Spurned Texas man, 41, bags two life sentences for killing pregnant ex and her new boyfriend; David Joshua Reed rammed a propane-filled truck into their RV after Shelby Duarte, 23, told him she was carrying his child, but will stay with her new guy
Texas man, 41, killed pregnant ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend by ramming a propane-filled white Dodge pick-up truck into their RV
David Joshua Reed last week Friday pled guilty to murdering his former partner Shelby Duarte, 23, and her boyfriend 43-year-old Timothy Nelson in Lindale, Texas, in Dec. 9, 2020
‘You reap what you sow. I will see you in hell’ – was the last message left on Shelby Duarte’s phone by Reed before she was killed
Reed was charged with capital murder of multiple people and trial was scheduled to begin Monday, before reaching a deal with prosecutors who took the death penalty off of the table
Duarte was reportedly pregnant with Reed’s unborn child, but told him she intended to stay with her new boyfriend
Reed was given two life sentences and could spend up to 30 years in prison
He told investigators that he rammed the RV trailer where Duarte and Nelson were living with his pickup truck filled with propane tanks
He’d hoped to blow himself up in the crash but survived the impact, Reed admitted in his plea
Shortly after the crash authorities quickly located and arrested Reed, who had a set of keys for a Dodge vehicle in his pocket and fresh bruising around his abdomen, police said

‘You reap what you sow. I will see you in hell.’ – That was the chilling message a Texas man left on his ex-girlfriend’s phone before he killed her, their unborn child and her new boyfriend with his propane-filled pickup truck.
David Joshua was handed two life sentences on Monday.
Reed, 41, pled guilty Friday to murdering his former partner Shelby Duarte, 23, and her boyfriend Timothy Nelson, 43, in Lindale, TX on December 9, 2020.
Reed admitted to ramming his pickup truck filled with propane tanks into his former lover’s RV trailer after she told him she was pregnant with their unborn child but intended to stay with Nelson, her new boyfriend.
Reed, who was initially charged with capital murder of multiple people, had originally been scheduled to begin his trial Monday before reaching a deal with prosecutors who took the death penalty off of the table.
However, Reed confessed to the murders and put in a guilty plea bargain, three days prior to trial commencement.
Shelby Duarte’s brother, Joseph Eisenhower, was almost escorted from the courtroom after screaming that Reed should have received the death penalty.
‘David, you’re a coward and you don’t deserve a plea bargain. You deserve everything that is coming to you,’ he yelled as it was announced that Reed had pled guilty.



Reed confessed to investigators that he drove at a high speed and deliberately smashed his truck into the into the trailer where he knew Duarte and Nelson were living.
Reed said he carried out the attack after Duarte told him she was pregnant with their unborn child but intended to stay with her new boyfriend Nelson.
The murderous crash occurred in Lindale, Smith County, TX in the early hours of December 9, 2020, when Reed drove his white Dodge pickup truck into the camper trailer shared by his ex-girlfriend Duarte and her new lover Nelson. Reed confessed to investigators that he drove at a high speed and deliberately smashed into the into the trailer where he knew Duarte and Nelson were living.
Reed also said he had loaded the front seat of his pickup truck with propane tanks, hoping that he would be able to trigger an explosion and blow himself up in the process.
The murder warrant for David Reed stated that the victims were knocked more than 65 feet from the RV trailer and they hit the front of a house due to the high speed impact.
Nelson is thought to have died on impact, while Duarte was airlifted to a local hospital after being found alive by the emergency services, but later died as a result of her devastating injuries.

Judge Jack Skeen Jr. handed down the double life sentences, ordering Reed to serve them concurrently, meaning at the same time.
Reed, who was initially charged with capital murder of multiple people, had originally been scheduled to begin his trial Monday before reaching a deal with prosecutors who took the death penalty off of the table.
During the sentencing hearing, Duarte’s brother was nearly escorted from the court after declaring while reading out his victim impact statement that her killer should have been given the death penalty.
‘David, you’re a coward and you don’t deserve a plea bargain. You deserve everything that is coming to you,’ Joseph 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.’
The investigation into Reed revealed that he had also been the suspect in several cases involving Duarte, including aggravated kidnapping and an assault, according to his arrest warrant.

Duarte’s family told law enforcement Reed had targeted his ex-girlfriend for breaking up with him, and said they didn’t want Duarte to move in with Nelson because they were afraid Reed would exact his revenge on the new couple. Arriving on the scene police found the white pickup truck, which was reportedly packed with four full propane tanks, that was registered to Reed.
Police had already identified the female victims’ ex-boyfriend as a suspect in cases of aggravated kidnapping and assault against her.
Authorities quickly located and arrested Reed, who they said had a set of keys for a Dodge vehicle in his pocket and fresh bruising around his abdomen.
“Reed in his affidavit admitted he drove through the camper trailer with the intent to cause harm and death to Duarte and Nelson,” the warrant stated.
Duarte told him she was pregnant with his baby, but continued to be with Nelson and would reassure him she was going to come back to him, Reed said. Duarte had sent him text messages the previous night that “made him mad,” and he decided to drive to Nelson’s residence and kill her, while also taking his own life, Reed reportedly told investigators.
Reed adds that he wanted to “kill himself as well, so he loaded up the front seat of his truck with propane bottles, believing the crash would blow him up,” the warrant stated.
After he saw Nelson’s vehicle parked outside the RV, Reed reportedly called Duarte and left her a voicemail stating, “You reap what you sow. I will see you in hell.”
He then sped towards the RV he opened the valves on all four propane tanks, telling officers that he “did not care anymore and also knew he would be killing his unborn child,” he adds in his affidavit.
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