Evidence of a crime. Any signs of a struggle . No, it was case closed. Years passed, new lives, two new wives. Hes extremely charming. We just had the most amazing time. Then a new Detective Dusts off the old case. What jumped out at you . Most definitely that her arms were in an unnaturally raised position. My first thought is we missed something here. The manner of death would be homicide. What really happened in that bedroom . I wanted an answer to the questions. A Young Mothers death a mystery. Was it murder . Dont give me excuses. It runs through the heart of america, beating industry, towns and imaginations. The Mississippi River gave tom sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and just across the river in quincy, illinois, lived another larger than life character. Curtis lovelace a small town kid who wanted to be a star and for a time, he was. A Football Champion for the university of illinois. Hes an all american . All american. This is what kids dream about . Right. He was living that life. Absolutely. It was looking like he would go to the nfl. That was kind of a dream of his. Then he realized grander visions, 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 the lives of people. But it was what happened in this little house sequence to one person in particular that made curtis really stand out for automatic world to see. Now to continuing coverage in the Curtis Lovelace murder case. It was a heated day at the stand. Right now, the defense is presenting its Closing Arguments in the case. Big dreams on a mighty river can carry you far or they can drive you under. This is the very strange journey of Curtis Lovelace, all american to criminal defender. Lets roll back the years to high school and to the woman that would become the focus of so much speculation. Corey deidrichson. Corey and i went to high school towing. We really didnt run in the same crowd. We had some mutual friends and we didnt date in high school. Back then, curtis was more 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 college break. Former classmates bumped into each other in quincy and quickly became an item. Corey wasted no time spreading the news. Ill never forgive the day, i was playing tennis with a friend. Thats when she told us, kurt was it. She went to high school with the new couple. Surprised . Not really. No they seemed a great fit together and she was, she was very, very much smitten. It wasnt long before corey was telling her mother, marty, shed found the one. She comes home and were sitting there, she said, i met the man im going to marry. Whoa. Back up and she kept her promise. In 1991, just after college, corey 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. 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 . Two houses up and one over, yeah. Curtis ambitions drove the young couple. He became a prosecutor in the adam county state Attorneys Office and dabbled in school board politics, winning a seat and serving as president. He even found time to teach a law class at Quincy University. In between the professional milestones, the lovelaces started a family, first girl, lindsay and three years, how was corey as a mother . Fantastic, she was a great mom. There wasnt anything she didnt do for those kids. Coreys days were filled with diapers, play dates and even then this mom never forget to be a Good Daughter n. Early 2006 her dad was dying of cancer. That was a major event . That was a major event. His health declined . Four years he fought it it. The last six months of his life she cam every night. She came at 5 00 and sat to visit. That was her time with him. Warn down with the stress of care giving, raising four kids, was it any wonder when corey, herself, fell im. It was the weekend before valentines day 2006. She was feeling poorly. Poorly, how . What was she ailing from in. Just flulike symptoms. Throwing up, we thought she had the flu. But on monday the night before valentines day, corey still managed to get the kids valentines cards ready for school the next day. Her daughter lindsay then 12 remembers cuddling up with her mom, watching the Winter Olympics and snowboarder shaun white. I remember watching him with her, like, mom, hes so cute. As a 12yearold, like that was awesome. It wasnt that she was bed ridden or anything tant . No, she was she was just feeling crummy . She was feeling sick. Even for my mom, that was not common. Even if she was sick, she did what she thought was expected of her and took care of us and made us dinner and laundry because that was her role. But when tuesday valentines day dawned, curtis says he urged her to take it easy. We decided i would cancel my Morning Class at Quincy University in order to get the kids to school. So dad is going to be on deck . Its going to be dads time to get everybody up and running here in. Yeah. Right so i cancelled my class helped the kids Get Ready For School. She did come down stairs to help with that. He says corey was so ill, he had to help her back to bed before driving the three kids to school, backpacks stuffed with valentines cards. Within minutes, he was back. Only the home cluttered with clothes and toys was now filled with Something Else. Silence. Quiet enough to break a familys heart. Coming up, what had happened in that house . As i got closer, i immediately knew that something was really, really wrong. So wrong, it would tear apart a family and puzzle police for years to come. Every detective needs to keep in mind that there could be a bigger pick. When dateline continues. When dateline continues yeah, i mean the thing is, people like geico because its just easy. Bundling for example. Youve got Car Insurance here. And Home Insurance here. Why not. Schuuuuzp. Put them together. Save even more. Some things are just better together, arent they . Like tea and crumpets. But you wouldnt bundle just anything. Like, say. A porcupine in a balloon factory. No. Thatd be a mess. I mean for starters, porcupines are famously no good in a team setting. Geico. Save even more when bundle home and Car Insurance. Geico. Save even more it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. Tide pods childguard pack helps keep your laundry pacs in a safe place and your child safer. To close, twist until it clicks. Tide pods childguard packaging. announcer back pain hurts, and its frustrating. You can spend thousands on drugs, doctors, devices, and mattresses, and still not get relief. Now theres aerotrainer by golo, the ergonomically correct Exercise Breakthrough that cradles your body so you can stretch and strengthen your core, relieve back pain, and tone your entire body. Since ive been using the aerotrainer, my back pain is gone. When youre stretching your lower back on there, there is no better feeling. announcer do pelvic tilts for perfect abs and to strengthen your back. Do planks for maximum core and total body conditioning. woman aerotrainer makes me want to work out. Look at me, it works 100 . announcer think itll break on you . Think again even a jeep cant burst it. Give the aerotrainer a shot. Pain and stress is the only thing you have to lose. Get it and get it now. Your body will thank you. announcer find out more at aerotrainer. Com. Thats aerotrainer. Com. The routine of the house was in a tizzy, with corey 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 corey was sleeping, resting. She hadnt slept most of the night. I was just going to leave her alone in order to sleep. Before looking in 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, opened. I could see her lying in bed and i could see something from the distance didnt seem right. So i what made you say that looking in . 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 name and tant i knew that she was dead. In that moment, he said, his thoughts turned to his fouryearold boy larsson who was still in the house. And i needed to get larsson out of the house. And what did you do . I grabbed larsson, i believe he was in bed and i took him immediately over to, to his grandparents house. Coreys mom marty answered the door. She remembers her soninlaw standing there with a young boy and saying something nonsense cal about her daughter being dead. It was just kind of midmorning. And there he is, your soninlaw. There he is, he hand me larsson and he says something about people are coming or something. I often regretted not just putting larsson down and running over there. Stunned, she called her son, coreys Brother Peter at his dental practice. I get a phone call from my mom kind of out of the blue, i didnt think anything. Corey is dead, that cant be in. Shes 30yearsold, no way, i just saw her three weeks ago. Reporter then The Detective 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 coreys body. He tested her Body Temperature by placing his hand against her abdomen. I followed suit. What is it warm or cold this. The abdomen was warm. What did that tell the coroner . He knew the time of death was narrowed then for the body to still be warm. Reporter it seems clear that coreys death had been recent, within the past hour or some 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, you are telling me, you are seeing a woman who has apparently died in her bed and not that long before authorities arrive . Thats right. If i can stress, there wasnt a single mark on her other than what appeared to be a skin blemish under her nose, not a mark. And yet there was something about the position of coreys 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 to that. I addressed it to Curtis Lovelace. I asked him if there was a possibility that blankets had been under her arms when he discovered her . What did he say . No. You are saying the scene he saw it is when he saw it and found his wife, by his account . Yes. Then The Detective was not getting hung up on one detail this early in the case. Every detective needs to keep in mind, there could be a bigger picture. Oh, yes, there was a portrait of a woman, a par trait of a marriage, filtered with details painted in a most unflattering life. Coming up, a peek behind back doors. You were drinking too much. I drank too much. Corey was drinking too much in. And corey was drinking too much. I remember crying and not believing it. When dateline continues. Theres an invisible threat in your backyard that could cause deadly Heartworm Disease for your dog. But not if you protect him every month with heartgard plus, the 1 choice of dogs. Digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. Ask your vet for heartgard plus. The quincy, illinois detective was trying to understand why a 38yearold woman had died suddenly. As he looked for clues inside Corey Lovelaces home filled with the clutter of young family life, jeff baird noticed one item in particular, a white cup by her bedside. I checked an unknown liquid that smelled faintly from alcohol. The detective asked her husband curtis what it was. Did she tell you she liked to have a vodka and tonic . Yes. That was likely in the styrofoam . Yes. The 24 ounce glass in. Yes. He told us there was alcohol in the home. There was alcoholism in our family. So there was the ugly side of that. You were drinking too much looking back, yes, i drank too much. Corey was drinking too much corey was drinking too much. It was impacting her ability to take care of things at home. He also told The Detective that corey had been taking falls, sometimes out of bed, once more The Detective later found out corey had been battling bulemia. The picture quickly emerging, corey had not been a healthy woman. I know you guys are looking at the subject is telling you, how does he phrase it . What were you seeing on that score . Its very important. I saw a man answering my questions. Not being evasive. Cooperative, solemn, upset. 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. With that The Detective finished the interview and left. Curtis knew his awful day was about to get worse. Not the least, he had four children ranging from 4 to 12 to look after. How do you them the children . That was 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 lindsay 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 in my mind i thought, oh, maybe my mom went to the hospital. She didnt feel good the day prior, maybe she had to go to the hospital. Its fine. Once inside the office, her father broke the news. Told me my father had died. I 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. Im like, i want to go back to school. And you did on the day you lost your mom . Because that was normal for me. It was a Normalcy Thing for me. In hindsight, maybe the best thing she could have done. Her favorite teacher for her. She had wolf pups. She had a friend. I remember holding the wolf pups. Im sure they had lost her mom theyre orphan. What a jumble of things. That was the most comforting thing i could have done is hold those wolves. By then, her untimely death was rippling across town. Students across the law class were the first outside the family and authorities to suspect something had happened. His class was all outside his Classroom Waiting for him to come. Reporter one of curtis students, erica, was surprised to learn his class had been cancelled. Later, she learned why. Everyone was in shock. She was a very young 38yearold. She seemed healthy from what everybody understood. Though, it was a huge shock then. So thats very sad, your professors wife has died. You didnt know her . I didnt know her and i really didnt know him at that time either. Soon, everyone in town was wondering what had caused coreys death the pathologist who performed the autopsy a day later noted some trauma. Small abrasion on coreys upper lip and another mark inside. It appeared to be a cut. Curtis mentioned that corey had fallen in the days before her death. Those falls as they described it could account for the injury to the lip, right . Presumably . I wish i knew. Yes, a fall could account for an injury. The pathologist noted corey had whats called fatty liver, usually caused by heavy drinking. She doesnt know what killed this woman . That was frustrating. She finds disease of the liver which can be associated with sudden death. Reporter unusual for a young woman to die of unknown causes, it does happen, with no more to go on The Detective closed the case. Coreys mother marty still in shock could barely bring herself to read the autopsy report. Corey was drinking. We dont deny that. She was bulimic and i did try to talk to curtis about that at one time. Told her it was okay. Im going to be fine. Now, as she warned corey, marty knew her suffering would only deepen. Her husband john was dying. We had a Visitation For Corey And John Sat next to me. It was like he was saying goodbye to friends, too. He didnt come home from the hospital after that. So both those loss one right on top of the other . Within the span of a month, marty lost a husband and a daughter. Even though coreys remains were cremated. That was a choice the entire family made together but the decision to cremate would be one that would haunt this river town for years to come. Coming up she was different than anyone i had ever dated before, maybe in some ways that difference intrigued me. Curtis moves on. Much too fast for some. She arrived as the girlfriend. Did i think it was too quickly . Yes. When dateline continues. door knock phone rings there he is. Hey sir. Remember when you recommended that i go with the general for my auto insurance, so i moved your desk into this janitors closet . The mop smell is a constant reminder sir. I bet it is. Turns out, you were right about the general. I just misjudged them based on their commercials. Theyre actually a Quality Insurance company thats been saving people money for nearly 60 years. So, im giving you the primo desk, next to the vending machines. Oof, its nuts in here. For a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage make the right call and go with the general. Microban 24 doesnt just sanitize and stop. It keeps Killing Bacteria for 24 hours. Just spray and let dry to form a shield thats proven to keep Killing Bacteria for 24 hours. Touch after touch. Microban 24 man im a verizon engineer, part of the team that built 5g right, the only one from americas most Reliable Network. We designed our 5g to make the things you do every day better. With 5g nationwide, millions of people can now work, listen, and stream in verizon 5g quality. And in parts of many cities where people can use massive capacity, we have ultra wideband, the fastest 5g in the world. This is the 5g thats built for you. This is 5g built right. Only from verizon. Hello, and here is what is happening in a late night vote the house passed president bidens covid relief bill, its facing strong gop opposition in the senate, where the fate of the minimum wage increase will ultimately be decided. The Biden Administration said it will not punish the crowned prince of saudi arabia. Now, back dateline. For so many years, he had been the guy in town people looked up to and admired. Curtis lovelace, football star, school board president. Suddenly a widower who needed help. It was overwhelming. People did come forward, friend 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 in. Its a lot. But we came towing as a family and did what we needed to do. The longtime friend, curtis was stoic in the weeks after coreys death. But one time she noticed it slipped a little. It was at a High School Reunion that summer. They were doing a montage, coreys picture comes up and goes, hey, thats my wife. And it was just times like that, that made, you know, made me really think that you know a grieving husband. Thats why a few months later, she and other friends were surprised to hear that curtis had met someone knew. That was fast. She was different than, than anyone i had ever dated before. Maybe in some ways that difference intrigued me. She was erica. As in the former student who showed up to professor lovelaces cancelled class that valentines morning. Hes extremely charming. Anything that i needed or wanted he could take care of and he did. At the time this interview took place, she asked us to alter her appearance some to protect her privacy. She began recounting she is a 33yearold single woman, had bumped into her 37yearold professor. I told him theres places he can go in town there is more people his age. I thought he was a lot older than he was. He just seemed. He stood out at that club. He did, quite a bit. Reporter not long after, they pit their friendship and then love. They started dating about six months after coreys death. Erica and her daughter from a previous relationship eventually moved in with curtis and his four children. It was nice my child kind of tucked in there with the rest of them. All of us fell into place. Thats not the way curtis daughter lindsay thought. What did you think of her in. We did not get along from the getgo. She arrived as the girl friend. Thats how it was. Did i think it was too quickly, . Yes. But adults make their own decisions. In fact, lindsay was so unhappy with her dads girlfriend, she picked up and moved in with her grandmother, coreys mom, two doors down, after two years of living together, curtis and erica married. She admired he how he taught and did local sports and served in the National Guard. He had an outstanding resume. He did. This was the all american boy. I loved he was on the school board. That was where my profession was leaning. I loved that he worked with children. He was great. He seemed to be great with the children. They even bought a new place in Town Together and moved from the house where corey had died. There was domestic tranquility at first. But eventually, erica says she saw a change in her husband. Hed detach once in a while, just from the whole family. I was kind of left all to myself. He would hide in the basement and blame it on work. 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 should not done not only for me but more importantly for my children. In 2013, after five years of marriage, curtis filed for divorce. Now you might think that he would have been gun shy about jumping into love again. But not curtis. It was just surreal and lovely. This is christine. She had known curtis since high school. He even took her to their homecoming dance, marriages and careers separated them for a time. It was odd. I wasnt prepared for a relationship and wasnt looking for anything like that. Where were new your life . Were you single . Yes, i was single. After reconnecting on facebook the former classmates decided to get caught up for the first time in three decades. There he is at the door. I see kurt lovelace, my Senior High School homecoming date standing there. We spent that evening with friends and before we knew it, Everyone Else had gone. We 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 kind than i had ever remembered. It just worked. More than six months 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 lindsay, who had packed up at the arrival of her fathers last flame. She seemed very jen win. I like that she cared a lot about the boys. Did you think maybe this could be the restoration of the family . Yeah, i did. After you seen of the nightmare of erica, now christine seems okay to you. She is certainly making an effort to reach out to you, right . I thought our family deserved happiness at that point after everything we had been through, i was hoping it all panned out okay. It did go okay, christine kept the lovelaces running like a train schedule. Christine, meanwhile, put on her bakers apron. I opened a pie show. I was making 100 pies a week. I was selling out of pies before 9 00 in the morning. So this wasnt a hobby to keep you busy . No. This was a going concern. Yes, absolutely. Whats your goto pie in. I like blueberry, i make a mean gooseberry, you name it, i can do it. After years of turmoil, it seemed the lovelaces were in true form. Christine adopted curtis sons as her own. Everything was working. But darker souls wait for the train wreck just when things are looking all hunky dory. It turns out that train was hurdling down the track. Coming up a new detective leads to new suspicion. What jumped out at you . Most definitely that her arms where in an unnaturally raised position. And the start of a new ivestigation. In the autopsy there were things listed as suspicious findings. My first thought is we missed something here. When dateline continues. When dateline continues when youve got a business, you dont want to worry about slow internet or confusing cybersecurity. So get comcast Business Internet with fast, reliable speeds, and add the advanced security of Comcast Business securityedge. It combines the speed you need with threat protection. Plus theres 24 7 support. Its internet and advanced security made simple. So bounce forward with Comcast Business. Get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just 64. 90 a month. And ask how to add Comcast Business securityedge. Call today. The river roared. The barges slid by. And Corey Lovelaces death slipped further into the past. Her mom. Id go sit in the cemetery by myself for a little while. Of course, valentines now is nothing. I dont do valentines day. Coreys husband, meanwhile, had married, divorced, remarried again. In all that time, no one questioned the why or how of coreys 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 sitting in my office and all of our files are on computer. It was late 2013. Almost eight years after coreys death. Adam gibson a newly minted detective with the Quincy Police department began idly pulling up old files. Not looking for anything in particular, reading old cases. Corey lovelace popped into my head and i read the report. Did that name mean anything to you . I knew Corey Lovelace, at one time he had been our states attorneys. A statement from curtis the husband, Police Interviews with the three older children and the Pathologist Summary with the autopsy findings with photos. So you knew what happened in 2006 sort of or i knew she had passed away on valentines day of 2006. What was the Medical Examiners finding about the death of that woman . It was undetermined. The original autopsy. What did that mean to you . Undetermined can mean a lot of things. In this particular autopsy there were things listed as suspicious or traumatic findings. For instance, an abrasion on coreys face under her nose, something the arriving officer observed that day the pathologist noticed the cuts, what she called the laceration on coreys upper lip. And 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 the arms raised in a different position. Not supported like anything, out there like statue . Yes. Using Police Photos of the scene, we depicted this graphic representation, can you see her arms frozen in death above her body. That final pose caught detective jeff bairds curiosity, now, adam gibson did. Ring of more tis . Yes, in my opinion. Reporter the mechanics of rigormortis go like this upon death a humans muscles start to stiffen. To The Detective, it looked like they 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 in bed an hour before finding her dead. It didnt make sense, he went straight to his bosses with the old lovelace file. My first thought is we missed something here. Reporter the chief had been in charge in 2006 when everyone assumed corey had died natural debt. He says he never saw the photos The Detective was holding before him. Thats when i saw the pictures the first time. What did you think . I thought this is odd. This is not natural. The posture of the arms. Definitely appeared to me that Rigor Mortis Set in. I looked at those pictures and cant believe we accepted an undetermined cause of death and a natural death. Detective gibson agreed. They had a problem. Very thin, notes from a Medical Examiner from eight years before and a few photos, very few . And only two slides were taken by the pathologist and passed on in evidence. So, yeah, very thin file. So police went back to the doctor that 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 alms. But that wasnt possible since coreys 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 it basically, a review of the original autopsy done. Couldnt do a new autopsy because the body had been cremated. The chief okayed the request to hire a new autosy and review old autopsy notes. The detective also had Something Else in mind to beef up his case talk to anyone and everyone who had known corey. His first call was to her mom, marty. He told her he wanted to meet, but not why. He said, can we set up a time . Make it tomorrow or whatever . I said, well, scratch what im doing this afternoon. Come now. I was so nervous about what it was. Everything old was about to be new again. New, very unsettling. Coming up. The thing that struck me first was the position of mrs. Lovelaces arms. A different Medical Examiner reaches a different conclusion. The manner of death would be homicide. 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. When dateline continues. S do we really need a sign to live, laugh, and love . Yes. The answer is no. I can help new homeowners not become their parents. Keeonoh. Nope. Coeenoah. No. Joaquin. No. It just takes practice. Give it a shot. [ grunts, exhales deeply ] did you hear that . Yeah. Its a constant battle. Were gonna open a pdf. Whos next . Progressive cant save you from becoming your parents, but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. No fussin, no cussin, and no with mucinex allinone youve got unbeatable relief from your worst cold and flu symptoms. With us. So when you need to show your cold whos boss, grab mucinex allinone. And get back to your rhythm. Feel the power. Beat the symptoms fast. We do it every night. Like clockwork. Do it run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. And save water. Did you know certified dishwashers. Use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. So, do it with cascade. The surprising way to save water. In a year of changes. Dont take chances on your taxes. Be 100 certain with jackson hewitt. Well get your taxes done right, guaranteed. announcer do you want to reduce stress . Well get your taxes done right, guaranteed. Shed pounds . Do you want to flatten your stomach . Do all that and more in just 10 minutes a day with aerotrainer, the total Body Fitness Solution that uses its revolutionary ergonomic design to help you to maintain comfortable, correct form. That means better results in less time. You can do an uncomfortable, oldfashioned crunch or an aerotrainer super crunch. Turn regular planks into turbo planks without getting down on the floor. And there are over 20 exercises to choose from. Incredible for improving flexibility and perfect for enhancing yoga and pilates. And safe for all fitness levels. Get gym results at home in just 10 minutes a day. No expensive machines, no expensive memberships. Get off the floor with aerotrainer. Go to aerotrainer. Com to get yours now. Corey lovelaces mom had tried hard to move on after her daughters sudden death in 2006. But after a phone call and a 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 and talked 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 m. E. 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 big shot guy. I dont know that he got a pass, i think he may have got the benefit of the doubt. Reporter Curtis Lovelace was no longer going to get the benefit of doubt because detective gibsons next stop would be the grand jury. Coming up a Day Christine and Curtis Lovelace wont soon reporter a few blocks away, curt had just stepped out of his law office. He was, in fact, on his way to the pie shop. And as i was walking to my car there was there was a gentleman in in a suit waiting for me. Reporter it was detective gibson. And he was armed with an indictment from the grand jury. He was there to Arrest Curtis for the murder of cory lovelace. Reporter and he said what . The only thing he said was, my wife died in 2006. Reporter whatd ya think of that . Thats thats not the reaction that i was expectin at all. Reporter then again, Curtis Lovelace never saw it coming. Told me to put my hands behind my back. And put me in handcuffs. Reporter what was goin on . I didnt know. I remember hearing, murder. I remember hearing him use the word, wife. I was not aware that there that there was an investigation. Reporter you were totally blindsided . Was totally totally blindsided. Reporter blindsided because no one had really questioned corys death before. Even the police concluded she died of Natural Causes. Back at the pie shop, an increasingly anxious christine got a phone call. It was 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 of co cory lovelace. And i i immediately said, what . Cor cory wasnt murdered. Reporter give me a word. That day in your life. Horrifying. I was placed in an Interrogation Room immediately. Reporter Curtis Lovelace, the former prosecutor, had a crucial choice to make. Either talk to The Detective and try to clear this up right then and there, or listen to his lawyerly training and keep quiet. I have a problem with you not remembering all these things. Did you know diarrhea is often caused by bad bacteria in food . Try pepto® diarrhea. Its concentrated formula coats and kills bacteria to relieve diarrhea. See, pepto® diarrhea gets to the source, killing the bad bacteria. So, make sure to have pepto® diarrhea on hand. Its moving day. And while her friends are doing the heavy lifting, jess is busy moving her xfinity internet and tv services. It only takes about a minute. Wait, a minute . But what have you been doing for the last two hours . Delegating . Oh, good one. Move your Xfinity Services without breaking a sweat. Now thats simple, easy, awesome. Xfinity makes moving easy. Go online to transfer your services in about a minute. Get started today. Seven years after the mysterious death of Corey Lovelace i just remember crying and not believing it. Police have reopened the case. We missed something here. Her husband curtis who had remarried twice was the prime suspect. Returning now to mystery on the mississippi. Curtis lovelace had seen plenty of Interrogation Videos during his career as a prosecutor. Curtis was the one in the hot seat. You have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Youre a lawyer, you know the number one rule you do not talk to the police. Without having the police present. But you talk. I thought they wanted to know the truth. She indicated she didnt feel well. On that valentine morning, curtis said corey was still nursing that bad cold or flu. I walked back upstairs with her. She climbed into bed. He described leaving the house then coming home only to find his wife dead in their bedroom. She was cold and stiff. I just call her like her hands being up or Something Like that. And yet many other details surrounding has 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 you. 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 your moms room and. Yeah. And she was in bed . Yeah. Are his kids the key to a fathers freedom . They saw their mother alive that day. Theres an invisible threat in your backyard that could cause deadly Heartworm Disease for your dog. But not if you protect him every month with heartgard plus, the 1 choice of dogs. Digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. Ask your vet for heartgard plus. Ugh, theres that cute guy from 12c. Go talk to him. Yeah, no. Plus its not even like hed be into me or whatever. This could be hi. You just moved in, right . I would love to tell you about all the great savings you can get for bundling your renters and Car Insurance with progressive. Oh, i was just oh, tammy. I found your retainer in the dryer. 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. 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. Finally moved in. Its a great old house. Good bones, wraparound porch. The pipes are. Making strange noises. Bagpipes bagpipes bagpipes even the plumbers couldnt help us. Nope. At least geico makes bundling our home and Car Insurance easy. Which saves us a ton. For bundling made easy, go to geico. Com. Which saves us a ton. Alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. Say hello to your Fairy Godmother alice. And longlasting gain scent beads. Part of the irresistible scent collection from gain are you ready to join the duers . Those who 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. Dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. Tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and dont change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. Du more with less asthma. Talk to your Asthma Specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. If your financial situation has changed, tmobile is the leader in 5g. We also believe in putting people first by treating them right. So were upping the benefits without upping the price. Introducing magenta max. Now with unlimited premium data that cant slow down based on how much smartphone data you use. Plus get netflix on us, and taxes and fees included you wont find this with the other guys. In fact, youll pay more and get less. Right now, pay zero costs to switch and bring your phone well pay it off only at tmobile. Hello, im dara brown. Heres whats happening. In a late night bill, the bill includes payments to millions of americans relief for state and local governments and mindful vaccine distribution. The Johnson Johnson vaccine would only require one dose and has a 72 efficacy against severe covid cases in the u. S. The Company Expects to supply 100 million doses by december. 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 reporter the media including nbcs quinncy 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. 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 datecontinues. Datec. So, im giving you the primo desk. For a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, go with the general. Whats inside airborne . A blast of immune support thats more than just vitamin c. And nearly 60 years of quality coverage, its a unique crafted blend of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Its what makes airborne your daily dose of confidence. For skin that never holds you back dont settle for silver 1 for diabetic dry skin 1 for Psoriasis Symptom Relief and 1 for eczema symptom relief gold bond champion your skin announcer back pain hurts, gold bond and its frustrating. You can spend thousands on drugs, doctors, devices, and mattresses, and still not get relief. Now theres aerotrainer by golo, the ergonomically correct Exercise Breakthrough that cradles your body so you can stretch and strengthen your core, relieve back pain, and tone your entire body. Since ive been using the aerotrainer, my back pain is gone. When youre stretching your lower back on there, there is no better feeling. announcer do pelvic tilts for perfect abs and to strengthen your back. Do planks for maximum core and total body conditioning. woman aerotrainer makes me want to work out. Look at me, it works 100 . announcer think itll break on you . Think again even a jeep cant burst it. Give the aerotrainer a shot. Pain and stress is the only thing you have to lose. Get it and get it now. Your body will thank you. announcer find out more at aerotrainer. Com. Thats aerotrainer. Com. 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, wheres 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. The deliberations went on for two full days. Then, christine got the call to come back to the courthouse. And i knew in my heart he was coming home. That was it. 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. 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. Thousands of women with metastatic Breast Cancer, which is Breast Cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and Taking Ibrance. Ibrance with an Aromatase Inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr her2 metastatic Breast Cancer, as the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed Disease Progression versus letrozole, and shrank tumors in over half of patients. Patients Taking Ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. Ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death. Tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain. Before Taking Ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. Common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, Hair Thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. Be in your moment. Ask your doctor about ibrance. Be in your moment. Vicks vapopatch. Easy to wear with Soothing Vicks Vapors for her, for you, for the whole family. Trusted soothing vapors, from vicks man im a verizon engineer, part of the team that built 5g right, the only one from americas most Reliable Network. We designed our 5g to make the things you do every day better. With 5g nationwide, millions of people can now work, listen, and stream in verizon 5g quality. And in parts of many cities where people can use massive capacity, we have ultra wideband, the fastest 5g in the world. This is the 5g thats built for you. This is 5g built right. Only from verizon. 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 you switch to xfinity mobile, youre choosing to get connected to the most Reliable Network nationwide, now with 5g included. Discover how to save up to 300 a year with shared data starting at 15 a month, or get the lowest price for one line of unlimited. Come into your local xfinity store to make the most of your mobile experience. You can shop the latest phones, bring your own device, or trade in for extra savings. Stop in or book an appointment to shop safely with peace of mind at your local xfinity store. 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 school. 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. All of the medical evidence in this case is going to prove to you that she died of an acute sudden onset 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. Wince we finished talking and i had 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 in the shoulder. You say the word accidentally. Where did you get 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 erica in crossexamination with her own statement. But erica 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. The state thought they could score a point but when she was subjected to crossexamination, 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 finding 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 coroner 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 important emails and other documents it 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 he implied 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. 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 rigor mortise and to also move her arms up to where i could place my 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. Whenever 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 coreys death paralyzed 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 several police officers, the city of quincy and adams county. The suit alleges malicious prosecution and argues curtiss kids were falsely imprisoned during those Police Interviews. A federal Court Granted Summary Judgment in favor of the defendants in regard to the Emotional Distress claim but allowed the case to move forward on all other accounts. The lovelace happily has moved out of quincy and curtis has opened a new law office in champaign, illinois. He and christine have started an exoneration mission. What happened to you guys in this whole thing, do you think . I dont know what happened to us, dennis. 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 they were declaring to me and to the world that im innocent. Curtis lovelace, a life interrupted. Im craig melvin. And im natalie morales. And this is dateline. They said, we need you to get in the car with us. Sa they zip tied my arms and zip tied my legs, duct tape my hair. Theres no words. Im sitting there, just hysterical. Its terrifying. She thought he was mr. Right a confident, handsome surgeon. Until the good doctor seemed to turn sinister. He put his hands over my face and said, go ahead and try to