We're due to learn this hour whether South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be granted bail as he awaits trial in Pretoria on a charge of premeditated murder in the Feb. 14 shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
As NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton tells our Newscast Desk, "the defense and prosecution have delivered their closing arguments" in a bail hearing that has lasted four days and at times felt like a trial. Pistorius, she notes, says he thought Steenkamp was an intruder and killed her by mistake at his home. The prosecution has offered evidence that it believes shows he knew what he was doing — including a neighbor's account of shouting coming from the house before shots were fired.
There's much more about the case in our previous posts.
The 26-year-old Pistorius, known as the "blade runner" because of the carbon-fiber prosthetic legs he uses, is the first double amputee to have participated in a Summer Olympics and is a Paralympics champion. Steenkamp, 29, was a model and aspiring reality TV star.
We'll update with word about the bail decision when it's announced.