Oscar Pistorius is fighting to clear his name. The Paralympic athlete also known as Blade Runner has been indicted for murder in connection with the Valentine’s Day shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. His trial is set to begin on March 3, 2014. The 26-year-old double amputee appeared in a Pretoria, South Africa, court on Monday, Aug. 19, to face charges—the day that, incidentally, would have been Steenkamp’s 30th birthday. Pistorius has been charged with murder and illegal possession of ammunition, per USA Today. He faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. There is no death penalty in South Africa. Before court proceedings began, Pistorius was seen sobbing openly and holding hands with his family. In the early morning hours of Feb. 14, 2013, Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp at his Pretoria home, claiming that he mistook her for an intruder. Prosecutors, however, argue that the murder was premeditated and that the couple maybe have been fighting in the moments leading up to her death. Steenkamp was found gunned down in a bathroom, where she had reportedly locked herself, and prosecutors claim that the athlete shot her repeatedly through the bathroom door. Steenkamp’s parents later appeared in a documentary that aired on British television called Why Did Oscar Pistorius Kill Our Daughter?, and in it they suggested that their daughter was terrified of Pistorius. Pistorius has been free on bail since February, and a month later a judge relaxed the athlete’s bail conditions to allow him to travel abroad and participate in track competitions. Per the conditions set, Pistorius is required to notify authorities a week before he leaves, supply a trip itinerary and later surrender his passport to the court within 24 hours of returning to South Africa.
