Opinion ID: 1309837
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Clarence Temple Murder

Text: In the early morning hours of October 2, 1980, Clarence Temple, 63 years old, left his home in Bellflower to take his daily walk before work. Temple customarily took his billfold containing a driver's license, credit cards and social security card. On the morning of his murder, Temple had between $100 and $150 with him. At 5:23 a.m., Richard Tamplen was on his way to the bus stop when he found Temple lying face down on the sidewalk near Rosecrans and Lakewood Boulevards. No one else was present. Tamplen noticed a stream of blood running from Temple's head, and notified police after observing no signs of life. A Los Angeles deputy sheriff arrived at the scene and noticed what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the base of Temple's neck on the left side below and behind the ear. A .22-caliber shell casing was found near Temple's body. The casing was taken to the sheriff's crime laboratory for ballistics testing. The right rear pocket of the victim's pants was partially pulled out and no wallet was found. The following day, after removing an expended .22-caliber bullet from Temple's body, the medical examiner determined that the cause of his death was a gunshot wound entering the neck and traveling into the head. The bullet was delivered to the sheriff's crime laboratory for testing.