What happened to Belinda Temple? Details explored ahead of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler on Oxygen

Belinda Temple was a special education teacher, 30 years old, who was murdered in her Katy, Texas, home on January 11, 1999. At the time of her death, she was eight months pregnant with her second child. Initially, the crime scene appeared to be a burglary gone wrong, but it soon became clear that the killer was her husband, David Temple.

David Temple was convicted of her murder in 2007 and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, his conviction was overturned in 2016 when it was established that the prosecution had withheld information about the evidence. He was subsequently convicted again in 2019.

This case garnered significant media attention and will be featured in the Prosecuting Evil series with Kelly Siegler, which debuts January 25, 2025.

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Background of Belinda Temple

According to Oxygen, Belinda Temple was an assistant instructor at a local high school. In college, she married her husband in 1992, and they had a son named Evan. The couple was expecting their second child, a daughter they planned to name Erin.

On the day of the homicide, Belinda Temple was found dead in the master bedroom closet of their home. She had sustained a single gunshot wound to the back of her head. Initially, investigators suspected a burglary due to scattered items around the house.

However, detectives soon noted that important items had not been taken and the scene did not resemble a common burglary.

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Investigation and initial trial

According to Fox26, as the investigation continued, it was discovered that David Temple had a motive to commit murder. He was having an affair with a coworker, Heather Scott, which raised suspicions about his involvement. According to TDCAA, witnesses testified about David's unusual calmness following Belinda Temple's death and his immediate concern for his mistress rather than his family.

According to Oxygen, the prosecution argued that David murdered Belinda Temple to pursue his relationship with Scott. In November 2007, after a contentious trial led by prosecutor Kelly Siegler, David Temple was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

However, this conviction faced significant challenges, as reported by Fox26. In 2016, an appeals court overturned it after noting that prosecutors had withheld evidence that could have been favorable to David's defense. This included police reports that might have pointed to other potential suspects. Consequently, a retrial was ordered.

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Retrial and subsequent developments

According to Oxygen, the retrial occurred in August 2019 but resulted in a mistrial regarding sentencing due to the jury's inability to reach a unanimous agreement. During this time, David Temple remained in prison but continued claiming innocence, as per Houston Public Media.

In early 2023, following subsequent legal processes and COVID-19-related postponements, he was tried again by a jury that delivered another guilty verdict. This time, the verdict resulted in a life sentence with a possibility of parole after many years.

According to Oxygen, the case has attracted attention not only for its tragic circumstances but also for its implications regarding legal processes and prosecutorial conduct. Kelly Siegler has stated that this is one of the most challenging cases she has ever worked on, and the audience will gain insight into the intricacies involved when Prosecuting Evil premieres.

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In summary, Belinda Temple's death led to a protracted legal battle involving two trials and many appeals. The premiere episode of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler season 2 will highlight the difficult case while raising questions about justice and accountability within the legal system.