A Katy man twice convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, during what authorities say was a staged burglary more than 24 years ago, was sentenced to life in prison.
On Friday, after deliberating for a third time, jurors wrapped up arguments around noon and sentenced David Temple to life in prison.
David Mark Temple, 54, was convicted in August 2019 for a second time for killing his wife, Belinda. But that jury could not decide on a sentence, prompting a judge to declare a mistrial. Prosecutors sought a life prison term, and on Friday, they got that.
Authorities said Belinda Temple, 30, was fatally shot in her home on Jan. 11, 1999, in what was initially believed to be a burglary.
Prosecutors later accused David Temple of staging the burglary at his suburban Houston home and fatally shooting his wife, a high school teacher who was eight months pregnant, because he was having an affair. David Temple later married the woman he’d been seeing.
She eventually filed for divorce in the middle of his retrial in 2019.
Belinda’s brother was in the courtroom Friday and had some last words for David Temple.
“You are despicable. I want you to think about this everyday for the rest of your life in prison. You completely ruined our family, you ruined your family. You deprived that. Nobody else deprived that, none of these jurors, you made that decision,” Brian Lucas said.
Belinda’s twin, Brenda Lucas, sat in the courtroom and told David Temple that he took her best friend away from her.
“David, you not only took Belinda away from me. You took away my niece I never got to meet and watch grow up. Belinda should be here. Belinda should be teaching and enjoying life with family and friends,” Brenda said.
In addition to life in prison, David Temple must pay a $10,000 fine.