Shattered : the true story of a mother's love, a husband's betrayal, and a cold-blooded Texas murder

Hero, Husband, Father . . . Monster ? In Creekstone, Texas, a small, quiet suburb of Houston, football was king . . . and David Temple was a prince. A former high school and college gridiron star-turned-coach, he had a fairy-tale marriage to bright, vivacious Belinda Lucas, a teacher at the local high school who was so warm and popular her colleagues called her ''The Sunshine Girl.'' The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda's lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range. She was eight months pregnant. There was no damning evidence directly linking the brutal murder to husband David, who stood by emotionless and dry-eyed as police searched the crime scene. But a dogged eight-year investigation would expose a shocking history of cruelty and domination, infidelity and rageultimately resulting in an epic courtroom battle for the agesas the scandalous truth was revealed about love betrayed and innocent lives . . . shattered. Review ''Kathryn Casey is one of the best in the true crime genre,'' --Ann Rule ''Casey's vivid writing and dogged research establish her as one of the very best true crime writers in the business,'' --two-time Edgar winner Carlton Stowers, author of Careless Whispers ''Casey stakes her claim as one of the best in the business,'' --M. William Phelps author of Love Her to Death About the Author ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kathryn Casey is an award-winning, Houston-based journalist,the author of six highly acclaimed true crime books,and the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. SINGULARITY, the first in the Armstrong series, was included in Booklist's best crime novel debuts of 2009, and Library Journal chose the third in the series, THE KILLING STORM, for its list of the best books of 2010. Casey's protagonist is a Texas Ranger/profiler headquartered in Company A, Houston. In addition, Ann Rule calls Casey, ''one of the best in the true crime genre.'' Casey has appeared on Oprah, Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network, Court TV, Biography, Nancy Grace, E! Network, Investigation Discovery, and A&E. "In Creekstone, Texas, a small, quiet suburb of Houston, football was king ... and David Temple was a prince. A former high school and college gridiron star-turned-coach, he had a fairy-tale marriage to bright, vivacious Belinda Lucas, a teacher at the local high school who was so warm and popular her colleagues called her "The Sunshine Girl." The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda's lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range. She was eight months pregnant. There was no damning evidence directly linking the brutal murder to husband David, who stood by emotionless and dry-eyed as police searched the crime scene. But a dogged eight-year investigation would expose a shocking history of cruelty and domination, infidelity and rage - ultimately resulting in an epic courtroom battle for the ages - as the scandalous truth was revealed about love betrayed and innocent lives ... shattered."--Taken from cover p.4 "Kathryn Casey is one of the best true crime writers today." #8212;Ann Rule With true crime classics like Descent into Hell and Die My Love, author Kathryn Casey has peered into the darkest corners of the Lone Star State, shedding a fascinating, chilling light on a series of notorious Texas murders. In Shattered, she explores in riveting detail an infamous Houston area crime: the brutal slaying of a young mother and her unborn child by the person closest to them. Bestselling author Carlton Stowers numbers Kathryn Casey "among the elite of true crime writers," and Shattered#8212;a shocking true story of blood, rage, and betrayal#8212;will only enhance her reputation as one of the best of the best