Oscar Pistorius Guilty of manslaughter... sentenced to 6 years in prison

A South African judge has sentenced Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius to six years in prison for his girlfriend's murder -- closing yet another chapter in a case that has transfixed the nation.

Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp at his home in an upscale Pretoria neighborhood in the early hours
of Valentine's Day three years ago.

The same judge originally convicted him of manslaughter after months of hearings, but a higher court changed that to murder in December.

Barring an appeal, it will be the final chapter of a saga that began on that fateful February morning in 2013 -- when Pistorius fired four bullets through his bathroom door.

 

There's only one person who will ever know precisely what transpired in Pistorius' home that day.

The prosecution said Pistorius had a violent streak, and that he murdered his lover after a late-night argument.

But the defense has always maintained that the amputee track star mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and feared for his life when he shot through the door.

Despite a seven-month trial, much remains in question about what happened at 4 a.m. that morning, leaving stunned fans wondering how their hero turned into a killer.

While the opposing sides offer different versions of what happened, one thing is certain: Pistorius will not be a free man for a long time. And it's not the first time he's going to prison in Steenkamp's killing.