HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) - A Katy man, twice convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, goes on trial for a third time today in Houston. Jurors will decide his punishment for killing his pregnant wife in Katy more than two decades ago.
A jury convicted David Temple in August 2019 but could not agree on his punishment. As a result, the judge declared a mistrial. Therefore, the trial that begins today will only decide Temple's punishment. His guilty verdict stands.
The case gained national attention when it happened in 1999 because of the shocking nature of the crime. Belinda was eight months pregnant when she was shot to death. The baby she was carrying also died.
Prosecutors said David was having an affair, which motivated him to kill his wife.
David and Belinda were Katy High School graduates. David became a football coach at Alief ISD. Belinda was a Katy High School special education teacher.
Temple's 2007 murder conviction was overturned in 2016. He was tried and convicted again in 2019, but the jury deadlocked during the punishment phase of the trial. COVID-19 delayed the process of retrying the punishment phase until now. A new jury was selected earlier this month, and testimony begins today.