Reports: Pistorius not mentally ill during killing

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — A panel of mental health experts has concluded that Oscar Pistorius was not suffering from a mental illness when he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home last year.

The Olympic athlete’s murder trial resumed today, after a one-month break during which a psychologist and three psychiatrists assessed whether the double-amputee runner was capable of understanding the wrongfulness of his act when he shot Steenkamp through a closed toilet door.

The evaluation came after psychiatrist Dr. Merryll Vorster testified for the defense that Pistorius had an anxiety disorder that could have contributed to the killing in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013. He testified that he opened fire after mistakenly thinking there was an intruder in the toilet.

Prosecutors say Pistorius killed Steenkamp after a Valentine’s Day argument.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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