Oscar Pistorius made a somber, tearful appearance in a Pretoria, South Africa court the morning of Monday, Aug. 19, where the Olympic sprinter was formally charged in the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last February. Pistorius, 26, entered a plea of not guilty, and when the judge asked him if he was well, he replied, "under the circumstances, your honor."
A trial start date has been set to March 3, 2014. Court documents reveal that over 100 witness will be called to give evidence at the trial, including one of the Pistorius's ex-girlfriends. A reporter from Sky News says that that Pistorius was "very emotional" in court, and appeared to be praying with his brother and sister before the proceedings started; the three siblings held hands in court, and Pistorius was seen wiping his eyes with a tissue.
Pistorius, the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics, faces 25 years in prison in convicted. He has claimed that he mistook girlfriend Steenkamp for an intruder, leading to her fatal shooting. Prosecutors contend that Pistorius deliberately shot the South African model following an argument.
The disgraced athlete's travel restrictions have been lessened; he is allowed to leave his country under certain conditions.
