South African judge Thokozile Masipa has a mound of evidence through which to sift in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius, and that doesn't include the closing arguments from the defense and prosecution for one week from today.
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International Business Times gave a lengthy and detailed account of the trial. In South Africa, trials are decided by judges, rather than juries, and Masipa is responsible for deciding whether the double-amputee Olympic sprinter intentionally shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp or shot her on accident, thinking she was an intruder.
IBT presented the testimony that was given that could be critical in the case. One of the pieces was witness testimony over screams heard just prior to the gun shots, which it reported took place at 3:17 a.m. on Valentine's Day.
According to IBT, three witnesses said they heard a woman's screams that night. Two of the witnesses, Michelle Burger and Charl Johnson testified to hearing a woman scream before shots were fired.
Another couple, however, testified to hearing only a man screaming in a high-pitched voice. One of the two, Eontle Nhlengethwa said a loud noise woke her up, and then she heard the man's screams.
Another key component came from expert testimony, IBT reported. Questions arose whether Pistorius was wearing is prosthetic legs at the time of the shooting.
The prosecution originally alleged that Pistorius put on his prosthetics, which it said indicated a premeditated murder. However, ballistics expert Christian Mangena testified that the trajectory of the bullets in the door indicated that Pistorius was not wearing his prosthetics.
The prosecution also thought it had uncovered an inconsistency in Pistorius' claim that Steenkamp last had eaten at 10 p.m. the night before the shooting. Pathologist Gert Saayman had predicted that Steenkamp last ate no more than two hours prior to her death.
Professor Christina Lundgren, however, later testified that several reasons could have existed for food to be found in her stomach, even if she last ate several hours before the shooting.
If found guilty, Pistorius faces a life sentence in prison, IBT reported. Masipa could rule that he didn't knowingly shoot Steenkamp but still could be found guilty of culpable homicide, discharging firearms in public and an illegal ammunitions charge.
It was not immediately clear why the court has been adjourned until Aug. 7 for closing arguments.
Do you think there should be a time limit for trials (Pistorius' has gone on for four months), or do you think a trial should take as much time as necessary to reach the proper verdict? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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