A former Olympian and double amputee, Oscar Pistorius, plead not guilty to murder charges in a South African courtroom on Monday.
According to USA Today, Pistorius pleaded not guilty to four murder charges against him stemming from the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steencamp, just over a year ago. He also plead not guilty to two firearm charges and one illegal possession of ammunition charge.
The Associated Press noted that Pistorius has always maintained that he killed his model girlfriend by mistake, thinking that she was an intruder who broke into his home in the middle of the night. However, the prosecution believes that the track and field star shot her after the two had an argument.
The athlete became a household name and was hailed as a hero at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London when he became the first double amputee to compete in the 400 meters. He was born without legs and ran the race on carbon-fiber prosthetics, earning the nickname “Blade Runner.”
His feel-good story changed on February 14, 2013 when Pistorius said he did not hear Steencamp go into the bathroom and was afraid for his life when he fired four shots through a closed bathroom door, killing the model.
The high-publicized trial will be broadcast on network television in South Africa and around the globe.
If convicted, the 27-year-old faces more than 25 years in prison.