Prosecutors Backtrack on Pistorius Shooting Details
Feb. 21, 2014— -- The prosecution in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial is backtracking on key parts of its case, a South Africa news network reports.
According to eNCA, documents show that the state’s ballistics expert has backed the athlete’s claim that he was not wearing his artificial legs when he shot his girlfriend, model and reality TV star Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day last year.
Additionally, the expert believes Pistorius fired from a distance of about two feet, not the five feet as police originally said.
Previously, prosecutors alleged that Pistorius took the time to put on his prosthetic legs, grabbed his gun from under the bed, and went after Steenkamp, firing four times through the bathroom door and killing her.
Pistorius has said that he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder.
Prosecutors have also admitted that testosterone was not found in his home, eNCA reports – another about-turn from initial accusations.
According to eNCA, the prosecution still believes it can prove that the Olympic and Paralympic athlete planned Steenkamp’s murder.
The trial is set to begin next month.
