HOUSTON – A man accused of murdering his pregnant wife 17 years ago showed up to court for the first time since his release from prison last week to have his hearing reset. He's scheduled back in court March 3.
David Temple walked out of prison on bond after a lengthy appeals process and nine years behind bars.
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The former Alief Hastings football coach was convicted in the 1999 shooting death of his wife, Belinda, who was eight months pregnant.
Temple and his attorneys were expected to meet with prosecutors and the judge to decide the future of the case and the possibility of a new trial.
“I hope my name is cleared once and for all that’s my prayer every day.” Temple said after the brief hearing. “And that’s what we’re concerned with right now and what we work for each and every day so that my family can finally have peace and just move on.”
Temple's attorney said they are working toward exoneration.
VIDEO: David Temple, attorney speaks outside courtroom
District Attorney Kim Ogg's administration said it is reviewing evidence in the case and has several prosecutors looking over the 1,400 pages of the offense report.
Acting First Assistant D.A. David Mitcham says a team of prosecutors will be going over the 1,400-page offense report, along with other evidence and testimony to help Ogg make her decision.
“This case presents many problems, and how we deal with these problems will be determined by our evaluation of the evidence.” Mitcham said.
It took prosecutors six years to build the original case against Temple on circumstantial evidence. Channel Two legal analyst Brian Wice says the passage of time makes reconstructing the case more complicated.
“Criminal cases aren’t like fine wine, they don’t get better with age,” Wice said. “Witnesses disappear; memories fade. At the end of day, a case of this type is difficult to reinvestigate, let alone retry.”
Since his release, Temple said he is slowly reestablishing relationships.
"It's been a great week. Great to get back and be with my family and nurture those relationships. (It) hasn't been easy through those nine years," he said. "(I) go day to day, take it slow. I've been blessed. God has kept me strong, walked with me through each step."
The victim's family is hoping the new Harris County district attorney decides to retry the case and that the outcome is the same as the first time.
"This is about Belinda and the baby that was never born. The family recognizes we're back to square one. (We) hope the DA's office does thorough research and comes to the same conclusion as before," victim's advocate Andy Kahan said. "From being with this family at the get-go, they're a strong family. The family doesn't have a doubt the original verdict was correct."