking, the athlete was seen crying silently.
The Associated Press reports that if Pistorius is convicted on any charge, the case will likely be postponed until a later sentencing hearing.
