Oscar Pistorius formally indicted, trial set for March South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was formally indicted Monday on charges of murder and illegal possession of ammunition in the fatal shooting of his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day. In a brief hearing in Pretoria, the man known as the "Blade Runner," due to the blade-shaped prostheses he wears in competitions, was informed that his trial would begin next March 3 and would run through March 20. Because South Africa does not hold trials by jury, a judge will preside over the trial and will render a verdict. Pistorius, who made sports history last year by becoming the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied opponents at the London Olympics, claims he mistook his his girlfriend of several months, Reeva Steenkamp, for an intruder and shot her through a locked bathroom door on the night of the murder. But prosecutors allege the shooting was premeditated, which carries a sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum service time of 25 years. Prosecutors claim that Pistorius murdered Steenkamp after the two had argued, and presented a formal list of more than 100 witnesses in addition to the indictment. Pistorius, who was seen crying and holding hands with his siblings before the start of the hearing, was granted bail at an earlier hearing in February and has since resumed low-key training. The sprinter's travel restrictions, a condition of his bail, were eased in March after a court hearing. The ruling allows him to leave South Africa to compete as long as he complies with certain conditions. The Associated Press reported that a week ago, a South African newspaper published photographs of Pistorius on a beach during a holiday with friends. In the rare public appearance, Pistorius was wearing a white T-shirt and a life-vest as he paddled with another man in a kayak. In another photo, he is standing on the beach in shorts, his pale prosthetic legs exposed to the sunshine. Monday would have been her 30th birthday.