By Patricia Jones Yes. David Temple is still in prison as of August 9, 2026. The former Texas high school football coach is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his wife, Belinda Temple, who was eight months pregnant when she was killed in the couple’s Katy-area home. Recent inmate reporting places Temple at the Alfred D. Hughes Unit in Gatesville, Texas.
Temple has been convicted twice in the case. His first 2007 conviction was later set aside because of a Brady violation involving withheld evidence, but a second jury convicted him again in 2019. After a separate punishment proceeding, another jury imposed a life sentence in 2023. His latest major state appeal was unsuccessful in 2025, leaving the conviction and life sentence in place.
Why Is David Temple in Prison?
Belinda Temple was found shot in the back of the head inside the family’s home on January 11, 1999. She was eight months pregnant with the couple’s second child. David Temple told investigators that he had returned home after running errands with their young son and discovered what appeared to be a break-in.
Prosecutors later argued that the burglary scene had been staged and that Temple killed his wife while he was having an affair with another teacher. Temple denied killing Belinda and maintained that someone else was responsible.
When Was David Temple First Convicted?
Temple was arrested several years after the killing and went to trial in 2007. A jury found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison.
That conviction did not remain final. Temple pursued post-conviction relief, arguing that prosecutors had failed to disclose evidence that could have helped the defense. In 2016, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted him a new trial based on a Brady violation. He was released on bond while awaiting the retrial.
Why Was David Temple Tried Again?
Temple’s second murder trial began in 2019. His defense again argued that the evidence did not prove he killed Belinda and pointed toward another possible suspect. Prosecutors maintained that Temple had the motive and opportunity to commit the killing and stage the scene.
On August 6, 2019, a second jury found Temple guilty of murder. That jury could not agree on punishment, which resulted in a mistrial only on the sentencing phase. The guilty verdict itself remained in place.
What Sentence Is David Temple Serving Now?
A new jury was selected for the punishment phase in 2023. That jury sentenced Temple to life in prison. He was returned to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve the sentence.
Recent reporting based on inmate records places him at the Alfred D. Hughes Unit in Gatesville, Texas. There is no credible current report showing that he has been released or that his life sentence has been vacated.
Did David Temple Win His Latest Appeal?
No. Temple appealed his second conviction and raised several issues, including challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence, the use of testimony from his father, the constitutionality of a Texas sentencing provision and his right to a speedy trial.
On July 1, 2025, Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals rejected those arguments and affirmed the judgment. Temple then sought discretionary review from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In December 2025, the state’s highest criminal court declined to grant the relief he sought. A dissenting judge would have reviewed and reversed the judgment, but that was not the court’s result.
The practical effect is that Temple’s second murder conviction and life sentence remain in force.
Was David Temple Ever Released From Prison?
Yes, but only temporarily during the long history of the case. After the 2007 conviction was overturned, Temple was released from prison in December 2016 while awaiting a new trial.
He remained out during part of the retrial process, but after the second conviction he returned to custody. The later 2023 life sentence is the sentence he is serving now. His earlier period of freedom is one reason some people searching the case today are unsure whether he remains incarcerated.
Where Is David Temple Now?
Current reporting identifies Temple as an inmate at the Alfred D. Hughes Unit, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in Gatesville. A January 2026 update from People, citing inmate records, also reported that he was serving his life sentence there.
Because prison assignments can change, the exact institution can be updated by TDCJ even when the sentence itself does not change. The key point is that there has been no verified release: Temple remains in state custody under a life sentence.
Can David Temple Still Challenge His Conviction?
A person serving a life sentence may continue pursuing limited post-conviction remedies when legally available, including state or federal habeas proceedings or other extraordinary review. Whether any future filing would be accepted or succeed depends on the specific legal claims and procedural rules.
What can be said with confidence now is that Temple’s most recent major state appellate effort did not overturn his conviction. No later ruling located as of August 9, 2026 has freed him or replaced the life sentence with a lesser punishment.
Is David Temple Still in Prison Right Now?
Yes. As of August 15, 2026, David Temple remains incarcerated in Texas and is serving a life sentence for Belinda Temple’s murder.
The case has gone through an unusually long legal history: a 2007 conviction, a successful challenge that produced a new trial, a second guilty verdict in 2019, a separate life-sentence verdict in 2023 and unsuccessful appellate proceedings in 2025.
For anyone asking, ‘Is David Temple still in prison?’ the current answer is clear: yes. His conviction and life sentence remain in effect, and there is no verified report that he has been released.