5 key details about Belinda Temple's murder

Belinda Temple was a devoted special education teacher, whose lifeless body was found at her home in Texas on January 11, 1999. Belinda was eight months pregnant at the time with her second daughter, who would have been named Erin.

Belinda's life ended in a brutal act that shocked her family, friends, and community. At first sight, it appeared as if the whole event was simply burglary gone wrong; however, the darker side of betrayals and deceit later revealed the real plot. The husband, David Temple, soon proved to be the prime suspect for having an affair with a coworker, Heather Scott.

There were two trials and many appeals that followed, raising questions about the justice system and even the complexity of domestic relationships. The case will be featured on the premiere episode of the second season of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler on January 25, 2025, on Oxygen.

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Five significant details about Belinda Temple's murder

1) The crime

According to Oxygen, on January 11, 1999, Belinda Temple received a call from her son's daycare that he was ill. After picking up three-year-old Evan from daycare, she tried to reach David at work but could not get hold of him. Later that day, when David finally came home, Belinda Temple left for school around 3:55 pm. She would never return home alive.

According to Oxygen, she was found shot in the back of the head in the master bedroom closet shortly after David called 911 around 4:30 pm. Given that things were scattered around the house, it was a burglary initially suspected; however, they also noticed that valuable possessions were untouched in that scenario, something contradicting this theory.

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2) The investigation

According to TDCAA, with more probing into the case, evidence pointed to the fact that David Temple had a motive to murder. They found that he was having an affair with Heather Scott. The liaison began in late 1998.

According to TDCAA, at the time of the murder, police observed David stating some different facts about his whereabouts. Surveillance tapes revealed he was at a grocery store within minutes of the last sighting of Belinda. The prosecution argued that he had enough time to kill Belinda Temple and stage the scene before calling for help.

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3) Trials and legal battles

According to Fox26, David Temple's first trial took place in 2007, when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, this verdict was reversed in 2016 based on prosecutorial misconduct because the prosecution had withheld essential evidence from his defense team when he was on trial.

According to CBS News, after David's release from prison, he was retried in 2019. Heather Scott testified about her affair with him, but she gave no incriminating information about him during that trial. Even without any incriminating evidence coming from Scott, another jury again convicted him.

According to Houston Public Media, in April 2023, after a new sentencing hearing following his second conviction, David was sentenced to another life term. Prosecutors argued that he had killed his wife and unborn child in cold blood and that no one who could do such a thing should ever be released from prison.

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4) Effect on family

According to ABC News, the murder of Belinda left deep scars on her family and friends. Evan was only three years old when his mother was killed, and he never knew Belinda, but he has since professed his belief in his father's innocence. He has stood by David throughout the legal battles and now considers Heather Scott his mother—who married David after Belinda Temple's death.

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5) David's current status

According to KHOU, David Temple is now serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of Belinda. He was convicted twice and in January 2025, was sentenced to life. His most recent case ended in April 2023 with a life sentence during his fifth time in a jury trial after several mistrials associated with sentencing.

He may be paroled on June 18, 2040. Despite his convictions, David remains innocent of Belinda Temple's murder and intends to appeal his life sentence again.

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To cut it short, some very shocking details emerge about the murder of Belinda Temple, who fell victim to a narrative described as betrayal and tragedy. This led to grand legal battles experienced by her husband, David Temple, who has been convicted twice over her murder as debates about justice and accountability unfolded in the legal system.