The South African judge in the Oscar Pistorius trial has cleared the athlete of charges of premeditated murder and second-degree murder.
"The state clearly has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder," Thokozile Masipa said.
He can still be found guilty of culpable homicide or acquitted.
Earlier, the judge also said Mr Pistorius made a '"conscious decision to shoot".
She said some witnesses in the murder trial failed to separate their own evidence from details contained in press coverage.
Judge Masipa found there was "some doubt" a woman screamed on the night of the shooting.
The Olympic and Paralympic athlete is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
He said he shot her after mistaking her for an intruder at his home near Pretoria.
The prosecution alleged that he intentionally murdered her after a row.
Judge Masipa will determine Mr Pistorius's fate alone as South Africa does not have trial by jury.
The 27-year-old double-amputee also faces firearms charges.
The case has heard from scores of witnesses and captivated a global audience with dramatic and heartbreaking scenes.
In one night, Mr Pistorius was transformed from a global sporting icon to murder suspect.
A little more than six months before the shooting, he made history at London 2012 by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympic Games.
Culled from Rte News
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