Oscar Pistorius was not mentally unfit at the time he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door in the early morning hours of Valentine's Day in 2013. But doctors say he very well could be unfit now.
Facebook thieves asking for donations for Oscar Pistoius' defense
CNN reported Wednesday night that more details of Pistorius' 30-day psychiatric evaluation were released, and that his mental state may have come back in play as a defense in his murder trial.
Doctors determined that the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter "s depressed, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and is a suicide risk," CNN reported.
Pistorius, however, was found not to have "a history of abnormal aggression or psychopathic tendencies linked to 'rage-type murders in intimate relations,'" doctors found.
Reeva Steenkamp was scheduled to speak against domesitc violence on the day she was killed
The conclusion of the 30-day evaluation, that Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux read in court, are a "slam dunk for the defense," CNN legal expert Kelly Phelps said.
Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, but he has said he mistook her for a burglar and sought to defend himself by opening fire at the bathroom door. The psychiatric report seems to create the possibility that Pistorius is telling the truth.
Trials in South Africa do not have juries, so it is up to Judge Thokozile Masipa to decide what to do with the report and hand down a verdict.
Several defense witnesses have testified that Pistorius arms himself and goes toward danger when he thinks he is being threatened.
If Masipa believes Pistorius did not know Steenkamp was his victim, she has the option of acquitting him or finding him guilty of culpable homicide, which is a lesser charge than homicide.
If she doesn't believe Pistorius' story, she can sentence him to a prison team of 15 years to life, CNN says. South Africa does not have the death penalty.
Do you think the latest evidence uncovered in the Oscar Pistorius' murder trial of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp will get the Blade Runner acquitted? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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