Oscar Pistorius Shot Girlfriend While On Stumps, Says Forensics

Oscar Pistorius fatally shot his girlfriend while on his stumps, a forensic analyst said Wednesday, as the double-amputee athlete’s murder trial continued.

Testimony from forensic analyst Police Col. J.G. Vermeulen will be welcomed by Pistorius’s lawyers, as it partially confirmed the athlete’s account of what happened on Feb. 14, 2013 when he killed Reeva Steenkamp. Prosecutors have said Pistorius intentionally killed his 29-year-old girlfriend after a fight, while Pistorius’ defense says he believed there was an intruder in his house.

The star athlete claims he was not wearing his prosthetic legs when he fearfully approached the bathroom and shot his girlfriend, and then put them on to kick down the locked bathroom door. He said he smashed the locked door open with a cricket bat to get to his girlfriend after he realized what had happened, reports the Associated Press.

Vermeulen said that based on the angle of the shots, it appears Pistorius was on his stumps when he fired through the bathroom door. But he also concluded that Pistorius likely didn’t have his prostheses on when he bashed open the door. The case continues.

[AP]