Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20200425

I just remember crying, and not believing it. reporter sudden, suspicious, but no evidence of a crime. Any signs of a struggle . No. It was case closed. Reporter years pass, new lives, two new wives. Hes extremely charming. We just had the most amazing time. Reporter then a new detective dusts off the old case. What jumped out at you . Most definitely her arms were in an unnaturally raised position. My first thought was, we missed something here. The manner of death would be homicide. Reporter what really happened in that bedroom . I wanted to answer all their questions. He didnt remember a whole lot about that day. Reporter a Young Mothers death was a mystery, but was it a murder . Tell me what happened to her to my face. Dont give me excuses. Reporter it runs through the heart of america a long, meandering lifeline feeding industry, towns, and imaginations. The Mississippi River gave us tom sawyer and huckleberry finn. Samuel clemens, mark twain, grew up in hannibal, missouri, and just across the river in quincy, illinois, lived another larger than life character. Curtis lovelace, a smalltown kid who wanted to be a star, and, for a time, he was, a football champion for the university of illinois. Hes an allamerican . Uhhuh. Allamerican. This is what kids dream about. Right. He was living that life. Absolutely. You know, he it was looking like he would go to the nfl. That was kind of a dream of his. Reporter then he realized grander ambitions, fighting crime as a prosecutor; serving his country in the national guard, and his community in politics. Im someone who wants meaningful work thats going to make the difference in in the lives of people. Reporter but it was what happened in this little house in quincy to one person in particular that made curtis really stand out for all the world to see. Now to continue coverage of the Curtis Lovelace murder case. It was a heated day at the stand. Now the defense is presenting its closing arguments in the case reporter big dreams on a mighty river can carry you far, or they can drag you under. This is the very strange journey of Curtis Lovelace allamerican to criminal defendant. Lets roll back the years to high school, and to the woman who would become the focus of so much speculation, cory didrikesen. Cory and i went to high school together. We we really didnt run in the same crowd. We had some mutual friends and and we didnt date in high school. Reporter back then, curtis was more focused on football than dating. It wasnt until he went off to the university of illinois, roughly 200 miles away, and became a star athlete that he truly noticed the girl from back home for the first time. It was during a college break. The former classmates bumped into each other in quincy, and quickly became an item. Cory wasted no time spreading her good news. Ill never forget the day. I was playing tennis with a friend of mine, and cory came over and, you know, met us, and that was when she told us that curt was it. Reporter beth dorbrzynski went to high school with the new couple. Surprised . Not really, no. They seemed a great fit together. They and she was she was very, very much smitten. Reporter it wasnt long before cory was also telling her mother, marty, shed found the one. She comes home, and were sitting there, and she said, ive met the man im going to marry. Whoa. Reporter she kept her promise. In 1991, just after college, cory and curtis married. He studied law, she worked a small job to support them both. After graduation, they decided to buy a home in quincy. They wanted to be in the neighborhood, and they wanted to be close by, and that just made it all the better. So we found them a house, and they moved back. Virtually over the fence, huh . [ laughter ] over the backyard two houses up and one over, yeah. [ laughter ] reporter curtis ambitions drove the young couple. He became a prosecutor in the adams county state attorneys office, and dabbled in school board politics, winning a seat, and serving as president. He even found time to teach a business law class at Quincy University. In between the professional milestones, the lovelaces started a family first a girl, lyndsay, then three boys. Cory juggled that part of their lives. How was your cory as a mother . Shes a young mom. Fantastic. She was a great mom. There wasnt anything she didnt do for those kids. Reporter corys days were filled with diapers, play dates and tantrums, but even then, this great mom never forgot how to be a good daughter. In early 2006 her dad, john, was dying of cancer. That was a major event for all of you. That was a major event, yes. Johns decline, huh . Well, it four years he fought it, and the last six months of his life she came every night at 5 00, and sat for, like, a half an hour and visited. That was her time with him. Reporter worn down with the stress of care giving, raising four kids, was it any wonder when cory, herself, fell ill. It was the weekend before valentines day, 2006. She was feeling poorly. Feeling poorly how, curt . What was she ailing from . Just flu like symptoms. Throwing up. We we we thought she had the had the flu. Reporter but on monday, the night before valentines day, cory still managed to get the kids valentines cards ready for school the next day. Her daughter lyndsay, then 12, remembers cuddling up with her mom, watching the winter olympics, and snowboarder sean white. And i remember watching him with her, and being like, mom, hes so cute. [ laughter ] like, as a 12yearold, like, that was awesome. But it wasnt as though she she was bedridden or anything at that point . No, she would she was just feeling crummy, huh . She was feeling sick, and even for my mom, that was not common because she even if she was sick, she did what was like, what she thought was expected of her, and took care of us, and made us dinner, and did laundry, and everything, because that was her role. Reporter but when tuesday, valentines day, dawned, curtis says he urged her to take it easy. And we decided that i would cancel my morning class at Quincy University in in order to to get the the kids to school, and so thats what we did. So dad is going to be on deck . Its going to be dads time to get everybody up and running here, huh . Right, and so so i canceled my class, helped the kids get ready for school. She did come downstairs to help out with that. Reporter he says cory was so ill, he had to help her back to bed before driving the three eldest kids off to school, their backpacks stuffed with valentine cards. Within minutes he was back. Only the home, still cluttered with clothes and toys, was now filled with Something Else, silence, quiet enough to break a familys heart. Reporter what had happened in that house . As i got closer, i immediately knew that something was was really, really wrong. Reporter so wrong it would tear apart a family, and puzzle police for years to come. Every detective needs to keep in mind that there there could be a bigger picture. When dateline continues. You probably arent going to brush your teeth as effectivity because it causes pain. And if you see blood you should do something about it. You know, i talk to dentists every day and theyre able to recommend one product, new sensodyne sensitivity gum, to address both conditions at the same time. If we only treat one versus the other, the patients mouth is never going to be where it needs to be. Its really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product for patients that can address two conditions. Who knows where that button is . I dont have silent. Everyone does right up here. It happens to all of us. We buy a new home, and we turn into our parents. What i do is help new homeowners overcome this. What is that, an adjustable spanner . Good choice, steve. Okay, dont forget youre not assisting him. You hired him. If you have nowhere to sit, you have too many. Who else reads books about submarines . My dad. Yeah. Oh, those are progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. Look at that. Its kind of my quiet, alone time. Audible is a routine for me. Its like a fun night school for adults. I could easily be seduced into locking myself into a place where i do nothing but listen to books. I never was interested in historical fiction before, but im obsessed with it now. There are a lot of like, classic and big titles that i feel like i missed out since i dont have time to read, mean i might as well listen. If i want to catch up on the news or history or learn whats going on in the world, i can download a book and listen to it. Because i listened to her story over and over again, i made the decision to go ahead and follow my own dream, which was to help other veterans. I think theres like 180 books in my, in my library now. It changes your perspective; it makes you a different person. Its true, its so true. To start your free 30day trial, just text listen17 to 500500. Reporter the routine of the house was in a tizzy. With cory sick in bed, it had been up to curtis to get the three oldest kids off to school. Now he was back. When i arrived home, everything was quiet. I assumed that cory was sleeping, resting. She hadnt slept most of the night. I was just going to leave her alone in order to sleep. Reporter before lookingin on her, he said, he went over his emails in the kitchen. Then he headed upstairs. I needed to take a shower. And as i walked up the steps, i looked to the left. The door to our bedroom was as i left it, open. I could see her lying in bed and i could see something from the distance didnt seem right. So i i approached her. What made you say that, looking back . Just im really not sure. As i got closer, i could see that she was pale. She was motionless. And i immediately knew that something was really, really wrong. Did you think shes dead . I shook her. I called out her her name. And at that point, i knew that she was dead. Reporter in that moment, he said, his thoughts turned to his 4yearold boy, larson, who was still in the house. And i needed to get larson outta the house. And what did you do . I grabbed larson. I believe he was in bed. And i took him immediately over to to his grandparents house. Reporter corys mom, marty, answered the door. She remembers her soninlaw standing there with the young boy and saying something nonsensical about her daughter being dead. It was just kind of midmorning. And and there he is, your soninlaw. And there he is. I open the door and he hands me larson. And then he said something about people are coming. I often regretted not just putting larson down and running over there. Reporter stunned, she called her son, corys brother pedar, at his dental practice. And i get a phone call from my mom. It was just kind of out of the blue. I didnt think anything corys dead. That cant be. Yeah. Exactly. 38 years old, right . Shes 38 years old. Theres no way. Just saw her a couple weeks ago. Reporter jeff baird, then a detective with the Quincy Police department, was assigned to head the death investigation. When he arrived at the scene, he went straight upstairs. He was in the bedroom when the coroner examined corys body. He tested her body temperature by placing his hand against her abdomen, i followed suit. Was the was the body warm or cold to the touch . The abdomen was warm to the touch. It was warm. What did that tell the coroner . He knew that the time of death was narrowed then for the body to still be warm. Reporter it seemed clear that corys death had been recent, within the past hour or so. Not at all certain why or how the woman died. The detective couldnt rule out any possibility, including foul play. Around the room itself, any overturned glasses or any signs of a struggle . No. So as i hear you, youre telling me youre seeing a woman who has apparently died in her bed and not that long before authorities arrive. Thats right. If i can stress that there wasnt a single mark on her other than what appeared to be a skin blemish under her nose, not a mark. Reporter and yet there was something about the position of corys body that did strike him as odd. He thought death and gravity would have caused her arms to drop. Instead, they were both fixed in midair, hovering above her chest. I was looking for an explanation for that, and i even addressed it to Curtis Lovelace. I asked him if there was a possibility that blankets had been under her arms when he discovered her. And what did he say . No. He said no. So he said the scene that you were seeing was the way he saw it when he came and found his wife, by his account. Yes. Reporter but then, the detective was careful to not get hung up on one, strange detail. Not this early in a case. Every detective needs to keep in mind that there there could be a bigger picture. Reporter and, oh yes, there was. A portrait of a woman, a portrait of a marriage, filled with details painted in a most unflattering light. Coming up a peek behind closed doors. You were drinking too much . I drank too much. Cory was drinking too much . Cory was drinking too much. Reporter and a daughter mourns her mom. I just remember crying and not believing it. Reporter when dateline continues. That fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. Memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. Try neuriva for 30 days and see the difference. This virus is testing all of us. And its testing the people on the front lines of this fight most of all. So abbott is getting new tests into their hands, delivering the critical results they need. And until this fight is over, we. Will. Never. Quit. Because they never quit. Featuring the Emmy Awardwinning voice remote. Access to your favorite apps, including netflix, prime video, youtube and hulu. All without changing passwords and inputs. The most 4k content and movies and shows on any screen. The best Entertainment Experience all in one place. Reporter the quincy, illinois detective was trying to understand why a 38yearold woman had suddenly died. As he looked for clues inside cory lovelaces home, filled with the clutter of young family life, jeff baird noticed one item in particular. A white cup by her bedside. Collected the an unknown liquid that smelled faintly of alcohol from a styrofoam cup. Reporter the detective asked her husband curtis what it was. Did he tell you that she liked to have a vodka tonic . Yes. And thats likely what was in the styrofoam . Yes. The big 24ounce glass. Yes. Reporter as curtis told it, alcohol had been a constant in the home. There was alcoholism in our family, and and so there was the the ugly side of of that. You were drinking too much . I looking back, yes, i i drank too much. Cory was drinking too much . Cory was drinking too much. It was it was impacting her ability to take care of things at home. reporter he also told the detective that cory had been taking falls, sometimes out of bed. Whats more, the detective later found out cory had been battling bulimia. The picture quickly emerging, cory had not been a healthy woman. I know you guys are listening to the words that a subject is telling you, but youre also looking at them. Why is he telling me this, or how does he phrase it. What were you seeing on that score . Its very important, and i saw a man who was answering my questions. Not being evasive . Not being he appeared to be cooperative, solemn, upset. Reporter curtis also retraced the familys steps that morning he last saw his wife around 8 15, he took the kids to school, he returned, and found her deceased. Reporter with that, the detective finished the interview and left, but curtis knew his awful day was about to get worse. Not least, he had four children, ranging in ages from four to 12, to look after. How do you tell the children . That was i i think to this day, that is the most difficult thing i have ever had to do. I believe i called the schools, and let them know that i would be on my way. Reporter lyndsay, the only girl, was the eldest of the lovelace kids. I remember being at school. I remember getting a call from the office that i was getting picked up, and i was like and in my mind, i thought, oh, maybe my mom went to the hospital. She didnt feel good, the days prior. Maybe she just yeah . Had to go to the hospital. Like, its fine. Reporter but once inside the principals office, her father broke the news. And told me that my mom had died, and i just remember, then on, my world crashing down. Did you say, what had happened . Whats going on . Im sure i asked what had happened. I just remember crying and not believing it, and so we went we left and we went to my grandmas house, and i was like, i wanna go back to school, and i went back to school. And you did, on the day you lost your mom . Cause that was normal for me. It was a normalcy thing. Reporter and, in hindsight, she says, the best thing she could have done. Her favorite teacher had something for her. And she actually had wolf pups. She had a friend who was caring for wolf pups so i remember holding these wolf pups. Im pretty sure they had just lost their mom. Like, they were orphaned. What a jumble of things going on for you that day. And that was the most comforting thing i couldve done was hold those wolves. Reporter by then, news of cory lovelaces untimely death was rippling across town. Students from curtis business law class that morning were the first outside of the family, and authorities to suspect that something had happened. His class was all outside of his classroom waiting for him to come. Reporter one of curtis students, erika, was surprised to learn professor lovelaces class had been cancelled. Later, she learned why. Everyone was just in shock because she was a very young 38yearold, and she seemed healthy from what everybody understood. So it was a huge shock that so thats very sad your professors wife has died. I you didnt know her. I didnt know her, and i really didnt know him at that time either. Reporter soon, everyone in town was wondering what had caused corys death . The pathologist who performed the autopsy a day later noted some trauma a small abrasion on corys upper lip and another mark inside. It appeared to be a cut. Curtis mentioned that cory had fallen in the days before her death. Those falls, as they described them, could account for that injury to the lip, right . Presumably . I wish i knew, but yes, a fall could account for an injury. Reporter the pathologist also noted cory had whats called fatty liver, often caused by heavy drinking. Still, the doctor labeled the cause of death undetermined. She doesnt know what killed this woman . That was frustrating. She does find a disease of the liver, which can be associated with sudden death. Reporter unusual for a young woman to die of unknown causes, but it does happen. Without more to go on, the detective closed the case. Reporter corys mother, marty, still in shock, could barely bring herself to read the autopsy report. Cory was drinking. We dont deny that. She was bulimic and and i did try to talk to curtis about that at one time. Told it was all okay, and it was going to be fine. Reporter now, as she mourned cory, marty knew her suffering would only deepen. Her husband, john, was dying. We had a visitation for cory, and john sat next to me, and it was like he was saying goodbye to friends, too. He didnt come home from the hospital after that. Uhuh. Both those losses, one right on top of the other. Yes. Reporter within the span of a month, marty lost a daughter and a husband. She purchased two burial plots at the local cemetery, even though corys remains were cremated. That was a choice curtis says the entire family made together, but the decision to cremate would be one that would haunt this river town for years to come. Reporter coming up she was different than than anyone i had ever dated before. Maybe in some ways the difference intrigued me. Reporter curtis moves on much too fast, for some. She arrived as the girlfriend. 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Crozier was removed from his post after efforts to protect his crew from the coronavirus became public. Back to dateline. Reporter for so many years hed been the guy in town people looked up to and admired. Curtis lovelace, football star, School Board President , suddenly a pitiable widower who needed help. It was overwhelming. People did come forward friends and family, helping get the kids to school in the morning, so i could also go to work. And then picking them up from school. Its a lot. Its a lot. But we came together as a family and did what we needed to do. Reporter to longtime friend beth dobrzynski, curtis was stoic in the weeks after corys death. But one time, she noticed the mask slip just a little. It was at a High School Reunion later that summer. They were doing a video montage, and corys picture came up. And he turned around and he looked, and he goes, hey, thats my wife. And it was just times like that that made you know, made me really think that, you know just, you know, grieving husband. Reporter thats why, a few months later, she and other friends were surprised to hear that curtis had met someone new. That was fast. She was different than anyone i had ever dated before. Maybe in some ways, that difference intrigued me. Reporter she was erika, as in the former student who showed up to professor lovelaces cancelled class that fateful valentines day morning. Hes extremely charming. Anything that i needed or wanted, he could take care of and he did. Reporter at the time this interview took place, erika asked us to alter her appearance some to protect her privacy. She began her story by recounting how shed, as a 33yearold single woman, bumped into her 37yearold professor at a nightclub not long after corys death. A fish out of water, she thought. And i felt really bad for him. So i gave him my number and i told him that theres places that he could go in town that theres people more his age. Because i thought he was a lot, lot older than what he was. He just seemed just stood out at that club, huh . He did. Quite a bit. Reporter but not long after, pity blossomed into friendship, and then love. They started dating about six months after corys death. Erika and her daughter from a previous relationship eventually moved in with curtis and his four children. It was nice that my child kinda just tucked in there with the rest of em. All of us just fell into place. Reporter thats not the way curtiss daughter, lyndsay, saw it. Whatd you think of her, erika . We did not get along. From the getgo. From the getgo. She arrived as the girlfriend, and thats just how it was. And did i think it was too quickly . Yes, but adults make their own decisions. Reporter in fact, lyndsay was so unhappy with her dads girlfriend she picked up and moved in with her grandmother, corys mom, just a few doors down. After nearly two years living together, curtis and erika married. She had admired how he coached local kids in sports and devoted spare time to his community. Eventually, they both served together in the national guard. And he had an outstanding resume. He did. He looked this is the allamerican boy. I loved the fact that he was on the school board. That was where my profession was leaning. And i loved that he worked with children. He was great. He seemed to be great with the children. Reporter they even bought a new place in town and moved from the house where cory had died. There was domestic tranquility, at first, but eventually erika says she saw a change in her husband. Hed detach once in a while, just from the whole family. And i was kinda left all to myself. And he would just hide in the basement and blame it on work. Reporter she says their mutual silence separated them. Then, resentment exploded in loud confrontations. It just wasnt working. I believe, looking back, that was a rebound relationship. And a relationship that i i shouldve not done, not only for me, but more importantly, for my children. Reporter in 2013, after five years of marriage, curtis filed for divorce. Now, you might think that he would have been gunshy about jumping into love again, but not curtis. It was just surreal and lovely. Reporter this is christine. Shed known curtis since high school. He even took her to their homecoming dance. Marriages and careers separated them, for a time. It was odd because i wasnt prepared for any kind of a relationship and i wasnt looking for anything like that. And where were you in your life christine were you single . I was i was single. Reporter after reconnecting on facebook, the former classmates decided to catch up facetoface for the first time in nearly three decades. There he is at the door. There he is at the door. Who do you see . I see Curt Lovelace, my Senior High School homecoming date standing there. And then we spent that evening with friends. And before we knew it, everyone else had gone. And we just had the most amazing time. I was meeting, in many ways, the same person who i took to homecoming, just more beautiful, more interesting and more more kind than i had ever remembered. It just worked. Reporter more than sixmonths later, on the day after christmas 2013, curtis was once again standing at the altar. Only this time, the new mrs. Lovelace seemed to have approval from everyone. Even 20yearold daughter, lyndsay, whod packed up at the arrival of her fathers last flame. She seemed very genuine. I liked that she cared a lot about the boys. Did you think maybe this could be the restoration of the family . Yeah, i did. After the nightmare, as you see it, of erika . Now, heres christine who seems okay to you . I felt shes certainly making an effort to reach out to you, right . Yeah. And i felt like our family deserved happiness at that point, after everything we had been through. So i was hoping that it would all pan out okay. Reporter and it did go okay. Christine kept all the lovelaces running like a swiss train schedule. Kids off to school, while curtis worked at his own law practice in downtown quincy. Christine, meanwhile, put on her bakers apron. I opened an actual pie shop. I was making a hundred pies a week and i was selling out of pies before 9 00 in the morning. By all accounts, it was so this wasnt just a little hobby to keep you busy. No. This was a going concern, huh . Yes. Absolutely whats your go to pie . I love blueberry. Im with you. But i make a mean gooseberry. You name it, i can probably do it. Reporter after years of turmoil, it seemed, the lovelaces were reborn. Lyndsay was back in the family fold. Christine had even adopted curtis sons as her own. Everything was working. But darker souls wait for the train wreck just when things are looking all hunkydory. Turned out, that train was hurtling down the track at them. Coming up a new detective leads to new suspicion. What jumped out at you . Most definitely, that her arms were in an unnaturally raised position. Reporter and, the start of a new investigation. My first thought was, we missed something here. Reporter when dateline continues. Or powders, try the cooling, soothing relief or preparation h, because your derriere deserves expert care. Preparation h. Get comfortable with it. Subut when we realized she wasn hebattling sensitive skin, we switched to new tide plus downy free. Its gentle on her skin, and dermatologist recommended. New tide pods plus downy free. Safe for sensitive skin with eczema and psoriasis. Reporter the river rolled. The barges slid by. And cory lovelaces death slipped further into the past. Her mom marty. Ill go sit in the cemetery by myself for a little while. And of course valentines day now is nothing. I i dont do valentines day. Reporter corys husband, meanwhile, had remarried, divorced and married again. And in all that time, no one really questioned the why or how of corys death. But all that changed one day when a man in a windowless room, a few blocks off the mississippi, found himself with spare time on his hands. I was sittin in my office. And all of our files were on computer. Reporter it was late 2013, almost eight years after corys death. Adam gibson, a newly minted detective with the Quincy Police department, began idly pulling up old files. Not looking for anything in particular, just reading old cases. Cory lovelace popped into my head. And i read the report. Reporter the name mean anything to you . Yeah. I knew i knew Curtis Lovelace. cause he was had been at one time one of our assistant states attorneys. Reporter there wasnt much to read in the file, truth be told. A statement from curtis the husband, Police Interviews with the three older children. And the pathologists summary of her autopsy findings with some photos. So you knew what had happened in 2006, sort of, or yeah. I knew that she had passed away on valentines day of 2006. Reporter what was the medical examiners finding about the death of that woman . That was an undetermined, was the original autopsy. Reporter what did that mean to you . I dont know whether youd encountered that before. Undetermined could mean a lotta things. But in this particular autopsy, there were things listed as suspicious or traumatic findings. Reporter for instance, the report mentioned that abrasion on corys face just under her nose something the arriving officer had observed that day. The pathologist also noted the cut what she called a laceration on the inside of corys upper lip. The detective kept scrolling. And then saw something that just stopped him cold, an electrifying image, the Police Photos of the dead wife and mother as she lay in her bed. What jumped out at you . Most definitely that her arms were in an unnaturally raised position. Her hands defy reporter her hands in an unnatural kinda way . Her hands defy gravity. Reporter not supported on anything . No. Reporter just kind of out there like a statue . Yes. Reporter using Police Photos from the scene, we created this graphic representation of corys bedroom. You can see corys arms frozen in death above her body. That final pose had caught detective jeff bairds attention years before, a curiosity but he didnt assign it any real significance. Now, adam gibson did. Reporter rigor mortis . In my opinion. Reporter the mechanics of rigor mortis go like this. Upon death, a humans muscles start to stiffen. But to the detective, it looked as though corys arms and hands were in an advanced state of rigor, meaning she likely died many hours before this photo was taken. Remember, curtis said he tucked his sickly wife into bed only an hour before finding her dead. It didnt make sense to the officer. Detective gibson went straight to his bosses with the old lovelace file. My first thought was, we missed something here. Reporter chief Robert Copley had been in charge in 2006, when everyone assumed cory had died a natural death. But he says he never saw the photos the detective was now holding before him. And thats when i saw the pictures for the first time. Reporter whatd you think . I thought this this is odd. This is not natural reporter the posture of the arms . The posture of the arms definitely, appeared to me that rigor mortis had set in. Look at those pictures and i cant believe that we accepted an undetermined cause of death and a natural death. Reporter detective gibson agreed. But they had a problem. Very thin, what youre working. Yes. Reporter some some notes from a medical examiner from eight years before. And a few photos, very few. Yeah. And only two two slides were were taken by the pathologist. And and and passed on in evidence. So yeah, very thin file. Reporter so, police went back to the doctor who did that autopsy and asked her to review the case. She did. But she would not alter her original findings. The next step might have been to order a new autopsy. But that wasnt possible, since corys family had her remains cremated. The only option was to work with what they had. Detective gibson had a suggestion. He wanted to have the autopsy reviewed by someone else. Have basically a review of the original autopsy done. Couldnt do a new autopsy, because the bodyd been cremated. Reporter the chief okayed the request to hire a new pathologist to review old autopsy notes. The detective also had Something Else in mind to beef up his case, talk to any and everyone whod known cory. His first call was to her mom, marty. He told her he wanted to meet, but not why. He said, well, you know, can we set up a time, maybe tomorrow or what. You know, whatever. And then i said, scratch what im doing this afternoon. You just come now. Because i was so nervous about what it was. Reporter everything old was about to be new again, new and very unsettling. The thing that struck me first was the position of her arms. Coming up, a different medical examiner reaches a different conclusion. The manner of death would be homicide. Reporter and a detective has a question for curtis daughter. Tuesday morning, before you went to school, what do you remember . What did you think was happening . I didnt know. With progressive. Wow, thats. And now the progressive commercial halftime show, featuring smash mouth. 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Next to you, apoquel is a dogs best friend. Reporter cory lovelaces mom had tried hard to move on after her daughters sudden death in 2006. But after a phone call and visit from Detective Adam gibson in early 2014, she started to wonder. A lot of things i shoved away. Really shoved away. And one of em was really why cory had died. Did you ever suspect that there might be foul play involved in her death . No. Reporter friends of both curtis and cory also started getting calls from the detective. Beth dobrzynski remembers his message asking her to call asap. So then when i called detective gibson and he said, were reopening the case of Cory Didriksen lovelace, i was shocked. I was shaking. So the detective seemed to be interested in what you could tell him about the marriage . Correct. Which, she admitted, wasnt much. Beth and other Close Friends said cory didnt really talk about her marriage. So the detective did something no one else had done on this case. He started knocking on doors talking to corys former neighbors. All the neighbors talked about all the the constant arguing and fighting. So you were getting a picture of what was goin on in that marriage that wasnt in focus in 2006. Right. The detective went a step further. He got in his car and drove more than a hundred miles to the university of iowa to talk with someone who would have been an eyewitness to the lovelace marriage. Im adam gibson. Nice to meet you. Im a detective with quincy. Ok. Ok. Reporter lyndsay lovelace, curtis and corys oldest, was in college, her moms alma mater, when she was summoned to the Campus Police department to talk with detective gibson. I was very confused why someone from quincy had driven there. The questions that followed didnt clear things up at least not at first. The detective started talking about her late mom and asking about her parents marriage. How was your parents relationship, do you remember . They would fight. It was an interesting relationship. There were times we were like the perfect family, wed do like fun family stuff. And then there were times i do remember being woken up at night by my parents fighting. Reporter for the first time, someone inside the Lovelace Family was revealing the turmoil before corys death. But then the detective asked lyndsay to describe that tuesday in 2006 when her mothers body was found. Tuesday morning, before you went to school, what do you remember . The answer seemed to take the air out of his theory of the case. She was up and Walking Around she had made breakfast. I dont remember what we had for breakfast. But she had like made us breakfast and she was helping us get ready for school because we all had our little valentines day boxes. The young woman candid about her parents troubled marriage was nonetheless supportive of her fathers account cory had died minutes after seeing her children off to school not hours earlier, as the detective suspected. If hed been disappointed in lyndsays answer, he didnt show it. But he did make a request that caught her off guard. If you do talk to your dad, only thing that i would ask is that you not discuss the fact that i came to talk to you, yet. What did you think was happening . I didnt know, especially when he said, dont tell your father i was here. Whats that mean . And i went back to where i was living and just sat there and thought, what is going on . And then it slowly hit me. Reporter she realized the detective for whatever reason suspected her father had something to do with her mothers sudden death. Even so, she kept her promise and did not tell her father about the visit. In the meantime, detective gibson was waiting to hear from dr. Jane turner, the assistant medical examiner for the city of st. Louis. He had hired her to review that old autopsy report. The thing that struck me first just looking at the scene photographs was the position of mrs. Lovelaces arms. She says the photos show corys body in full rigor mortis. Like the detective, the me believed the picture and curtis story were out of sync. I estimate that the time of death was somewhere ten to 12 hours prior to her photograph being taken that morning. So, somewhere around 9. 00 or 10 00 or 11pm the night before. In other words, the night of february 13th not the morning of february 14th as curtis claimed. Something else bothered her turner thought the scene appeared altered as though something under corys arms was removed. Why were her hands not resting on a surface and that surface whatever that object was that her hands had been resting on why wasnt it there anymore . Reporter turner noted the abrasion on corys face and the cut inside her upper lip. To her, that suggested something had been pressed against the womans mouth. And then seeing the marks around the mouth and inside the mouth all suggest that suffocation occurred. Reporter suffocation. An abrasion. An accepted timeline that no longer fit. Turner was convinced cory had not died a natural death. She concluded someone had used an object likely a pillow to suffocate the woman; left it under her arms and removed it many hours later. The manner of death would be homicide. Reporter for the detective cory lovelaces death came down to two competing narratives from two compelling women. One relied on science to explain a murder. The other relied on memory to describe an ailing mother just before she passed away. In the end, the detective believed the science. He believed that a crime had, indeed, been committed. But now chief copley had a little problem back at the Quincy Police officers who had conducted very different investigations of the same case. Detective gibson, you believe that this was a homicide. I i do believe that. Officer baird, do you believe that this was a death of Natural Causes . Are you divided on that fundamental issue . Im now uncertain. From what ive heard and been told, under the under the new investigation. Much more uncertain than i was in 2006. Their boss chief copley still backs both men. He says if theres blame to be had in this case, hell take it. You hate to admit that mistakes were made. And and i want to say that i i take full responsibility. I was chief in 2006. You know i i had detectives and their supervisors workin on this case. But did chief, did he get a pass because he was a pillar of the community . He was a he was a bigshot guy. I dont know that he got a pass, i think he may have got the benefit of the doubt. Reporter Curtis Lovelace was i nigh knew he was going to be there. And lunch came and went. No curt. A few blocks away. Cur tis stepped out of his law office. He was on his way to the pie shop. I was walking to my car, there was a gentleman in a suit waiting for me. It was detective gibson. Armed an indictment from the grand jury. He said what. My wife died in 2006. Whatd you think of that . Not the reaction i expected. Put my hand behind me back and put me in handcuffs. What was going on . I dont know. I heard murder and hearing him use the word wife. I was not aware that there was an investigation. You were totally blind sided. Totally blindsided. A phone call. Someone from a local tv station. He said im holding a piece of paper in my hand. Its an indictment for the first degree murder. And i immediately said what . Cory wasnt murdered. Give me a word. That day in your life. Horrifying. I was placed in an Interrogation Room immediately. A crucial choice. Talk to the detective and clear it up right then kp there. Or would the Attorney Lawyer up . Coming up. I dont remember anything significant about the night. You went to bed together . Yeah. I believe we did. I have a problem with not rememb remembering all these things. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. 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Were committed to keeping you connected. For more information on how you can stay connected, visit xfinity. Com prepare. Seven years after the death of cory lovelace, police reopen the case. We missed something here. Her husband is the prime suspect. Returning now to mystery on the mississippi. Curtis was the one in hot seat. You have the right to remain silent, you understand that . Yes. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, and youre a lawyer. And you know the number one rule is you do not talk to the police without having a lawyer present. I but you talk . But but i talk. I wanted to answer all their questions. I thought that they wanted to know the truth. She indicated she didnt feel well. Reporter on that valentines morning, curtis said cory was still nursing that bad cold or flu. I walked back upstairs with her and she climbed into bed. Reporter he described leaving the house, then coming home only to find his wife dead in their bedroom. She was cold and and stiff. I just recall her hands being out or Something Like that. Reporter and yet many other details surrounding his wifes death seemed to elude curtis. But no, i dont remember anything significant about the night before. You said the two of you went to bed together . Yeah, i i believe we did. You know, its been a long time i guess its possible i would have left, slept on a couch or something. You said you took the kids to school . Again, i believe i did. Its been so long. Ironically he didnt remember a whole lot about that day. Reporter couldnt even remember whether he in fact, took the kids to school that day . Right. I just would have thought that finding your wife dead in bed would have left more of an impression on ya. Reporter to the detective, curtis was trying to look helpful without really being so. Gibson cut to the chase. Did you smother cory with a pillow . No, i did not. Reporter did you and cory have a bad argument, curt . Did it get out of hand . Did you snap and then put a pillow over her nose and mouth and suffocate her . No. No, i there there were no bad arguments the night before. Um, its its exactly what what ive told detective baird in 2006. And what i told detective gibson in 2014, and what im telling you now. That that is what happened. She was sick and i came home and i found her that morning. And she was dead in bed. Reporter it was clear the detectives strategy hadnt yielded what he wanted, a confession. I have a problem with you not remembering all of these things. Reporter the lawyers goal of talking his way out of trouble hadnt exactly worked, either. Even after he agreed, curtis says, to take a lie detector test. In a short time, he was swapping out his buttoned downed shirt and leather loafers for a very different courthouse look. Jail house black and white stripes. Coming up. So you went into her mops room and she was in bed. Yeah, wed wake up every morning and id go in her room and watch a show. Do you know what time that was . No. Are his kids the key to his freedom . They saw their mother alive that day. So therefore she couldnt have been dead up stairs. Right. When dateline continues. When dateline continues. At least geico makes it easy to bundle our renters and Car Insurance. Yeah, helping us save us even more. For bundling made easy, go to geico. Com you have power over pain, so the whole world looks different. The unbeatable strength of advil. What pain . Featuring the Emmy Awardwinning voice remote. Access to your favorite apps, including netflix, prime video, youtube and hulu. All without changing passwords and inputs. The most 4k content and movies and shows on any screen. The best Entertainment Experience all in one place. Reporter Curtis Lovelace could not believe how his world had fallen apart. One minute he was quincys fair haired boy, the next, he was being interrogated by police for killing his first wife, cory. On my side of the bed when i found her dead. Reporter meanwhile, christine was in a panic for two reasons. Her husband had just been arrested and now she was looking for her sons. I found out that all three boys were at the police station. The boys were down there . They had been taken out of school and held in isolation earlier in the day. Reporter they were just 17, 15 and 12yearsold at the time. All alone at the police headquarters. Once christine found out they were there, she rushed to the station. What were the kids told . Whatd they think was going on . They actually thought that something had happened to me. I walked into the room and they got up and they all um were very scared and um they hugged me and i told them everything would be okay. Well figure this out. Reporter detective gibson had rounded up the boys because he was looking for more information. Im looking into the death of your mom from 2006. Okay . Uhmm. Reporter the detective started to question them about the last days of their mothers life. So you went into your moms room. Yeah. And she was in bed. Yeah, we would wake up every morning and then i would go into the room and watch our show. Do you know what time that was . No. Reporter larson the youngest son was not interviewed by police back in 2006 because he was only 4 years old. Now, he was telling detective gibson he wasnt sure if his mother was alive that morning. He said he only remembered getting out of bed and going to his moms room. But she didnt answer him. I just remember like going into the room and then she wouldnt wake up and i think it was valentines day. Uh huh. Yeah, dad was gone, came back and i told him, yeah that she was not waking up. Reporter but the two older boys said they did remember seeing their mom that morning. This is lincoln, the middle boy. I just remember like waking up and like i remember her not feeling good and i was sitting on the stairs and then i went to school. I think i remember saying i love you before we left but thats pretty much it. Reporter logan, the eldest son, said he knew for certain that his mom was alive that february 14th. She was sitting on the steps, like, ready for us to leave the house. Reporter christine was still trying to find her husband. She didnt know he had been transferred to a different jail. Eventually, he called. He told me everything would be okay. And that we were gonna have to to fight some things. Reporter christine was a wreck. Her husband was in jail and she was dumbfounded as to why the police had taken the boys out of school and then interviewed them without parental permission. She felt better about this though the two oldest boys backed their dads story they had seen their mom cory alive valentines day morning, just like curtis said. They saw their mother alive that day. The and thats thats the gist of their story. Yes, i saw her alive that morning yes. When dad took us to school. Uhhuh. So there it was valentines day. So therefore she couldnt have been dead upstairs and right. Dying and rigor mortis setting in. Right. Because we saw her alive. Uhhuh yes. Reporter the boys sister lyndsay, had also told police two separate times her mom was alive that morning, had seen her off to school on valentines day. She was standing in the front hall like marching us out the door like she always did. Reporter on the day of her fathers arrest, lyndsay was away at college when she had an emotional talk with her brothers. Talked to em on the phone the day he got arrested. And they passed the phone around and they were sobbing cause they were scared. Hold on. And they asked me to come home, and that was the last thing i ever said to them like, ever talked to them. Reporter thats when another tragedy unfolded within the Lovelace Family. Around the time of curtis arrest his relationship with his daughter once again deteriorated. The family doesnt want to get into details but soon lyndsay found herself cut off from her brothers, too. I had been shut out, completely shut out. Well, you knew the charge against your father and the theory of the crime that he had put a pillow over your mothers nose and smothered her. Thats a stark image to deal with. Its something i didnt ponder, and i chose not to ponder. Reporter though a jury would soon be pondering curtis guilt or innocence. In august 2014, the 45year old former assistant states attorney found himself standing in a courtroom. This time as a defendant at his own arraignment. Having to appear in a courtroom that i had served as a prosecutor, and dressed in in stripes and and having my my hands and my feet shackled. Those were some really some low times. Reporter married just eight months wife number threes commitment for better or for worse was immediately put to the test. My husband, who is kind and caring and compassionate is charged with something so heinous that it makes no sense. Reporter if convicted, Curt Lovelace could spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of his wife cory. As if that werent enough stress, his daughter lyndsay was about to drop a bombshell. Coming up a daughters difficult decision. I dont know whats in lyndsays head and in her heart. One day she was happy then everything changed. And a mother recounts what she says was curtis bizarre behavior the day her daughter died. I open the door and he hands me larson. And says . Oh, and by the way, corys dead. When dateline continues. Heres whats happening. President trump said he was being, quote, sarcastic when he suggests patients with coronavirus be treated with ultraviolet light or with bleach. They condemn the comments as dangerously lethal. And top officials in the navy recommend captain Brett Crozier return to the u. S. S. Roosevelt. He was fired after raising alarms about a major coronavirus outbreak on the ship. Now back to dateline. Reak on now back to dateline. Reporter Curtis Lovelace was the hometown hero. Now his face was plastered on the front pages of quincys newspaper as an accused murderer. Were relying on scientific the media, including our quincy nbc affiliate were all over the story, covering nearly every second of his fall from grace. Hes accused of killing his first wife reporter this former prosecutor would himself be prosecuted by ed parkinson. You cant get around rigor mortis in my opinion, and make sense of this case. And the timeline doesnt make sense with Curtis Lovelace. Reporter in january 2016, nearly a decade after cory lovelaces death, curtis arrived for the first day of his trial. He faced 20 to 60 years in prison upon conviction for firstdegree murder. He pleaded not guilty. Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom. Its clear to me it didnt matter what i did. As far as the prosecution was concerned. Their only concern was that they needed to create a crime and they needed for me to look bad in order to do that. Reporter curtis didnt necessarily need prosecutors help to look bad. Some of his own actions the day cory died were at the very at least unusual. Including never calling 911. Reporter he called who . His boss. Reporter his wife is dead in the bed . Yes. Reporter and he calls his boss . Yeah. And said, my wife is dead. So his boss, said, well, would you like me to call the ambulance people . Yes. Would you do that . Reporter corys mom, marty didriksen, who lived just a few houses away, testified that curtis broke the news of her daughters death in what she thought was the most callous way. There was a knock at her door and curtis was standing there with 4yearold larson. I open the door and he hands me larson. Reporter and says . Oh, and by the way, corys dead. And leaves. Reporter marty, ive gotta say, i think thats very strange. Take your grandson and, by the way, your daughters dead. He was emotionless, lets put it that way. People who saw him that day claimed that he was without emotion. Curtis also knew cpr. And yet, he never tried to revive his wife. Reporter on the day, why didnt you do cpr . I dont know. I dont know why i didnt do cpr. I dont know why i i didnt call 911. In looking back i saw my wife, cory dead. And i didnt know how to react. Reporter prosecutor parkinson next went after the first police investigation. Pushing hard against detective baird who handled the case. He questioned if baird gave curtis who was then an assistant states attorney, preferential treatment. He was a prosecutor. They were the police. He gave em a story that he how it happened. They bought into it. After all, hes one of us. Reporter so maybe tougher questions didnt get asked. I think so. Reporter neighbors testified the lovelace household was sometimes a stormy one. And that, parkinson suggested to jurors, is the backdrop of corys death. They fought all the time. It was a rocky marriage with lots of arguments going both ways. And it got out of control. And maybe the evidence indicates that placing a pillow, over ones face to make them stop yelling at me. Maybe in her weakened state, if she was had flulike symptoms, maybe it went too far. Reporter the states theory, remember, is the force of the pillow caused that cut and abrasion on the outside and inside of corys lip. The prosecutor then implied the pillow was placed under her arms after she died and later removed. If you leave it there through the night, and while rigor mortis is setting in, and then if a person is thinking, oh, my god. What did i do . And, oh, theres that pillow in her im going to get rid of that pillow, then the arms are already up. Reporter and you think thats what happened . Yes. Reporter but then came, perhaps, the most anticipated testimony for the prosecution. Lyndsay, curtis own daughter, took the stand. Two times, over a span of eight years, she told police her mother was alive that morning. She said she had felt better. Reporter but on the stand, with her dads life on the line, she changed her story. Telling jurors she was no longer sure her mom was alive that day. Dont remember any of it. Reporter but it doesnt stick in your memory . Nope. Reporter and yet, detective bairds notes, you do tell him the story about seeing your mother. And then with the videotaped interview with detective gibson, you seem quite clear about that morning, and yes, you saw her and went off to school. What had happened in the interim between your statement and going into trial, on the stand, and then kind of stepping back from all of that . It was the fact of no one had honestly asked me, sincerely, what had happened that day. And i had never taken time to actually think about it. I reporter well, detective gibson did, a couple of years before, when he took your statement, right . But it again, i didnt know why he was askin me. I didnt know what was going on. And i gave the story i always gave. So when i had to sit there and think about it, i had to be honest with myself. And it wasnt the answer i wanted. I wish i could say i really do wish i could say, yes, i remember her, or, no, i know i didnt see her. Reporter but you cannot say that . But i cannot say that. Reporter and this is not you getting back at your dad who youre very sideways with, at this point . No, because it hurts my reporter he needs that story and youre not gonna give it to him . No, because it hurts my brothers, too for me not to honestly say, yes, i saw her. But im gonna say what i can remember, which is nothing. Its a black hole. Its a traumatizing event. And when kids go through traumatizing events, they block things out. And losing my mother was the worst day of my life. Reporter how are we to understand whats going on with with lyndsay, christine, because she has told the story that she, like her brothers, remembers seeing her mom alive, but then she backs away from it and says, i think i cant remember really. I dont know whats in lyndsays head and in her heart. One day she was happy and then everything changed. Reporter the prosecution still had to explain why the two oldest boys were adamant their mom was alive that morning. Parkinson told jurors there was a twoday gap between corys death and the first Police Interviews with the kids. Ample time he suggested, for the boys to be influenced by their dad. I think the children were confused as to which day. After all reporter how about coached . Do you think that he told him a story . He had custody of the children from the moment of her discovery until thursday afternoon. So from tuesday till thursday afternoon, i dont know what was said. Reporter dr. Jane turner, the pathologist detective gibson hired to review the case, took the stand and said science is where the truth lies. She concluded the most reasonable explanation for corys arms appearing to levitate, is that cory was dead up to 12 hours before Police Arrived on the scene. I viewed this material and reviewed it with the eye of a scientist and and what we know about the development of rigor mortis. Reporter what would a jury believe, science, or the words from two of corys own sons . Corys brother, a dentist, found himself struggling over the conflicting facts. Science is my living you know, its i have to believe in that, but i also have to, you know, believe in the family at the same time. So im completely torn. Reporter ive never seen a more difficult case, more closely argued. And there doesnt seem to be middle ground to theres theres none. Reporter parkinson urged the jury to focus on the science and one image. Cory in her bed, her body in rigor mortis. He said it proved shed died hours before curtis claimed. It proved he was lying. It proved, he argued, that curtis killed her. Coming up the defense gets its turn and christine is feeling optimistic. I knew in my heart he was coming home. Until christine came in. And they explained to her what was about to happen. When dateline continues. When dateline continues. So whats going on . Im a talking dog. The other issue. Oh. Im scratching like crazy. Youve got some allergic itch with skin inflammation. Apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours, whether its a new or chronic problem. And apoquels treated over 7 million dogs. Nice. And. The talking dog thing . Is it bothering you . No. Itching like a dog is bothering me. Until dogs can speak for themselves, you have to. When allergic itch is a problem, ask for apoquel. Apoquel is for the control of itch associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of Atopic Dermatitis in dogs. Do not use apoquel in dogs less than 12 months old or those with serious infections. Apoquel may increase the chance of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or preexisting cancers to worsen. Do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. Feeling better . Im speechless. Thanks for the apoquel. Awww. Thats what friends are for. Ask your veterinarian for apoquel. Next to you, apoquel is a dogs best friend. Reporter the defense had a simple message for jurors curtis should not be on trial. Thats because there was no crime and this was not a murder. It said the states case was built on faulty science. Ive stated repeatedly in this matter that theres no physical evidence to prove that he murdered his wife. Reporter veteran pathologist dr. George nichols created the office of medical examiner for the state of kentucky back in the 1970s. Now, as a defense expert, he told jurors rigor mortis is not an accurate indicator of time of death. And he added where is the evidence cory fought for her life . There were no signs of struggle and only the cut and abrasion on her lip. You will fight until you no longer can. The thought that somehow you could suffocate someone with a pillow and there would be only one dental mark is ludicrous. Reporter detective baird testified that when he first arrived on the scene corys stomach area was still warm. How is that possible, the defense asked, if she had died up to 12 hours earlier . If the body is warm to the touch, my common sense tells me, not science, that this is someone recently deceased. Absolutely. Is there an error in that assumption . No. Reporter as far as the prosecutions contention that curtis killed cory after a heated argument, the couples oldest son testified he didnt hear anything like that the night before. And he should know, because his room was right next to his parents. It was even connected by an extra door that was usually left slightly opened. She was all sick and i was like, ill stay home with you and she wouldnt let me stay home. Reporter the two older boys, unlike their sister, stuck to the story they told police. Did she ever get out of bed. Yes, i think she did. Reporter if jurors believed them, it blew apart the prosecutions timeline that cory was murdered the night before. They said the same thing that they had told baird in 2006 and detective gibson in 2014. Reporter and the defense had its sights on detective gibson. They claimed in 2013, he was an overeager, newly promoted detective primarily assigned to work crimes against seniors. This was his first murder case. He transferred from k9 officer to Elder Service officer. And around the same time he went to a one week course on being a lead detective in a homicide case. And he embarked on this investigation that that led to my indictment. Reporter finally, the defenses medical expert concluded there was only one plausible explanation for corys death. She had a history of drinking and falling and that caused that abrasion and cut. The bottom line she was an alcoholic and bulimic suffering from a liver disease, someone who unfortunately died of Natural Causes. Shes not a normal 38yearold woman. She has a significant disease of a major organ that is associated with sudden death and with liver failure. Reporter in the end, curtis decided not to take the stand. Ten women and two men would decide lovelaces fate. O full days. Tions went on for then, christine got the call to come back to the courthouse. And i knew in my heart he was you were gonna prevail. Hes coming home. Yes. Reporter but once she arrived, bailiffs led her to a small law library. Christine came in. And they explained to her for the first time what was about to happen, that the judge would declare a mistrial. Curt was sitting across. He said, im not gonna be able to come home tonight, and and i lost all my air. It was terrible. Reporter the jury was hopelessly deadlocked. The vote six guilty, six not. Curtis would face another trial. Since he couldnt make bail, hed remain in jail, unless a deal . A plea deal . They had offered a seconddegree murder plea. But i knew it was a decision not only that i had to make, but we had to make as a family. And i didnt know whether i could put them through another year of what we had already gone through. Reporter thats when one of curtiss lawyers turned to christine. He said this can all end right now if curt agrees to take this deal. He said it would keep him from dying in prison. But hed have to admit his culpability, responsibility in corys death. Thats the condition, right . Correct. And that he wouldnt have to spend probably any more than 13 years in prison. Reporter the two said no thanks to the states offer and geared up for a second trial. But that forced them to face another dire reality they were totally broke, unable to afford another lawyer. What are we going to do . I mean, at that point, it there didnt appear to be any option. This could be a moment for christine to say, im out of here. I didnt sign on to be some Tammy Wynette for this guy, standin by her man. Im gone. Yeah. And who who could who could blame her if she would have done that . But thats not who she is. Reporter it looked as though curtis would have to use a public defender. But christine wouldnt accept that option. She worked her connections and eventually ended up here in chicago. She came to our office and told us her story and i remember finding it compelling and certainly worth exploring further. Reporter jon loevy is not a criminal lawyer. Hes a civil rights attorney by practice who also does pro bono work with the exoneration project. Its aim overturn wrongful convictions. But curtis hadnt been convicted, at least not yet. Still, loevy and cocounsel Tara Thompson decided to take the case. Their services would be free. The main concern that i had in this case from the outset was really the lack of evidence. This didnt feel like a murder case from the beginning. Reporter with a new defense team in place, christine got working on her next goal making bail to get her husband out of jail. Friends eventually put up the cash. Almost two years after his arrest, curtis was released to his wife and sons. They greeted me at the Hancock County jail. And i came home to a dog that i had never met. And for the first time, got to be back in my house and back in my home. Reporter but it wouldnt be Home Sweet Home for long. While curtis and mrs. Lovelace number three waited for the next trial of the alleged murder of mrs. Lovelace number one, the judge ruled that mrs. Lovelace number two could testify against her former husband. And what a story she had to tell. Coming up erika, out of disguise, and on the stand. Recounting what she says was a marriage from hell. He ripped my shirt. And then he let me go and he tried to grab me again and i kept on trying to fight him off. When dateline continues. People are surprising themselves the moment they realize they can du more with less asthma. Thanks to dupixent, the addon treatment for specific types of moderatetosevere asthma. Dupixent isnt for sudden breathing problems. It can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. Its not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. Dont use if allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. 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This one little nexgard chew is the 1 vet recommended protection. And its the only chew, fda approved to prevent infections that cause lyme disease. Plus, its safe for puppies. Theres a lot of power in this one little nexgard chew. Nexgard. What one little chew can do. Reporter Curtis Lovelace was a local celebrity. Or at least so infamous, according to his new defense team, that he couldnt get a fair trial in his hometown. A judge agreed. So trial number two was moved from quincy to springfield, illinois all rise. Reporter about two hours away. The defense is going to come up here and try to portray the defendant as a pillar of the community. Thats a facade. Reporter David Robinson would join ed parkinson for the prosecution. This time cameras were allowed in the courtroom when the trial started in march, 2017. Our houses were about 15 feet apart from each other. Reporter as in the first trial, neighbors testified they often heard arguing from the lovelace home. This woman lived next door and says she heard shouting almost every day. Essentially for the entire time that we lived there. So six years. As i walked by the house i heard an argument, a loud argument. Reporter another neighbor testified she heard cory and curtis really going at it and on a specific date, the night before valentines day 2006. She happened to be out for a stroll. It actually i did cause me to pause. I guess i was listening to see if somebody was in distress. Reporter the prosecutions theory this goround on how cory died remained the same. After a heated argument, the night before valentines day, curtis suffocated his wife with a pillow in a fit of rage. He then waited up to twelve hours before police were called. Come over here and have a seat please. Reporter and once again science would play a leading role in the prosecutions case. But prosecutors had a new witness. A star forensic expert. I have also testified before the house of representatives. Reporter in a 64year career, dr. Werner spitz has consulted on the jfk and Martin Luther king assassinations, as well as in other highprofile cases including those of phil specter and casey anthony. The appearance of the injury leaves no doubt that this is not a healing wound. Reporter in a darkened courtroom, spitz showed photos and talked about that cut inside corys mouth. Curtis had told police his wife had fallen in the days before she died, his explanation for that injury. But this expert said he saw no signs the cut was an old one. Theres no evidence of healing. So this looks like at the time it was incurred. Reporter the abrasion on the outside of the lip and the cut inside indicated to spitz that an object, like a pillow, had been placed on corys face shortly before she died. This is not an accident, this is not a natural death, this is not a suicide, this is a homicide. Reporter then came testimony the first jury never got to hear, and it was explosive. For this trial, the judge allowed erika gomez, wife number two, to testify. Remember when we interviewed her, she wanted to protect her identity. But now on the witness stand, she could no longer be shielded by a disguise. He violently attacked me. Reporter prosecutors called the exwife to the stand to try to show that curtis had a history of violence. She recounted one incident she says happened at home during their marriage. He had started probably drinking at about 9 am. And we had been arguing about kids. He came rushing at me and tried to grab me. Tried to hurt me. And grabbed my shirt, and he yanked it up really hard, hard enough to injure my knee. He ripped my shirt. And then he let me go, and he tried to grab me again and i kept on trying to fight him off. Reporter then erika told the jury another shocking story. She said curtis had been drinking at a party. And later that night, he blurted out something she found disturbing. Hes rarely honest except for when hes been drinking. And he was upset about something, and i asked him what he was upset about and he stated something about. She was writhing underneath me and then he said, oh, the black cat. Reporter as strange as that story sounded, the prosecutor took it to mean this. Curtis wasnt talking about a cat, but about corys last minutes of life, as she struggled while curtis smothered her. Erika had a story to tell. Theres one particular quote that came out and he says, i could hear her writhing beneath me. Yes. That was evidence. She gave and it sounds as though hes talking about killing his wife at that moment. Thats what we thought it sounded like, and she testified to that under oath on the stand that i could feel her writhing beneath me. And thats pretty much what wouldve happened if suffocation was occurring. Reporter the prosecution believed its evidence against curtis was overwhelming. Not so fast, said the defense. Thats because it had some things up its sleeve. A new piece of lastminute evidence. And what an interesting nugget they had found. Coming up tough questions for erika. Someone made that up. Someone put those words in there my signature should be there, anybody can redo this. And bomb shell testimony. Did you know when you decided to pursue this investigation that the arms had been moved . I did not. When dateline continues. When dateline continues. We told the judge we werent going to talk. Curtis lovelace was putting his life in the hands of his new attorney who took on the defense for free, had more than 20 years of experience, just not in criminal law. Was this your first murder trial . It was. I did a battery criminal defense case right out of law case. Other than that, this is basically my first criminal defense case. Curtis was taking a huge gamble. On the other hand, she was broke, he didnt have a lot of options. Cory died of massive liver disease. In his opening remarks, he said the state hadnt presented any evidence of murder for one reason, there was no murder. Prove to you that she died as a result of an acute sudden on set condition brought on by her alcoholism. One of the defenses key goals was to debunk the damaging testimony of curtiss ex, erika, he had violently attacked her and ripped her shirt. Once we finished taking and id taken my notes. One of the First Defense witnesses was major larry fuller with the Illinois National guard. I asked her if she wanted to make a sworn statement, a formal sworn statement in writing. She said, yes, she would. Erica filed a Domestic Violence charge with the guard since curtis at the time was still active. The major was appointed to look into the charges. He testified as to what erika told him. She started backing up while backing up she fell. He went down to pick her up. He said he struck her in the chin as he was reaching for her shoulder. You say the word accidentally. That was her words. She reported curtis accidentally hit her. She didnt mention anything about curtis ripping her shirt. After conducting an investigation, he concluded her charges were unfounded. There was nothing there to actually lead to a Domestic Violence finding. Armed with that information, the defense confronted her with her own statement, but she said the document used in court was a fake. Someone made that up. Someone put those words in there. My signature should be there. My signature is not there. This is typed. This isnt written. Anybody can redo this. Then the defense did something unusual. It asked erica about other accusations she made about curtis and she had a laundry list of complaints. He knows how to forge paper work. He used my Social Security number to try and steal money out of my account. He knows how to get rid of evidence. He stole my daughters bicycle out of the garage. At one point, an overwhelmed erika asked for a timeout. Can i get a break, please. But erika wasnt folding. She blurted out another allegation in court against her ex. He was poisoning me. There was my hair was falling out. There were white lines on my fingers. I was extremely sick. Erika claimed curtis tried to poison her and her daughter. She told police he likely put something in their orange juice, but according to the defense, there was a problem with that charge. Erika never sought medical care. Isnt it true, maam, you never went to a doctor and said, i think im being poisoned. It wouldnt have mattered. When erika left the stand what do you think the jury made of her . I think they were shocked the state called her. When she was subjected to cross examination, she wasnt a credible person. There was one other theme he wanted to drill into this jury, and it concerned the lead detective. Adam gibson he argued had gone pathologist shopping, that is, he consulted a series of pathologists before find him one to give him the answer he was looking for, that, yes, corys death was, in fact a murder. If my opinion is not what he wants, hes going to be going looking for somebody else. This doctor was one of the pathologists gibson approached. Her opinion, detective gibson wanted her to call this a homicide. When that was not her conclusion he had a theory and he was looking somehow to substantiate that theory. Original pathologist, the original coronor said there was insufficient evidence to find the homicide. He got other pathologists said theres nothing unusual here, youre barking up the wrong tree. Then came even more damaging accusations against gibson. The defense said it obtained at the last minute documents that was supposed to have received from the police but never did. Potentially exculpatory evidence. You understood this email, didnt you . It was not something that i thought of, no. One email was from a medical expert. He warned detective gibson that if the first pathologist left the cause of death undetermined that opinion would trump anyone elses and that would give plenty of reasonable doubt to a jury. This email should have been turned over. I believe so it should, yes. You didnt turn it over. I did not. The prosecutions case appeared to be teetering. Then came another blow. William ballard was one of the first emts on the scene. When he arrived, he wanted to place ekg stickers on corys body to check for a heart beat so he moved her arms. Her arms were down against her chest. I had to pull them up to check for a pulse, check for any rigger mortis and to also move her arms up to place the stickers where im supposed to place them. He moved corys arms before the Police Photos were taken. That means her arms were not in the same position as seen in the photographs, the ones that started this entire second investigation. The defense seized on that fact. Did you know when you decided to pursue this investigation that the arms had been moved . I did not. Is this the first time youre hearing that today . The arms had been moved prior to the pictures, yes. Because basically your investigation took off because you believed that the arms were in a position that was suspicious, right . Yes. Come up and be sworn. A final surprise. For the first time, the defendant, Curtis Lovelace took the stand. He insisted he wasnt a violent man. He never harmed his second wife erika and certainly did not kill cory. I did love cory. And i know the kids loved her. Its been difficult. The defense wrapped up its questioning with an emotional curtis telling jurors of the enormous toll the two trials had taken on him and his family. How long have you been dealing with this . Its been two and a half years. When ever youre ready. On crossexamination, the prosecution pointed out that a whole bunch of witnesses and facts in this trial would have be to wrong for curtis to be innocent. Sounds to me like youre saying erika is lying, the detective gibson is lying, marty is lying and the science is lying. Do you agree . Its up to them to decide who is lying. After seven days of testimony, Curtis Lovelaces trial had come to an end. The jury began deliberations. Remember, the first panel was deadlocked 66. Let me ask you this, have you reached an unanimous verdict . But this go around the jury was out about two hours before it came back with a decision. We the jury find the defendant curtis t. Lovelace not guilty. 11 years after corys death, two and a half years after curtiss arrest and two jury trials later not guilty. Twohour verdict, murder trial, what does that tell you . That tells me that they were absolutely convinced that curt was innocent. Thats not how prosecutor ed parkenson sees it. So does the system work or does a guy get away with murder here . Sometimes it works. I think my partner in the prosecution said youre looking at a guy who you think might have got away with murder. I feel bad because i think were right. How do you feel right now. The legal consequences for curtis are over the fallout from corys death continues to paralyze the extended family. I dont know what to believe anymore. Now a teacher, the daughter remains estranged from her father, but she hopes to salvage something despite all thats happened. A relationship with her brothers. I just pray everyday and hope that one day ill get a call, a text, a message, an email, something from one of them. Corys mom, marty. Did you come to an opinion about what role, if any, he had in corys death, curtis . Those are tucked here. I have kept my mouth shut for a long time. Im going to keep it that way. Curtis says the state offered increasingly attractive plea deals before the start of the second trial. But he turned them all down. He has since filed an 11count lawsuit against the police and the city of quincy. The suit alleges malicious prosecution and argues curtiss kids were falsely imprisoned during those Police Interviews. Representatives for the police in quincy said they had no comment. The family has moved out of quincy and curtis has opened a new law office in champaign, illinois. Couple requests that we go ahead both he and christine are starting exonerationtype organizations. They say they want to help others wrongfully accused of convicted. What happened to you guys in this whole thing, do you think . I dont know what happened to us, dennis. Were still figuring that out. These kinds of things happen across our country everyday and now i think we have an obligation to share this story and to help other people. Your goal was to leave that courthouse an innocent man . Yes. I believe looking in the eyes of that jury, seeing, you know, tears from some of them how quickly that they came back that im craig melvin. Im natalie morales. This is dateline. I dont go undercover every day. Thats what made me nervous. They had a secret plan. Were you armed . Yes. You were wearing a wire . Yes. To solve a baffling case. A College Student on a friday night out who vanished. Shes a very shy girl. But she was