Ep 33. Deadly Devotion

In season 24 episode 33 of Dateline, titled "Deadly Devotion," viewers are taken on a journey into the world of a dedicated father and husband, who transformed from a loving family man to a fraudster and murderer. The episode follows the story of David Temple, a former high school football star, who married his high school sweetheart, Belinda Lucas. The couple was admired by all, but their picture-perfect life was shattered when Belinda was brutally murdered in their home.

The episode starts with the story of David's rise to fame as a football player. As a star quarterback, his high school team won the state championship, and he went on to play for Rice University. After graduation, David got a job as a high school football coach, where he met his future wife, Belinda, a cheerleader for the team. They fell in love and got married in 1998.

David's life took a turn in 1999 when he started an extramarital affair with a teacher at his high school. He also began to embezzle money from the school's booster club. The embezzlement was discovered in 2004, and he lost his job and reputation. He was convicted of theft and sentenced to probation.

But David's troubles didn't end there. In 1999, Belinda became pregnant with their son, and David started to become increasingly jealous of her attention to their child. He also began to become physically and emotionally abusive towards Belinda. According to the episode, David became obsessed with a former cheerleader whom he had an affair with and started planning to leave Belinda for her.

In 1999, Belinda was found shot dead in the couple's home. David called 911 claiming that he found her body when he returned home from running errands. The police initially suspected that it was a burglary gone wrong, but as they started to investigate, they found some inconsistencies in David's story. Furthermore, they found a shotgun that belonged to David in his truck, covered in fresh mud, and later a ballistics report revealed that the gun, in fact, fired the shell found at the crime scene.

The episode details the trial that followed, with prosecutors accusing David of murdering his wife out of jealousy and to be with his mistress. They presented evidence to show that David had an affair, motive, and opportunity to commit the murder. But David maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming that he loved his wife and had nothing to do with her murder.

The episode concludes with the verdict of the trial, which took place in 2007. It also reveals the aftermath of the trial, including the appeal that David filed. The episode features interviews with the prosecutor, defense lawyer, friends, and family members of the couple, and journalists who covered the case.

Overall, the episode Deadly Devotion is a chilling tale of a once-respected member of society who fell victim to his irrational obsession and paid the ultimate price. The episode uncovers the shocking details of the crime and raises several questions about the motives and personality of the perpetrator.