Oscar Pistorius, disgraced paralympian jailed for killing girlfriend, released on parole

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Oscar Pistorius, the disgraced South African paralympic champion known at one time as the "Blade Runner" for his prowess on the track, was released from prison Friday after serving nine years of his 13-year sentence he received for murdering his girlfriend in 2013.

His release was announced in a two-sentence statement from South Africa's Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services.

"The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) [is] able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is a parolee, effectively from 5 January 2024," it said. "He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home."

Pistorius' parole was granted in November. After considering all submissions it received concerning the 37-year-old's character and that he was a first-time offender, the parole board ruled that Pistorius could complete his sentence under supervision in the community.

That parole hearing followed one in March in which the board ruled Pistorius had not yet finished the minimum detention period required to secure his release.

The paralympic sprinter was initially sentenced to five years in 2014 on charges of culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter in the United States, for fatally shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day 2013. He shot Steenkamp four times as she was in a locked bathroom. Pistorius claimed it was self defense and that he thought there was an intruder in the house.

After serving only 10 months behind bars, Pistorius was released into house arrest, but returned to prison after being convicted of murder in late 2015. He was given a six-year sentence that was later increased to 13 years and five months.

Born without calf bones, Pistorius had his legs amputated at 11 months old. He'd go on to reach the hight of athletic fame, winning multiple gold medals in 100-, 200- and 400-meter races in three Paralympic Games.