South African appeals court convicts Pistorius of murder

FILE - In this Saturday Nov. 14, 2015 file photo Oscar Pistorius reports for community service at the Garsfontein police station in Pretoria, South Africa while under house arrest. An official says a top South African appeals court is finalizing a decision on whether to send Pistorius back to prison by overturning a lower court's manslaughter conviction and finding the double-amputee Olympian guilty of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Saturday Nov. 14, 2015 file photo Oscar Pistorius reports for community service at the Garsfontein police station in Pretoria, South Africa while under house arrest. An official says a top South African appeals court is finalizing a decision on whether to send Pistorius back to prison by overturning a lower court's manslaughter conviction and finding the double-amputee Olympian guilty of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (AP Photo)

By Associated Press December 3, 2015 1 min read

JOHANNESBURG (AP) – A South African appeals court has convicted Oscar Pistorius of murder, overturning a lower court’s conviction of the double-amputee Olympian on the lesser charge of manslaughter for shooting his girlfriend to death in 2013.

Justice Lorimer Leach of the Supreme Court of Appeal delivered the ruling by the five-judge appeals court Thursday in Bloemfontein and said the trial court, the North Gauteng High Court, should impose sentence.

Pistorius killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early morning of Valentine’s Day. He insisted he thought she was an intruder behind a door in his home. The prosecution said Pistorius shot Steenkamp during an argument.

Leach said regardless of who might have behind the door, Pistorius should have known someone could be killed if he fired.