Shattered (book)
Encyclopedia
SHATTERED: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder, by author and novelist Kathryn Casey
, is a true crime account of the killing of a pregnant woman
whose body was discovered in 1999 in an upstairs closet in her home in Katy, Texas
, near Houston. The book was mass-market released by HarperCollins
in June 2010.
The case remained unsolved until the 10-year investigation revealed a history of cruelty and domination at the hands of Belinda’s husband, once a college football star and a respected member of his town’s close-knit community.
Despite being represented by Dick DeGuerin
, a renowned Texas defense lawyer, David Temple in November 2007 was convicted of murder in the deaths of his wife and unborn baby girl who Belinda planned to name Erin.
Temple was sentenced to life in prison and is eligible for parole at the end of 30 years. He has appealed the conviction.
's Top 100 bestseller list since its release in June of 2010.
Crime Magazine wrote that "Casey brings all the participants in this tragedy, both heroic and villainous, vividly to life." The Daily Sentinel called the book a "heartbreaking story of the murder of a young pregnant mother and a frustrating investigation... ."
‘’Shattered’’ made the Book of the Month Club
listing upon its release. It also made Doubleday’s Book Club under the true crime
and drama genres.
CBS News’ “48 Hours Mystery” covered the case in a December 2008 segment titled “A Guessing Game."
Kathryn Casey
Kathryn Casey is a true crime writer, novelist and journalist. Author Ann Rule has called Casey "one of the best in the true crime genre."-Early life and education:Born in Wisconsin, Casey settled in Texas with her family in 1980...
, is a true crime account of the killing of a pregnant woman
Murder of pregnant women
Murder of pregnant women is a type of homicide often resulting from domestic violence. Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence , is suffered by many people and in the majority of cases where the victim comes forward the victim is a woman . For many of these women the fear of harm includes...
whose body was discovered in 1999 in an upstairs closet in her home in Katy, Texas
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
, near Houston. The book was mass-market released by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in June 2010.
Case information
When Belinda Lucas and David Temple dated as classmates at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, they were a popular couple on campus. David, who went on to become a high school coach, and Belinda Lucas, a teacher, married and had one child, a boy. On Monday, January 11, 1999, Belinda, 30 years old and eight months pregnant with their second child, was killed from a single gunshot blast to her head. The weapon, a 20-gauige shotgun, was never found. The couple's son was 3 years old.The case remained unsolved until the 10-year investigation revealed a history of cruelty and domination at the hands of Belinda’s husband, once a college football star and a respected member of his town’s close-knit community.
Despite being represented by Dick DeGuerin
Dick DeGuerin
Dick DeGuerin is a criminal defense attorney based in Houston, Texas. DeGuerin was admitted to the State Bar in 1965...
, a renowned Texas defense lawyer, David Temple in November 2007 was convicted of murder in the deaths of his wife and unborn baby girl who Belinda planned to name Erin.
Temple was sentenced to life in prison and is eligible for parole at the end of 30 years. He has appealed the conviction.
Reception
Shattered was given True Crime Book Reviews Reader’s Choice Award in 2010. The book has stayed on Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's Top 100 bestseller list since its release in June of 2010.
Crime Magazine wrote that "Casey brings all the participants in this tragedy, both heroic and villainous, vividly to life." The Daily Sentinel called the book a "heartbreaking story of the murder of a young pregnant mother and a frustrating investigation... ."
‘’Shattered’’ made the Book of the Month Club
Book of the Month Club
The Book of the Month Club is a United States mail-order book sales club that offers a new book each month to customers.The Book of the Month Club is part of a larger company that runs many book clubs in the United States and Canada. It was formerly the flagship club of Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc...
listing upon its release. It also made Doubleday’s Book Club under the true crime
True crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
and drama genres.
CBS News’ “48 Hours Mystery” covered the case in a December 2008 segment titled “A Guessing Game."