WATCH: The judge in the Oscar Pistorius trial cleared him of murder, saying the former Olympian and Paralympian didn’t intentionally kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. But as Stuart Greer reports, the verdict doesn’t mean the Blade Runner is a free man.
LATEST UPDATES
- Oscar Pistorius cleared of the most severe charges
- Judge calls “negligent,” raising possibility of culpable homicide conviction – also known as manslaughter
- Court adjourned until Friday when a formal verdict in the case is expected.
- The double-amputee Olympic athlete has been on trial for the February 2013 shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the athlete’s home.
- In her reasoning so far, the judge has only said that prosecutors have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder.
PRETORIA, South Africa — The judge in Oscar Pistorius’ trial said Thursday he can’t be found guilty of murder but that he was negligent in the killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, raising the possibility that the double-amputee Olympian will be convicted of culpable homicide.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said she felt Pistorius acted negligently when he fatally shot Steenkamp. She then stopped delivering her judgment and adjourned until Friday when a formal verdict in the case that has riveted much of South Africa and the world is expected.
READ MORE: Prosecutor: Pistorius lied on stand
While the judge did not announce any formal verdicts she indicated Pistorius would not be convicted on premeditated murder or a lesser murder charge, but that may be vulnerable to being convicted of culpable homicide, or in other words a negligent killing.
WATCH: Closing arguments in Oscar Pistorius murder trial
That normally carries a five-year jail sentence in South Africa, but it can be changed by a judge depending on the specific circumstances of the killing.
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