Oscar Pistorius trial starts in South africa, first witness recalls hearing 'blood-curdling screams'

The Oscar Pistorius murder trial got underway today in Pretoria, South Africa. The double leg amputee and Olympian is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty. While it is understood that Pistorius did shoot and kill Steenkamp, he has said that he mistook her for a burglar. Prosecutors say that he shot her after a heated argument. According to AllAfrica, parts of the trial will be televised after Judge Thokozile Masipa at the North Gauteng High Court did approve of applications from several local media outlets.

According to Businessweek, the first witness to testify for prosecutors was Michelle Burger, one of Pistorius’ neighbors. “Just after 3, I woke up from a woman’s terrible screams,” she recalled. “She screamed terribly and she yelled for help.” Burger said she heard “blood-curdling screams.”

Members of both families were in attendance. The trial didn’t start on time, since Burger complained about an Afrikaans translator who was translating her words into English.

The trial of Pistorius is already drawing international attention. He is known as “Blade Runner” because of the special prosthetics he uses to compete. He ran during the Paralympics and the Summer Olympics in London in 2012.

image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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