Oscar Pistorious Found Not Guilty!

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Oscar Pistorius, the South African Olympian who shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day last year, was found "negligent" in the killing Thursday, but was acquitted of murder charges before the court recessed for the day without a final verdict. Judge Thokozile Masipa halted the proceedings before delivering a ruling on a lesser charge of culpable homicide and said she would resume the proceedings on Friday. "It's clear that his conduct was negligent," Masipa said. But the judge said she did not find sufficient evidence to prove the prosecution’s contention that Pistorius intended to kill Reeva Steenkamp after the couple had an argument, though she did conclude that the athlete was negligent in firing his weapon four times through the door of the bathroom in his residence, in which Steenkamp had locked herself. Oscar Pistorius trial Caption Oscar Pistorius trial Getty Images State prosecutor Gerrie Nel questions Oscar Pistorius in the Pretoria High Court. Oscar Pistorius trial Caption Oscar Pistorius trial Kim Ludbrook / European Pressphoto Agency A supporter hugs Oscar Pistorius as he arrives at court for another day of cross examination in April. Reconstruction Caption Reconstruction Antoine de Ras / Associated Press State prosecutor Gerrie Nel, alongside a reconstruction of a toilet cubicle, through which Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on St. Valentine's day in 2013. Evidence Caption Evidence Pool / Getty Images The door through which Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp used as evidence in court on April 14, 2014, in Pretoria, South Africa. Oscar Pistorius Caption Oscar Pistorius Werner Beukes / AFP/Getty Images Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is seen in the courtroom in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius admitted to firing four expanding bullets into the toilet cubicle off his bathroom. But he had insisted that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, fired unintentionally and not meaning to kill anyone. In a nearly daylong hearing, Masipa found that Pistorius was negligent in firing his weapon and must have foreseen his actions would result in the death of the person inside. She also concluded that he failed to take reasonable steps to avoid that person's death. However, the judge stopped short of declaring Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide before concluding proceedings for the day.

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