Oscar Pistorius Expected to be Indicted for Murder; Trial Set for 2014
The court date falls on the same day as Pistorious' slain girlfriend's birthday.
Aug. 18, 2013— -- Oscar Pistorius is expected to be back in South African court Monday to face charges in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius, 26, dubbed "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs, is accused of premeditated murder for fatally shooting his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, on Valentine's Day.
The indictment will be served on what would have been Steenkamp's 30th birthday.
Pistorius says that he shot girlfriend Steenkamp by accident, mistaking her for an intruder at his home in Pretoria, South Africa.
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Prosecutors say Pistorius knew Steenkamp, who had been sleeping in the same bed with him, was in the bathroom and he intended to kill her. They allege the Paralympian took a moment to put on his prosthetic legs, before he fired four shots through the closed bathroom door.
Pistorius maintains that he was not wearing his famous carbon-fiber blades when he fatally shot Steenkamp.
"He's a scared young man. People don't realize when he takes those legs off, he's this high." Pistorius' agent, Peet Van Zyl, told ABC News in an exclusive interview in June.
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According to prosecutors, the trial is expected to begin in early 2014, The Associated Press reported.
If found guilty, the sentence for premeditated murder charge is a minimum of 25 years in prison.
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Judge Warns Media of Any 'Scandalous' Reports
In June, Pistorius appeared in court before a magistrate who warned the media to steer clear of any "scandalous" reporting that might taint the Olympian's murder trial.
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The magistrate warned that "scandalous and possibly contemptuous" reporting by some in the media could impede Pistorius' right to a fair trial, adding that it's important that everyone respect the judicial process.
Magistrate Daniel Thulare also told the National Prosecuting Authority to "seriously look" at whether any of the coverage of the case had scandalized the court. Thulare has asked anyone with information about the crime to contact investigators.
The magistrate's concern came after Sky News released images of the blood-stained bathroom where Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp Feb. 14. Sky News said it "obtained" the collection of photographs of Pistorius' home, but did not divulge the source.
One picture shows bloody shoe footprints, possible evidence that investigators contaminated the crime scene.
While Pistorius awaits his fate and the beginning of his murder trial, he's also training in the gym as the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are in the back of everyone's mind.
"He's confident he will run again one day," Van Zyl said in June.
