RICHMOND, Texas (KIAH) — A man has been sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison for shooting and killing his ex-wife’s new husband, according to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.

James Curtis Hamilton, of Richmond, received the maximum sentence by a jury last week. The 31-year-old was tried for shooting his ex-wife’s husband to death in October of 2020.

According to prosecutors, Hamilton killed Derwyn Lauderdale at a little league football tournament on Oct. 10, 2020. Lauderdale was a beloved assistant football coach at Fort Bend ISD’s Travis High School and was married to the mother of Hamilton’s children. 

On that day, Hamilton arrived at the Seabourne Creek Sports Complex in Rosenberg shortly after Lauderdale arrived with his wife and Hamilton’s two young children, ages 6 and 8.

When Lauderdale approached Hamilton’s vehicle to ask about the text message, Hamilton shot him and attempted to flee, prosecutors said. He was later stopped by two bystanders who were present for the tournament.

At trial, Hamilton’s defense lawyers argued that he shot Lauderdale in self-defense. But the jury ended up finding him guilty of murder.

In the punishment phase of the trial, prosecutors showed evidence that Hamilton abused the mother of his children for years and was convicted of assault/family violence and for unlawful possession of a firearm.

“Mr. Lauderdale’s death was a tragic loss for his family, the youth that witnessed the event, and our community as a whole,” Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton said. “The jury’s sentence was appropriate and proportionate to the crime committed. Law enforcement, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, and the jury ensured that just was served.”