Protective order filed by estranged wife alleges history of abuse by Burt Templet

LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (WAFB) - In a 55-page protective order filed in Livingston Parish by Susan Templet, Burt Templet’s estranged wife, she claims Burt abused her physically multiple times.

According to the protective order, on Jan. 20, Burt and Susan began arguing when he smashed a radio and portable heater on the ground. It states that he then punched her in the head.

One month earlier on Dec. 20, Susan claims she and Burt started arguing and he punched her in the face, shattering one of her teeth.

The documents she filed state when she tried to clean the blood from her face, Burt started splashing water on her face, verbally abused her again, then allegedly threatened to “cut her into little pieces.”

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On Dec. 11, according to the protective order, Burt punched her in the face, causing her left eye to begin bleeding. Susan stated he then took her wedding rings and threw them against the wall, then made her pick them up.

Susan eventually moved out and posted online about her alleged abuse.

Decades ago, Burt’s first wife also accused him of physical abuse.

In early June, he was shot by his 17-year-old son, Anthony, inside their Baton Rouge home. Detectives say Anthony told them his father was drunk and coming after him when he fired the shots that eventually took his father’s life.

Franz Borghardt and Jarrett Ambeau, two local attorneys that are now representing Anthony, say his father’s history of abuse will help them build their case that Anthony was acting in self-defense.

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"I think that in many ways, it will collaborate what our client has received in terms of abuse, and although it was a different kind of controlling situation, a different, and I’ll use the word torture, different kind of relationship, but this is a violent man,” Borghardt said. “That’s what’s important here, is this is not a saint. He is a violent man and her abuse echoes the abuse that our client received as a child.”

Ambeau says the evidence suggest Anthony had no choice but to act in the manner he did.

"You know, was this kid set up for this kind of behavior? Was this an inevitable act from this young man given the history of abuse, the systematic and lifelong abuse that he had endured at the hands of his father?” Ambeau asked.

Anthony is being held on a $100,000 bond. His defense says they hope his case will not go to trial and they believe there’s not enough evidence to prosecute him on the manslaughter charge.

Click below to read the original reports filed by Susan Templet.

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