He killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend after telling her he would see her in hell

A suicidal Texas man told his ex-girlfriend he would see her in hell before killing her and her new boyfriend. Instead, he will serve two life sentences in prison.

Texas Judge Jack Skeen sentenced David Reed to two life sentences last week for the double murder of Shelby Duarte, 26, and Timothy Nelson Jr., 43. Though Reed initially pleaded not guilty, he changed to a guilty plea ahead of his murder trial that was scheduled to start on Oct.4.

On Dec.9, 2020, Reed loaded the front seat of his pick-up truck with propane gas tanks after Duarte told him she was pregnant with his child but would remain with her new boyfriend. Earlier in the day, Reed had been texting with Duarte, but later started getting responses from Nelson. The defendant became infuriated.

According to KETK.com, Reed told investigators he drove towards the couple’s RV trailer after leaving a voicemail for Duarte, telling her she reaped what she sowed and he would see her in hell.

Believing he would blow himself up together with the couple, Reed crashed the pick-up truck into the couple’s trailer at high speed. Duarte and Nelson were thrown about 65 feet from the trailer. However, investigators could not establish if the couple were outside or inside the trailer at the time of the impact.

However, the defendant survived the crash. He was arrested by the police nearby with the keys to his pick-up truck still on him.

Duarte’s brother, Joseph Eisenhower, expressed his disappointment at the plea bargain Reed received from the prosecutor during the sentencing hearing.

”David, you’re a coward and you don’t deserve a plea bargain. You deserve everything that is coming to you,” Eisenhower said. “I can’t say what I want, but the hole you put in our family; you’re worthless and evil. In these 30 years you got, there’s nothing I can say but I pray you don’t make it out of those walls,” screamed Eisenhower during the victim impact statement segment of the hearing, according to New York Post.

Previously, Reed had been the subject of an alleged abuse case, which involved kidnapping and assault of the Duarte. Before the fatal incident, Duarte had been afraid of the defendant and parked her car behind the trailer since she moved in with Nelson, officials said.