FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — A Houston man who killed his ex-wife's husband in 2020 was found guilty and sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison.
A jury found James Curtis Hamilton, 31, guilty of the murder of Derwyn Lauderdale. He was sentenced to 69 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
"Mr. Lauderdale’s death was a tragic loss for his family, the youth that witnessed the event, and our community as a whole," District Attorney Brian Middleton said.
What happened
On Oct. 10, 2020, Hamilton, then 28, shot and killed Lauderdale at a little league football tournament in Rosenberg.
He showed up at the Seabourne Creek Sports Complex shortly after Lauderdale got there with his wife and Hamilton's two children, who were 6 and 8 at the time.
Two days before the shooting, Hamilton sent a text message saying he was going to kill Lauderdale. When Lauderdale approached Hamilton's car to confront him about the message, Hamilton shot him in the abdomen.
He tried to leave the scene, but two witnesses were able to stop him until the police got there.
Lauderdale was taken to an area hospital, where he died.
The trial
Hamilton's defense argued that he shot Lauderdale in self-defense but the prosecution was able to convince the jury that the shooting was not justified.
During the punishment phase of the trial, evidence was shown that Hamilton abused the mother of his children for years and he had been convicted of assault against a family member for his actions. He had also previously been convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Hamilton stood trial for felony murder, which carries a punishment of up to life in prison.
Who was Lauderdale?
Lauderdale was a beloved football coach at Fort Bend ISD's Travis High School. He was married to the mother of Hamilton's two children. He was 29 when he was killed.
"This news has shocked our THS community and has left us heartbroken for his family," Principal Sarah Laberge said in a letter to parents at the time of Lauderdale's death. "I want to make you aware and ask you to join me in keeping his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers."
Lauderdale was in his first year as a teacher and a coach at Travis High School.
