Another chapter, and likely the last, of the Oscar Pistorius murder case has now been closed.
CNN noted that on Wednesday, July 6, a judge sentenced the Paralympian to six years behind bars for fatally shooting his former girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, three years ago.
Throughout the lengthy trial Pistorius had maintained that he mistakenly shot Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 through a closed bathroom door believing that she was an intruder.
In 2014, he was cleared of premeditated murder but found guilty of culpable homicide. However, in 2015, the South Africa Supreme Court of Appeal overturned that conviction to murder. Pistorius’ lawyers then argued for a lenient sentence as their client was facing 15 years in prison. They pointed out that the former track star was disabled and even suggested that he be hospitalized instead of incarcerated for the murder.
The rise and fall of Oscar Pistorius is one that will be remembered for years to come. Just four years ago, he was in London and became the first double-amputee ever to compete in the Olympic Games. He also competed and won a gold medal in the Paralympics. But after Steenkamp was shot dead and the trial began allegations about Pistorius’ wild and violent behavior surfaced. And finally, after a long drawn out trial, the fate of the one-time Olympic hero, known as "Blade Runner," has been sealed for the next several years.