Oscar Pistorius Not Guilty of Murder; Still Faces Lesser Homicide Charge

A verdict on the charge of culpable homicide, similar to manslaughter in the United States, still remains. Pistorius also faces two counts of discharging a gun in a public area, as well as illegal possession of ammunition.

If he is found guilty of murder without premeditation, or culpable homicide, he could receive a 15-year sentence as a first time offender. Mitigating factors, such as his emotional state, anxiety levels and disability could result in a lesser sentence.

Steenkamp was killed on Valentine’s Day 2013 when Pistorius fired four shots through a bathroom door in the middle of the night, saying her mistook his live-in girlfriend for an intruder. Pistorius testified that the shooting was a horrible accident. At trial, there was testimony from neighbors that they heard a loud argument coming from the apartment around the time of the shooting.