Oscar Pistorius Cries in Court as "Blade Runner" Olympian Faces Murder Charge

Athlete appears in front of a Pretoria magistrate as prosecutors vow to prove to that his girlfriend's shooting death was premeditated

Oscar Pistorius' legal odyssey has begun.

The history-making double-amputee sprinter dubbed "Blade Runner" appeared in court Friday in Pretoria, where he was officially charged with one count of murder in the fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The 26-year-old South African sprinter broke down in tears as the charge was read, burying his face in his hands.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, said they would seek to prove that Steenkamp's murder had been premeditated.

Pistorius is accused of gunning down the 30-year-old South African model Thursday at his home in Pretoria, where she was reportedly shot four times after Pistorius allegedly mistook her for an intruder.

Local police, however, remain skeptical of that claim, citing "previous allegations of a domestic nature."

New information has also begun to emerge about the circumstances surrounding Steenkamp's death. According to South African media outlets, she was reportedly shot through a bathroom door, and forensics experts are currently studying evidence to determine how she was positioned when she was hit, which police hope can provide more clues as to what transpired.

Pistorius had been open about his affinity for guns. In an interview last year with The New York Times, he recounted how a false security alarm at home had prompted him to grab his gun—an incident echoed in an eerie tweet he wrote in which he described going into "full combat recon mode" after mistakenly thinking an intruder had broken into his house.

Pistorius is currently locked up at a police station in Pretoria, and a magistrate has set his bail hearing for Tuesday and Wednesday.

(Originally published on Feb. 15, 2013, at 4:39 a.m. PT.)