HOUSTON — After years of waiting, a man twice convicted of murdering his wife will finally learn his fate.
On Monday, David Temple's new punishment trial began.
On Aug. 6, 2019, a jury convicted Temple, now 54, for a second time for the murder of Belinda Lucas Temple. His sentencing had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that a jury couldn't agree on his punishment.
Temple's punishment ranges from probation to life in prison. Eventually, he could be released because when he committed the crime, there was no legal option for life without parole.
Temple's loyal family members were in the courtroom Monday along with those who are still seeking justice on behalf of Belinda nearly three decades after her death.
"Two juries convicted David Temple of first-degree murder ... 22 out of 24 jurors recommended life imprisonment. It's time to end this travesty," victim's advocate Andy Kahan said.
Temple's crime
Belinda was 8 months pregnant when she was shot and killed in the couple's Katy home in 1999. She died from a shotgun blast to the back of her head.
Prosecutors said Temple, who was 30 at the time, wanted his wife dead because he was having an affair.
Less than two years after his wife's murder, Temple married his mistress Heather Scott. Scott filed for divorce after Temple's second murder trial began on July 8.
Temple was originally convicted of murder in 2007 and served nine years in prison before a judge tossed out his conviction in 2016. The judge said prosecutor Kelly Siegler withheld favorable evidence from the defense.
Temple was never charged with the death of his unborn daughter who had already been named Erin. Laws regarding such charges have since changed.
Opening statements
During opening statements on Monday, special prosecutor Lisa Tanner recapped Temple's affair and other issues at the time of Belinda's murder.
"There's only one person on this Earth who could have possibly wanted her dead, and that was her husband of seven years, this defendant, David Temple," she said.
Temple's defense team admitted that they might not like him but they plan to present evidence of his character even since his convictions.
"We'll hear about his ministry that he started, we'll hear about the origins of that ministry and the work he's done," defense attorney Stanley Schneider said.
Court was set to resume on Tuesday morning.