Temple Terrace Man Charged With Attempted Murder

A Temple Terrace man has been charged with attempted murder in the first degree after trying to kill his wife in July, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

David Hamilton Ray, 39, of Fern Cliff Avenue in Temple Terrace, was driving his 2001 Chrysler Town & Country on July 22 at about 6:30 p.m. His wife, Erin Ray, 37, was in the front passenger seat, according to the sheriff’s office.

At Harney Road and Walton Way, David Hamilton Ray unbuckled his wife’s seatbelt and purposely drove the car off the roadway and into a tree, the sheriff’s office stated. Erin Ray suffered a broken hip during the crash. After he realized his wife hadn’t died, David Hamilton Ray covered her mouth and nose in order to suffocate her.

“The victim immediately began struggling for breath at which time the defendant used his hands to attempt to forcibly break the victim’s neck with the intent of killing her,” the sheriff’s office stated.

“In a controlled phone call with the victim, recorded by law enforcement, the defendant admitted to intentionally removing the victim’s seatbelt prior to the crash and intending her to die as a result of the intentional crash.”

David Hamilton Ray was arrested Aug. 2 in Plant City, according to sheriff’s office records. He remains in jail on $500,000 bond.

The couple has been married for 14 years, according to the sheriff’s office.