Oscar Pistorius Charged With Premeditated Murder Girlfriend

 

Oscar Pistorius will go on trial on March 3, accused of premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
 

At a hearing Monday, prosecutors indicted Pistorius in the Valentine's Day shooting death. Pistorius has been charged with planned and premeditated murder, which comes with a mandatory sentence of life behind bars.

The indictment says "the accused did unlawfully and intentionally kill a person."

Pistorius also was indicted for allegedly violating South Africa's firearms control act.

In South Africa, people can possess ammunition only if they're licensed to own a gun, and their ammunition must be specific to that weapon. Pistorius has acknowledged storing ammunition for a gun his father owned.

Steenkamp would have turned 30 on Monday.

The indictment follows the completion of the police investigation into the case.

The double amputee track star killed the woman he calls the love of his life in his home. He denies the murder charge and says he mistook her for a home invader.

The first phase of the trial will take place in March, but the entire trial could take place at various times across a year or more because of potential motions and postponements along the way.

In the indictment, the prosecutors included a list of more than 100 witnesses the state might call. The Pistorius legal team has not released a witness list.

The police investigation team "is convinced that the accused has a charge to answer," a police statement said last week.