Oscar Pistorius Found Not Guilty of Murder: Latest Verdict Details and Comments

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been found not guilty of murder for his involvement in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Dan Roan of BBC News confirmed Pistorius was found not guilty of premeditated murder, with Karyn Maughan of eNCA News reporting Pistorius was also not found guilty of murder, which would have carried a lesser sentence:

Los Angeles Times Johannesburg correspondent Robyn Dixon noted Pistorius' demeanor when hearing the verdict:

The verdict set out to determine whether Pistorius' act of shooting and killing Steenkamp was intentional or inadvertent. Dixon confirmed that he could still be found guilty of culpable homicide, which won't be revealed until Friday's proceedings:

Pistorius also had gun charges leveled against him: two counts of discharging a gun in a public area and illegal possession of a firearm, per ABC News' Liezl Thom. Those were not related to the fatal shooting that claimed Steenkamp's life.

Pistorius faced a sentence of up to 15 years for a first-time offense of murder without premeditation, and a minimum 25-year sentence if the murder was premeditated, per Thom. According to Josh Levs, Richard Greene and Faith Karimi of CNN, "There is no minimum sentence for culpable homicide in South African law. It's up to the judge to decide."

Before Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa announced Thursday's verdicts, BBC News outlined the lengthy courtroom proceedings that preceded the final decision:

Testimony from approximately 40 witnesses was taken into account, and a separate hearing will determine Pistorius' sentencing, according to Gerald Imray of Time.com.

Pool/Getty Images

Since Pistorius shot Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013, he has maintained throughout the trial that he mistook his girlfriend at the time for an intruder. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has claimed Pistorius did intend to kill Steenkamp, while the defense, headlined by lawyer Barry Roux, built a strong case in Pistorius' favor.

Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist with "exclusive access" to Pistorius, described how Pistorius was feeling ahead of the verdict, per The Independent's Ella Alexander:

"

He is a broken man. He made it very clear that whatever punishment is given to him tomorrow, nothing will bring Reeva back. He loves her dearly and wishes the circumstances were different. No punishment will be anywhere near the punishment he has for himself because he's lost someone he was in love with. And let’s remember he was only going out with her for three months; they were still very much in a courting relationship.

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For all those impacted by Steenkamp's tragic, untimely death, there is at least some closure to the situation after the verdict. 

Pistorius was once heralded as an inspirational story for his prowess as a runner and double below-knee amputee. The entire saga has overshadowed what Pistorius accomplished as an athlete, and it's tragic that a life has been lost here. This long-running trial will finally reach its conclusion on Friday.