Oscar Pistorius receives six-year sentence for murder of Reeva Steenkamp
A South African judge has ruled that former track star Oscar Pistorius should face a reduced sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
The country's law mandates a minimum 15-year prison sentence for murder convictions, but Judge Thokozile Masipa said "substantial and compelling circumstances" moved her to hand down a six-year sentence instead.
Masipa also called Pistorius "a good candidate for rehabilitation" and "a fallen hero."
Pistorius, who was calm during the sentencing, was taken to a holding cell afterward. He's already served one year in prison after previously being convicted of manslaughter -- upgraded to murder after prosecutors appealed -- which will count toward his sentence. He'll have to serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Masipa presided over the original seven-month trial in which Pistorius was acquitted of murder and instead found guilty of manslaughter and received a five-year sentence.
Both the defense and prosecution have the option to appeal this sentence as well, but it's unclear if either has plans to do so.
During the sentencing phase, prosecutors had sought at least the minimum sentence, while Pistorius' defense team argued for no jail time at all and sought sympathy for their client, who lost both of his legs below the knee at 11 months old due to a congenital defect. He rose to fame as an Olympic runner who competed using a pair of carbon-fiber running blades.
Pistorius, now 29, shot and killed Steenkamp, his girlfriend at the time, through a bathroom door on Valentine's Day 2013. He maintained that he mistook the then 29-year-old model and reality TV star for an intruder.
