January 11, 1999, started out as a totally normal, slightly chaotic Monday in Katy, Texas. Belinda Temple was eight months pregnant. She was a teacher at Katy High School, beloved by her students, and she was just trying to get through the day while dealing with a sick three-year-old son.
By the time the sun went down, Belinda was dead. She was found in her master bedroom closet, killed by a shotgun blast to the back of the head.
Her husband, David Temple, a coach at Alief Hastings High School, claimed it was a burglary gone horribly wrong. But the state of Texas didn't buy it. They still don't. It took 24 years, three trials, and a mountain of legal drama to finally put a "final" period on this story. Honestly, if you live in the Houston area, you’ve probably heard snippets of the case for decades. But the details? They’re way weirder and more tragic than most people realize.
The Crime Scene That Didn't Make Sense
When David Temple called 911 that evening, he sounded frantic. He told police he’d been out running errands with his son, Evan, and came home to find his back door smashed.
He found Belinda upstairs. It was an execution-style hit.
The weird part? The "burglary" looked staged. Most burglars don't leave jewelry sitting on the dresser. They don't leave the victim's jewelry on their body. And they definitely don't move a TV to the floor but leave it plugged in.
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Then there was the dog. The Temples had a dog that was notoriously aggressive toward strangers. On the afternoon of the murder, neighbors said the dog never barked. Not once.
The Motive Nobody Could Ignore
Police quickly found out David wasn't exactly the "husband of the year." He was having an affair with a co-worker named Heather Scott. Just days before the murder, David had told Heather he loved her.
Belinda knew something was up. She’d told friends the marriage was tense. She was eight months pregnant with a baby girl they were going to name Erin, and she was carrying the weight of the household while David spent his New Year’s weekend with his mistress.
The Trial That Divided Katy
It took five years for charges to be filed. That’s a long time to wait for justice. When the trial finally happened in 2007, it was a clash of titans. You had legendary prosecutor Kelly Siegler against high-profile defense attorney Dick DeGuerin.
Siegler argued that David killed Belinda to start a new life with Heather. (Which he did—he married her a few years later). DeGuerin argued that a neighbor, a teenage boy named Riley Joe Sanders, was the real killer.
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David was found guilty and sentenced to life. Case closed, right? Wrong.
The 2016 Overturn
In 2016, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals threw out the conviction. Why? Because it turned out prosecutors hadn't turned over hundreds of pages of evidence to the defense. This is called a Brady violation. Basically, the defense didn't get a fair shake at looking at other suspects, like the teenage neighbor.
David walked out of prison after serving nine years. He was a free man, at least for a while.
Belinda Temple Katy Texas: The Second and Third Rounds
The retrial in 2019 was just as intense. Heather Scott—now David’s wife—filed for divorce right in the middle of it. The jury found him guilty again. They didn't believe the "neighbor did it" theory any more than the first jury did.
But there was a catch. The jury couldn't agree on a sentence. They were deadlocked.
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So, David sat in jail while the world dealt with a global pandemic. It wasn't until April 2023 that a third jury was seated just to decide his punishment. They didn't hold back. They gave him life in prison again.
Where the Case Stands in 2026
As of early 2026, David Temple has lost his most recent appeals. He’s 57 years old now, sitting in a Texas prison cell. He will be eligible for parole in about 17 years because of the laws in place at the time of the 1999 crime.
Belinda's family, the Lucases, have attended every single court date for over a quarter of a century. Her twin sister, Brenda, has been vocal about the "hell" the family has endured. For them, it wasn't just about a legal win; it was about acknowledging Belinda and the daughter she never got to hold.
Actionable Takeaways from the Case
The Belinda Temple story is a masterclass in how complex the "justice" system really is. If you're following high-profile true crime, here's what you should keep in mind about cases like this:
- Circumstantial evidence is still evidence. There was no murder weapon and no DNA linking David to the trigger. But the "staged" burglary and the lack of dog barking were enough for two separate juries.
- The "Brady Rule" is massive. Even if a defendant seems "guilty as sin" to the public, the state must share all evidence with the defense. If they don't, the whole case can crumble, no matter how many years have passed.
- Victim advocacy matters. Belinda’s family’s persistence is likely why this case didn't just fade away during the five years before the first arrest.
If you are looking for more specific court documents or the full timeline of the 2023 resentencing, you can find the public records through the Harris County District Clerk's office. The legacy of Belinda Temple continues to influence how "staged" crime scenes are analyzed in modern Texas forensics.