Judge Outlines Psychiatric Evaluation for Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius will begin his court-ordered observation at a state mental institution on May 26, with psychiatric evaluation lasting a month, the judge in his murder trial announced today.

Judge Thokozile Masipa ordered that Pistorius be sent for out-patient evaluation after a psychiatrist testifying for the defense, Dr. Merryll Vorster, told the court that Pistorius suffered from generalized anxiety disorder, a condition that would make him more willing to fight than to flee when faced with what he considered a threat.

Pistorius is accused in the Valentine's Day 2013 shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius has said that he mistook her for an intruder.

Pistorius, a South African athlete known as "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs, could face at least 25 years in prison if convicted on premeditated murder charges.