Former Paralympian and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius is requesting South African prison officials grant him a parole hearing in hopes of obtaining an early release.
Nicknamed the “Blade Runner” and “the fastest man on no legs” for winning gold medals in the Paralympics while running on carbon-fiber prosthetic legs, Pistorius is in prison for the murder of his girlfriend in 2013. During the trial, he claimed to have mistaken her for an intruder.
NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON’S SISTER SLAMS CHRIS ROCK’S JOKE ABOUT MURDER SCENE
Pistorius is now arguing that since he has served half his prison sentence, which makes some prisoners eligible for parole in South Africa, he should now be considered for parole.
“I humbly submit that I have done everything in my power to rehabilitate, to conduct myself in such a manner as to constantly comply with prison rules, to show full remorse,” Pistorius told judges in a statement, per Sky News.
Pistorius is serving a 2017 sentence of 13 years and five months for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. But a court ruled that his term should be backdated to 2014, when he was first sentenced in the case, the BBC reported.
Citing the backdating, Pistorius reportedly said he became eligible for parole in February of last year. Atteridgeville Prison, where he is detained, has disputed the backdating and argued that the courts have given mixed signals on the matter.
Following a widely watched trial in 2014 that mesmerized an international audience, Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide, akin to a manslaughter charge in the United States. He was then slapped with a five-year prison sentence, but prosecutors challenged that sentencing for being too lenient.
After a series of legal jousting, his sentencing was bumped up to 13 years and five months, hence the dispute over the timeline of his prison stint.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In June, Pistorius met with the father of his slain former girlfriend in keeping with the parole process, Fox News reported.
“I have completed all possible programs which were presented, and I have indeed qualified in terms of the Department of Correctional Services guidelines for release on parole,” his statement added.
