but no evidence of a crime. >> any signs of a struggle? >> no. it was case closed. >> years passed new lives. two new wives. >> he's extremely charming. >> we just had the most amazing time! >> then, a new detective dusts off the old case. >> what's trumped out at you? >> most definitely the arms where in a race position. >> my first thought was -- >> the manner of death would be -- . >> what's really happened in that bedroom? >> i'm -- >> a young mother's death was a mystery, but was in the murder? >> tell me what happened to her to my face. do not give me excuses. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> it runs through the heart of america. along, meandering lifeline. feeding industry, towns, and imaginations. the mississippi river gave us tom sawyer and huckleberry then. mark twain grew up in hannibal, missouri. and just across the weather in quincy, illinois, lived another larger than life character. the judge curtis lovelace is this small time kid who wanted to be a star. and for a while he was, a full-time champion for the university of -- . >> he's an all american? >> yes. >> this is what all kids dream about. he was living that life. >> it was looking like he would go to the nfl, that was kind of a dream of his. >> then he realized grander ambitions. finding crime as a prosecutor, serving his country in the national guard. and his community and politics. >> i want to do some meaningful work that is going to do make a difference in the lives of people. >> but what happened in this little house in quincy? to one person in particular. that made curtis really stand out from all the world to see. >> we're doing continuing coverage in the curtis lovelace murder case. >> right now, the defense is presenting its closing arguments in the case. >> big dreams on inviting river can carry you far. or they can drag you under. this is the very strange journey of curtis lovelace. all american, to criminal defendant. let's roll back the years to high school, and to the woman who would become the focus of so much speculation. cory didrikson. >> we went to high school together, we didn't run in the same crowd. we had some mutual friends and we did not date in high school. >> back then curtis was more focused on football than dating. it wasn't until he went off to the university of illinois, roughly two miles away, and became a star athletes, that he truly noticed the girl from back home for the first time. it was during a college break. the former classmates brought into each other in quincy and became an item. cory wasted no time spreading the good news. >> i'll never forget the day, and that was telling tennis with a friend of mine. and cory was there, and that's when she told us that cory was it. >> she went to high school with him. >> surprised? >> not really. they seemed a great fit together. and she was very, very much smitten. it >> it wasn't long before cory was telling her mother marty that she had found the one. >> she comes home and we are sitting there. and she says, i met the man i'm going to marry. whoa! >> back up? >> and she kept her promise. in 1991, just after college, cory and curtis married. he studied law, she's 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 caused by. it just made it all the better. so we found the house, and they moved back. >> virtually over the fence? >> two houses up in one over. >> curtis's ambitions drove the young couple. he became a prosecutor in the state attorney's office and dabbled in school board politics. winning a seat, and starting as president. he also took a business law class at quincy university. in between the professional milestones, they started the family. first, a girl, lindsey. and three boys. cory juggles that part of their life. >> how is cory as a mother? >> fantastic. she was a great mom. there was nothing that she didn't do it for those kids. >> cory's days were filled with diapers, platelets, 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. >> john's the klein? >> well, for years he had it. and the last six months of his life she came every night at 5:00 and sat for an african hour and visited. that was her time with him. >> born down from the stress of caregiving, raising four kids. it wasn't any wonder when cory herself fell ill. it was the weekend before valentine's day, 2006. >> she was feeling poorly. >> feeling poorly how? what was she ailing from? >> just flu like symptoms. throwing up. we thought she had the flu. >> but on monday, the night before valentine's day, cory still managed to get the kids valentine's day cards ready for school the next day. her daughter, then 12, remembers currying up with their mom watching the winter olympics in the snowboarder sean white. >> i remember watching her with him like mom he so cute! as a 12-year-old that was awesome. >> but she was not bedridden at any point that night was she? >> no, she was just feeling sick. and even for my mom that was not common because even if she was sick, she did what she thought was expected as her and she cared about what she did. like laundrie. because that was her role. >> when one and -- he said he courage her to take it easy. >> i said i would cancel my morning class at quincy university in order to get the kids to school. >> so that is gonna be on deck? it's gonna be dads time to get everybody up and running here? >> right. so i canceled my class and help the kids get ready for school. she did come downstairs to help out with that. >> he says chloe was so ill he had to help her back to bed before driving the three eldest kids back to school. backpacks stuck with valentine's day cards. within minutes he was back. only the home, still clouded with clothes and toys, was now filled with something else. silence. quite enough to break a family's heart. >> coming up! what 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 detectives needs to keep in mind that there could be a bigger picture. >> when dateline continues! ne continues under budget too! and i get seven days to love it or my money back... i love it! i thought online meant no one to help me, but susan from carvana had all the answers. she didn't try to upsell me. not once, because they're not salespeople! what are you...? 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[ding] e*trade now from morgan stanley. the routine of the house was in a tizzy, with cory second bet, it had been up to curtis to get the three's kids off to school. now, he was back. >> when i arrived home, everything was quiet. i assumed that cory was sleeping, resting. she hadn't slept most the night. i'm just going to leave her alone and put her 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. as i walked up the steps, i looked the left. the door to her bedroom was as elected, opened. i could see her lying in bed. i could see something from the distance. didn't seem right. so, i approached her. >> what made you say that, looking back? >> i'm 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 she was dead? >> i shook her. i called out her name. at that point, i knew that she was dead. >> in that moment, he said, his thoughts turn to his four-year-old bar -- boy who is still in the house. >> i needed to get larson out of the house. >> what did you do? i grabbed larson. i believe he was in bed. i took him immediately over to his grandparents house. >> cory's mom, marty, answered the door. she remembers her son-in-law standing there with a young boy and saying something nonsensical about her daughter being dead. >> it was mid morning. >> there. he's >> there he is. i opened the door. he has me larson. he says, something about people are coming. or something. i often regretted not just put larson down and running over there. >> stop. she called her son, -- that is dental practice. >> i got a phone call for my mom. just out of the blue. i don't think anything of. it >> couldn't be. >> she's 30 years old. there's no way. i just saw her couples go. >> jay berry, a detective with the one seed please department, headed the investigation. when he arrived at the scene, he went straight upstairs. he was in the bedroom on the corner examined cory's body. >> he tested her body temperature by placing his hand against her abdomen. i followed suit. >> was her body warmer cold? >> her abdomen was one to the touch. >> what does that tell the corner? >> he knew that the time of death was narrowed for the body to still be warm. it seemed clear that cory's death had been recent. within the last hour or so. not all certain why, or how the woman was dead. the detective could not rule out any possibility, including foul play. >> what about the rim itself, any overturned glasses or signs of struggle? >> no. >> so you're telling me, you're seeing a woman has apparently died in her bed. and not that long before authorities arrive? >> that is right. >> if i can stress there was not a single mark on her, other than would seem to be a skin blemish under her nose, not a mark. >> and yet there was something about the position of cory's body did did strike him as odd. he thought death and gravity would've caused her arms to drop. instead, they were both fixed in mid air, hovering above her chest. >> i was looking at an explanation for that. and i even address it too curtis lovelace. i even suggested that he may have been under her arms when he discovered her. >> and what did he say? >> no. >> he said the scene that you are seeing was exactly how he had seen it when he had come in. >> yes. >> but the detective was careful not to get hung up on one strange detail. not this early in the case. >> every detective needs to keep in place that there could be a bigger picture. >> and oh yes there was! a picture of a woman, a portrait of a marriage, filled with details painted in the most unflattering light. >> coming up! a peek behind closed doors. >> you are drinking too much? >> i drank too much. >> cory was drinking too much? >> cory was drinking too much. >> and the daughter warns her mom. >> i just remember crying, and not believing him. >> when dateline continues! hen dateline continues i wasn't there for my family and i was barely functioning. until nurtec odt changed all that. nurtec is the only medication that can treat & prevent my migraines. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion. now, i run a non-profit for other green berets. when i feel like myself, i can do so much more. what will you do? 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>> yes. >> and that was likely what was in the cup? >> yes. >> a big 24 ounce cup? >> yes. >> alcohol had been a part of the life -- >> there was alcoholism in our family, so there was the likely side of that. >> you are drinking too much? >> looking back? yes i drink too much. >> cory was drinking too? much >> kaori was drinking too much. it was impacting her ability to take care of things at home. >> he also told the detective that cory had been taking false. sometimes out of bed. what's more, the detective had found out that cory had been battling bulimia. the picture emerging, corey had not been a healthy woman. >> i know they are listening to the words that the subject is telling you. and you're also looking at them. why is he telling me this? how is the freezing? it >> it's very important. and i found a man who is answering my questions. very cooperative. solemn. upset. >> curtis also retrace the family triceps that morning. >> he saw his wife around 8:15, took the kids to school, he returned found her deceased. >> with that, the detective finish the interview and laughed. but curtis knew his awful day was about to get worse. not least, he had four children ranging in ages from 4 to 12 to look after. >> how do you tell the children? >> that was,. i think to this day that is the most pivotal thing i've ever had to do. i'll call the schools and let them know that i would be on my way. >> lindsey, the only girl, was the eldest of the lovelace kids. >> i remember being at school, i remember getting the call from the office that i was getting picked up. and in my mind i thought, maybe my mom was in the hospital. she didn't feel good. maybe she just had to go to the hospital, it is fine. >> but once inside the principles office, her father broke the news. >> and he told me that my mom had died. and i just remember from then on, my world is crashing down. >> did he say what had happened, what is going on? >> i'm sure i asked what it happened. i just remember crying and not believing it. so we went, we left. and we went to my grandma's house. and i was like, i want to go back to school. and i went back to school. >> and you did on the day you lost your mom? >> because that was a normal for me. it was a normalcy thing. >> and in hindsight, maybe the best thing she could've done. her favorite teacher had something for her. >> she actually had wolf -- . she had a cat friend who was carried for wolf pups. i'm sure they had just lost their mom, they were orphaned. >> what a jumble of things to go through. >> and that was the most comforting thing i could've done, was hold those walls. >> by then, news of corey lovelace's untimely death was lure pulling across town. students -- where the first outside of family and authorities to suspect something was happened. >> his class was all out of his costume, waiting for him to come. >> one of his students was surprised to learn that his class had been canceled. she was surprised to know why. >> everyone was in shock because she was in very young 38 year old. she seemed healthy from what everyone understood. so it was a huge shock. >> so that said that your professors wife is that. >> you didn't know her? >> i didn't know her and i did know him at that time either. >> soon, everyone in town was wondering what had caused her death. the pathologist who performed the autopsy a day later, noted some trauma. a small abrasion on her upper lip, and another mark inside that appear to be cut. curtis mention that cory had fallen in the days before her death. >> those false could've captured that injury to her lip? presumably? >> i wish i knew. but yes. a fall can account for an injury. >> the pathologist also notice that cory had a fatty liver. also caused by heavy drinking. still, the doctor ruled the death undetermined. >> she did noah killed her at this point? >> that was what's was frustrating. she did find a disease of the litter, which can be associated with sudden death. >> unusual for women to die of unknown causes, but it does happen. without more to go on, the detective close the case. cory's mother, marty, still in shock. could not bring herself to read the autopsy report. >> cory was drinking, we do not deny that. she was billy mick, and i did try to talk to curtis about that at one time. told him it was all okay, it was going to be fine. >> now, as she mourned cory, marty knew that her suffering would only deepen. her husband jon, was dying. >> we had a visitation for corey, and jon sat next to me and was like, he was saying goodbye to friends to. he didn't come home from the hospital after that. >> so both those losses, one right on top of the other. >> yes. >> within the span of the month, marty lost a daughter and a husband. she purchased two burial plots at the local cemetery. even though cory's remains were cremated. that was a choice, curtis said, 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, then anyone i had ever dated before. maybe in some ways, the difference intrigued me. >> curtis moves on! much too fast for some. >> she arrived as a girlfriend, did i think it was too quickly? yes. >> when dateline continues! when dateline continues so we offer a complete exam and x-rays free to new patients without insurance - everyday. plus, patients get 20% off their treatment plan. we're on your corner and in your corner every step of the way. because your anything is our everything. aspen dental. anything to make you smile. book today at aspendental.com, walk in, or call 1-800-aspendental. michael: my tip is, the worst lies are the lies you tell yourself, like smoking isn't that dangerous. announcer: you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. okay, snacks and popcorn are gonna be expensive. let's just accept that. going to the movies can be a lot for young homeowners turning into their parents. bathrooms -- even if you don't have to go, you should try. we all know where the bathroom is and how to us it, okay? you know, the stevensons told me they saved money bundling their boat insurance with progressive. no one knows who those people are. -it can be painful. -hand me your coats. there's an extra seat right here. no, no, no, no, no. we don't need a coat wrangler. progressive can't save you from becoming your parents, but we can save you money when you bundle home, auto, and more with us. no one who made the movie is here. i'm dara brown. this is what's happening. governor ron desantis signed a deal on friday reversing a 55-year agreement that allowed the company, disney, to self govern. dismay spoke out against the states don't say gay bill. and more than a dozen bomb fires are burning against the southwest. in arizona, a fire has forced thousands to evacuate. 11 million people are under red flag warnings across arizona, colorado, and new mexico. now back to 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. friends and family, helping the kids to get to school in the mornings, so i could go to work. and picking them up from school. >> it's a lot! >> it's a lot but we came together as a family and did what we need to do. >> the longtime friend, beth, curtis was stoic in the weeks after cory's death. but one time, she noticed the mass of just a little. it was at a high school reunion later that center. >> they were doing a video montage and cory's picture turned up. he looked and he said hey, that's my wife! and it was just times like that, that made me really think, grieving husband. >> that's 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 then 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 love laces canceled class that fateful valentine's day morning. >> he was extremely charming. anything that i needed or wanted he could take care of, and he did. >> at the time this interview took place, erica asked us to alter her appearance to protect her privacy. she began her story by recounting that she is a 33 year old single mom, had dumped into a 37 year old professor not long after cory's death. official after water, she thought. >> i felt bad and i gave him my number, and i told him that there are places that he could go in town that there are people more his age. because i thought he was a lot, a lot order than he was. just seemed -- >> he just seemed a little old? >> kind of dead. >> but not long after, pity blossomed into friendship and then love. they started dating about six months after cory's death. erica, and her daughter from a previous relationship, eventually moved in with curtis and his four children. >> it was nice that we were attacked in there with the rest of them. all of us just found the place. >> that's not the way curtis's daughter lyndsay site. >> what did you think about america? >> we did not get along. >> from the get-go? >> from the get-go. >> she arrived as a girlfriend, and that's just how it was. did i just think it was too quickly? yes. but adults make their own decisions. >> in fact, she was so unhealthy with her dad's girlfriend, he picked up and moved with her grandmother two doors down. -- she admired how he coached local kids in sports and devoted spare time to his community. eventually, they both served together in the national guard. >> you have an outstanding resume. >> yeah. >> this is an all american boy. >> i love the fact that he was on the school board, that was where my profession was leading. and i love that he worked with children. he was great. he seemed to be good with the children. >> they even bought a new place and time together, and move from the place cory had died. there was -- but eventually, erica said she found a change in her husband. >> he detach once in a while and i was kind of left all to myself, and he would just hide in the basement and -- >> she says their mutual silence separated them. then, resentment exploded in loud confrontations. it just wasn't working. >> i believe looking back, it was a rebound relationship. and, a relationship that i should have not done not only for me, but also for my children. >> in 2013, after five years of marriage, curtis filed for divorce. now you think he would've been 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. even took her to the homecoming dance. marriage and career separated them for a time. >> it was odd because i wasn't prepared for any kind of relationship. and i wasn't looking for anything like that. >> where were you in your life christine? were you single? >> i was. i was single. >> after reconnected on facebook, the former class folks decided to catch a face to face for the first time in decades. >> and there he is at the door. who do you see? >> i see curtis lovelace. my senior 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 kind than i had ever remembered. >> it just worked! >> more than six months later, on the day after christmas, 2013. kurt's was once again standing at the altar. only this time, the new mrs. lovelace seem to have approval from everyone. even 20 year old daughter lindsey, who packed up at the arrival of the last girlfriend. >> i like that he cared a lot about the boys. >> do you think maybe this could be the restoration of the family? >> yeah, i did. >> after the nightmare you see a erica, here's christine. and she certainly making an effort to reach out to you. >> yeah, and i felt like my family deserve to happiness that point. after everything we had been through. so i was hoping that it would all pan out all k. >> and it did go okay. christine kept all of the lovely's is running like a swift schedule. kids off to school, while curtis lurked at his law practice it downtown. and she had a bakery. >> i opened a pie shop, and i was making -- a week. and i was selling out of highs before 9:00 in the morning. >> so this was not just another hobby to keep you busy? this was a growing business. >> what's your go-to pie? >> i love blueberry. but i make mean gooseberry. you name it, i can probably do it. >> after years of turmoil, it seemed the love laces were reborn. lindsay was back in the family fault. christine had even adopted curtis's sons as her own. everything was working. but darker souls wait for the train rack, just when things are looking all hunky dory. turns out, that train was hurdling down the track at them. >> coming up! a new detective leads to news suspicions. >> what jumped out of you? >> most definitely, the arms were in an unnaturally raise position. >> and the start of a new investigation. >> in this particular autopsy, there were listed as suspicious or traumatic findings. >> my first thought was we missed something here. >> when dateline continues! line continues how to keep track of her medication... and how to keep her spirits up. (announcer) the people you love are worth quitting for. you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now ♪ ♪ how's he still playin'? aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength. reduces inflammation. don't touch my piano. kick pain in the aspercreme. this is xfinity rewards. don't touch my piano. our way of saying thanks, with rewards for the whole family! from epic trips... to the original jurassic park... on us. join over 3 million members and start enjoying rewards like these, and so much more in the xfinity app! and check out jurassic world: dominion, , the river road. in theaters june 10th. the barges led by. and cory lovelace's death flipped further into the past. her mom already. >> i just think about if she suffered. and valentine's day now is nothing. i don't do valentine's day. >> cory's husband meanwhile had divorced, married, and married again. after that, no questions are how are or why and cory's death. but all that changed one day when a man in a windowless room off the mississippi found some time with time on his hands. >> i was sitting in my office in front of the computer. >> it was late 2013, almost eight years after cory's death. adam gibson, a new detective with the police department started pulling up old files. >> not looking for anything in particular, just reading old cases. cory's case popped and i had not read the report. >> did anything stand out to you? >> i mean, i knew curtis loveless because he had been one of our states attorneys. there wasn't much to read in the file. >> truth be told, a statement from the husband. interviews with the three children, and the pathologist summary of the autopsy findings with some photos. >> so you know what had happened in 2006. sort of? >> yeah. that she had passed away on battle and titans day 2006. >> what was the medical examinations finding? >> it was identical to the original autopsy. >> where did that mean when you encounter that before? >> and determine can mean a lot of things. but in this autopsy, there were things listed as suspicious for traumatic findings. >> for one, the abrasion uncork face just under her nose. something they arriving officer had observed that day. the pathologist also noted the cut, which she noted as a laceration on the inside of course upper lip. the detective kept strolling, then saw something that stopped him cold. an electrifying image! the police photos of the dead wife and mother, as she laid in her bed. >> what jumped out of you? >> most likely that her arms were in a naturally henry's position. >> in a weird way? >> her hands defied gravity. >> just weird? >> yes. >> out there like a statue? >> yes. >> we created this graphic representation of corey's bed room. you can see her arms frozen and death above her body. that final police had caught detective baird's attention the years before. a corrosive-y but he didn't assign any significance. now, adam gives him dead. >> rig mortise? >> yes. in my opinion. >> the mechanics of rigor more disco like this. upon death, the muscles start to stephen. but to the detective, it looks as though cory's arms and hands were in an advanced stage of rigor. meaning, she likely died many hours before this photo was taken. remember, curtis said that he touched his wife in the bed only an hour before finding her dead. it did not make sense to the officer. detective told his bosses about the old lace file. >> my assumption is that we missed something here. >> he had been in charge in 2006 when everyone assumed everywhere -- cory died unnatural death. but he said he never saw this photos that the detective was holding before him. >> that's when i saw the pictures for the first time. >> what did you think? >> i thought this is odd. this is not natural. >> the posture of the? arms >> the posture of the arms definitely appeared to me that rigor mortars had said in. i looked at those pictures and i can't believe that we accepted an undetermined cause of death, and a natural death. >> detective gibson agreed. but they had a problem. >> very thin, what you're working with is some notes from a medical examiner from eight years before, and a few photos. very few. >> and two sides! were taken by the pathologist and passed on in evidence. so yeah, very thin file. >> so police went down to the doctor that when the autopsy, and asked her to review the case. she did, but she would not alter her original findings. the next step would've been to order a new autopsy, but that was impossible. since corey's 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 somebody else. have basically a review of the original autopsy done. do a new autopsy, because the body had been cremated. >> so the chief oked their quest to have a new doctor review the old notes. the detective also had something else to mind to beef up the case. talking to anyone anyone who known cory. the first call was to the mom, marty. he told her he wanted to meet, but not why. >> he said, are you there for the time -- i said scratch what i'm doing this afternoon, you should just come now! because that was so nervous about what it was. >> everything old is about to be new again. new, and very unsettling. >> coming up! >> the thing that is struck me first was the position of mrs. lovelace's arms. >> a difficult man -- examiner reaches a different conclusion. >> the manner of death would be homicide. >> and the detective has a question for crevices daughter. >> tuesday morning, before you went to school, what do you remember? >> would you think was happening? >> i didn't know. >> when dateline continues! es a different story. i felt all people saw were my uncontrolled movements. some mental health meds can cause tardive dyskinesia, or td, and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements in the face and body. it's the only treatment for td that's one pill, once-daily, with or without food. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about ingrezza, #1 prescribed for td. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com. welcome to allstate. where everyone saves when they bundle their home and auto insurance. isn't that right, frank? i saved 25%. booyah. you protected your casa? sure did. and the frank tank? you know it. and now you're relaxing. i'm working from home. sure you are. alright i see a lot of head nods. let's circle back tomorrow. you weren't kidding. save up to 25% when you bundle home and auto with allstate. click or call for a quote today. cory love laces mom had tried hard to move on after her sudden death in 2006. but after a phone call and visit from as -- she started to wonder. >> a lot of things i have to weigh. really shoved away. and one of them was really why cory had died. >> did you ever suspect there was foul play in her death? >> now. >> friends of both curtis and curry also started to get calls from the detective. -- remembers his message asking her to call asap. >> so when i called detective gibson and they said were reopening the case of corey lovelace. i was shocked! >> so the detective was interested in what you could tell him about the? marriage >> yes! which >> she admitted wasn't much. beth and other close friends that cory didn't really talk about her marriage. so the detective did something that others hadn't done on this case. he started knocking on doors. talking to the former neighbors. >> all the former neighbors talking about all the constant arguing and fighting. >> so you are getting a picture of what was really going on that wasn't in focus in 2006. >> right. the >> detective went of step for their, he got in this car and drove more than 100 miles to the university of -- to talk to someone who would be in on this. >> hi i'm a detective. >> nice to meet you! >> i'm investigating your mom's case. >> -- to talk with detective qassem. >> i was very confused about why someone from quincy was there. >> the detective didn't clings things up, at least not efforts. he started talking about her late mom, and asking about the parents marriage. >> how is your parents relationship? do you remember? >> they would fight. it was an an interesting relationship. there was time that we were the perfect family, and it would be fine. and there were times that there were my parents fighting. >> for the first time, something inside the family was revealing the turmoil before cory's death. but then the detective asked lindsey to describe the day in 2006 when her mother's body was found. >> in tuesday morning before you were found and went to school, do you remember? >> this was the theory of the case. >> she was up and walking around. she had made breakfast. i don't remember which he had told us. but she was helping us get ready for school because we all had our little valentine's day boxes. >> the young woman, candid about her marriage was supportive of the account. korea died minutes as she had seen her kids off to school. not minutes earlier. if he had been disappointed in her answer, he wouldn't show it. but he had another question that did catch her off-guard. >> would you be shocked to see your dad. all i ask is that you not discuss what was going on and what i asked you today. >> i don't know. and especially when he said don't tell your father was here. >> so what does that mean? >> i went back to where i was living, and sat there and thought what it was going on? and slowly hit me. >> she realized the detective, for whatever reason, suspected that her father had something to do with her mother's 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 existing medical detective for the -- . he was eager on the autopsy report. >> the thing that struck me first, just looking at the scene photographs was the position of mrs. loveless's arms. >> she says the photo shows cory's body in full rigor mortise. like the detective, the emmy believed that the curtis a story and the actual picture out of segue. >> i think the time of death is somewhere between 10 to 12 hours prior to the photograph being taken that morning. so, somewhere between nine or ten or 11 pm the night before. >> in other words, the night of february 13th, not the morning of february 14th as curtis claimed. and something else odd, it was altered as if something under her arms were removed. >> why were her hands not resting on the surface? and that surface, whatever that object was that her hands have been resting on, why wasn't it there anymore? >> turner noticed the embrace jim on her face, and the cut on her sudden lit. to her, it suggests that something had been pressed against the woman's mouth. >> and then seeing that the marks around her mouth, and inside the mouth all suggests that suffocation occurred. >> suffocation. an abrasion, an unaccepted timeline that no longer fit. turner was convinced cory had not died a natural death. she concluded someone had used an option, likely a pillow, to suffrage the woman. left it under her arms, and remove it many hours later. >> the manner of death be homicide. >> for the detective, corey love lisa's death came down to two competing methods from two compelling -- . one relied on science to explain the murder, the other relied on -- to describe an ailing mother just before she passed away. in the end, the detective believe the science. he believed that the time had been committed. but now he had and little problem back at the quincy police department. two people had conducted very different investigations of the same case. >> detective gifts and you believe this was a homicide. >> yes i did believe. that >> absorber did you believe this was the death of natural causes? are you divided on that fundamental issue? >> i am now uncertain. from what i have heard, and been told under the new investigation. much more uncertain than i was in 2006. >> there, boss still backs both men. he says if there is blame to be had in this case, he will take it. >> you hate to admit that and mistakes are made. i would like to say that i take full responsibility. i was chief in 2000 and sex. i have detectives and their supervisors working on this case. >> did he get a pass because he was a pillar of the community? he was a big shot guy? >> i don't know if you got a pass. i think he may have got the benefit of the doubt. >> but on a warm oregon's morning, that benefit would evaporate along with the peaceful feelings of a lazy summer day. christine lovelace had been a friend up in her new shop, baking pies all morning. curtis was meant to stop by with lunch. >> i just knew that he was gonna be there. and i kind of had the notion that he was going to bring me fry chicken that day. but lunch came and went. >> and no curtis? >> and no curtis. >> a few blocks away, curtis had just stepped out of his law office. he was in fact, on his way to the pie shop. >> as i was walking to my car, there was a gentleman in a suit. waiting for me. >> 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. >> and he said wet? >> the only thing he said was my wife died in 2006. >> what did you think of that? >> it was not the reaction i was expecting at all. >> then again, curtis lovelace never saw it coming. >> he told me to put my hands behind my back, and put me in handcuffs. >> what was going on? >> i did not know. i remember hearing, murder. i remember hearing him use the word wife. i was not aware that there was an investigation. >> you are totally blindsided! >> totally blindsided! >> blindsided because no one had really questioned cory's death before. even the police concluded she died of natural causes. back at the pie sharp, an increasingly anxious christine got a phone call. it was someone from a local tv station. >> he said, i'm holding a piece of paper in my hand. it's an indictment for the first degree murder of corey lovelace. i immediately said what's? cory was not murdered. >> give me your word, that day in your life. zero >> horrifying! >> i was placed in an interrogation mood immediately. >> curtis was place was an interesting decision to make. either talk with the detectives and clear this up then there, or would he lawyer up? >> coming up! >> i don't remember anything significant about the night before. >> you said that the two of you want to bed together. >> yeah, i believe we did. >> i have a problem with you not remembering all of these things. >> when dateline continues! continues but what if you could begin to see the signs of hope all around you? what if you could let in the lyte? discover caplyta. caplyta is a once-daily pill, proven to deliver significant relief from bipolar depression. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta treats both bipolar i and bipolar ii depression. and, in clinical trials, feelings of inner restlessness and weight gain were not common. caplyta can cause serious side effects. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. antidepressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, which may be life-threatening, or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. these aren't all the serious side effects. in the darkness of bipolar i and ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. ask your doctor about caplyta, from intra-cellular therapies. seven years after the mysterious death -- >> i just remember crying and not believing it. >> -- police reopened the case. and her husband curtis is the prime suspect. returning now to "mystery on the mississippi." >> curtis had seen plenty of interrogation videos. but in the summer of 2014 for the first time in his life, curtis was the one in the hot seat. >> you're a lawyer, and you know the number one rule is don't talk to the police. but you talk. >> i wanted to answer all the questions. i thought they wanted to know the truth. >> reporter: on that valentine's 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 wife's death seemed to elude curtis. >> but no, i don't 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, it's been a long time. i guess it's possible i would have left -- slept on a couch or something. >> you said you took the kids to school? >> again, i believe i did. it's been so long. >> ironically he didn't remember a whole lot about that day. >> reporter: couldn't 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, it's -- it's exactly what -- what i've told detective baird in 2006. and what i told detective gibson in 2014, and what i'm 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 detective's strategy hadn't yielded what he wanted, a confession. >> i have a problem with you not remembering all of these things. >> reporter: the lawyer's goal of talking his way out of trouble hadn't 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 -- >> you went into your mom's room and she was in bed? >> yes. >> are the kids the key to his freedom. >> they saw their mother alive take day. >> when "dateline" continues. take day >> when "dateline" continues ever notice how stiff clothes can feel rough on your skin? for softer clothes that are gentle on your skin, try downy free & gentle downy will soften your clothes without dyes or perfumes. the towel washed with downy is softer, and gentler on your skin. try downy free & gentle. i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. what are the three ps? the three ps of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80, what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information. >> reporter: curtis lovelace could not believe how his world had fallen apart. one minute he was quincy's 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 12-years-old 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? what'd 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. we'll figure this out. >> reporter: detective gibson had rounded up the boys because he was looking for more information. >> i'm looking into the death of your mom from 2006. okay? >> uh-mm. >> reporter: the detective started to question them about the last days of their mother's life. >> so you went into your mom's room. >> yeah. >> and she was in bed. >> year, 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 wasn't sure if his mother was alive that morning. he said he only remembered getting out of bed and going to his mom's room. but she didn't answer him. >> i just remember like going into the room and then she wouldn't wake up and i think it was valentine's 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 that's 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 didn't 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 dad's story, they had seen their mom cory alive valentine's day morning, just like curtis said. >> they saw their mother alive that day. the -- >> and that's -- that's the gist of their story. yes, i saw her alive that morning -- >> yes. >> -- when dad took us to school. >> uh-huh. >> so there-- >> it was valentine's day. >> so therefore she couldn't have been dead upstairs and -- >> right. >> dying and rigor mortis setting in. >> right. >> because we saw her alive. >> uh-huh 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 valentine's day. >> she was standing in the front hall like marching us out the door like she always did. >> reporter: on the day of her father's 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: that's when another tragedy unfolded within the lovelace family. around the time of curtis' arrest, his relationship with his daughter once again deteriorated. the family doesn't 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 mother's nose and smothered her. that's a stark image to deal with. >> it's something i didn't ponder, and i chose not to ponder. >> reporter: though a jury would soon be pondering curtis' guilt or innocence. in august 2014, the 45-year old former assistant state's 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 three's 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 weren't enough stress, his daughter lyndsay was about to drop a bombshell. coming up -- a daughter's difficult decision. >> i don't know what's in lyndsay's 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? 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(announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now pre-rinsing your dishes? you could be using the wrong detergent. and wasting up to 20 gallons of water. skip the rinse with finish quantum. its activelift technology provides an unbeatable clean on 24 hour dried-on stains. skip the rinse with finish to save our water. ♪ ♪ i'm the latest hashtag challenge. and everyone on social media is trying me. i'm trending so hard that “hashtag common sense” can't keep up. this is going to get tens and tens of views. ♪ ♪ ( car crashing ) ♪ ♪ but if you don't have the right auto insurance coverage, you could be left to pay for this... yourself. call a local agent or 1-888-allstate for a quote today. i'm dara brown. here is what is happening. senior russian general says their aim is not just to capture donbas region but all of ukraine. this as they uncover what appear to be mass graves. and marjorie taylor greene testified for more than three hours on friday at a hearing meant to determine whether or not she should be constitutionally barred from holding office. now back to "dateline." >> reporter: curtis lovelace was the hometown hero. now his face was plastered on the front pages of quincy's newspaper as an accused murderer. >> we're relying on scientific -- >> the media, including our quincy nbc affiliate were all over the story, covering nearly every second of his fall from grace. >> he's accused of killing his first wife -- >> reporter: this former prosecutor would himself be prosecuted by ed parkinson. >> you can't get around rigor mortis in my opinion, and make sense of this case. and the timeline doesn't make sense with curtis lovelace. >> reporter: in january 2016, nearly a decade after cory lovelace's death, curtis arrived for the first day of his trial. he faced 20 to 60 years in prison upon conviction for first-degree murder. he pleaded not guilty. cameras were not allowed in the courtroom. >> it's clear to me it didn't 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 didn't necessarily need prosecutors help to "look bad." some of his own actions the day cory died were at the very 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: cory's mom, marty didriksen, who lived just a few houses away, testified that curtis broke the news of her daughter's death in what she thought was the most callous way. there was a knock at her door and curtis was standing there with 4-year-old larson. >> i open the door and he hands me larson. >> reporter: and says? >> "oh, and by the way, cory's dead." and leaves. >> reporter: marty, i've gotta say, i think that's very strange. take your grandson and, by the way, your daughter's dead. >> he was emotionless, let's 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 didn't you do cpr? >> i don't know. i don't know why i didn't do cpr. i don't know why i -- i didn't call 911. in looking back -- i -- saw my wife, cory -- dead. and i didn't 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 state's 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, he's one of us. >> reporter: so maybe tougher questions didn't 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 cory's 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 one's face to make them stop yelling at me. maybe in her weakened state, if she was -- had flu-like symptoms, maybe it went too far. >> reporter: the state's theory, remember, is the force of the pillow caused that cut and abrasion on the outside and inside of cory's 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, there's that pillow in her -- i'm going to get rid of that pillow," then the arms are already up. >> reporter: and you think that's 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 dad's life on the line, she changed her story. telling jurors she was no longer sure her mom was alive that day. >> don't remember any of it. >> reporter: but it doesn't stick in your memory? >> nope. >> reporter: and yet, detective baird's 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 didn't know why he was askin' me. i didn't 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 wasn't 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 didn't 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 you're very sideways with at this point? >> no, because it hurts my -- >> reporter: he needs that story and you're not gonna give it to him? >> no, because it hurts my brothers, too -- for me not to honestly say, yes, i saw her. but i'm gonna say what i can remember, which is nothing. it's a black hole. it's 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 what's 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 can't remember really." >> i don't know what's in lyndsay's 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 two-day gap between cory's 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 them a story? >> he had custody of the children from the moment of her discovery until thursday afternoon. so from tuesday till thursday afternoon, i don't 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 cory's 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 cory's own sons? cory's brother, a dentist, found himself struggling over the conflicting facts. >> science is my living -- you know, it's -- i have to believe in that, but i also have to, you know, believe in the family at the same time. so i'm completely torn. >> reporter: i've never seen a more difficult case, more closely argued. and there doesn't seem to be middle ground to -- >> there's -- there's 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 she'd 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 adv. your home... for romance. your home for big savings. [ laughs ] hey, mom, have you seen m-- ew. because when you bundle home and auto with progressive, your home is a savings paradise. bundles progressive. your home for savings. >> reporter: the defense had a simple message for jurors: curtis should not be on trial. that's because there was no crime and this was not a murder. it said the state's case was built on faulty science. >> i've stated repeatedly in this matter that there's 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 cory's 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 prosecution's contention that curtis killed cory after a heated argument, the couple's oldest son testified he didn't 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, "i'll stay home with you" and she wouldn't 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 prosecution's 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 over-eager, 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 led to my indictment. >> reporter: finally, the defense's medical expert concluded there was only one plausible explanation for cory's 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. >> she's not a normal 38-year-old 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 lovelace's 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. >> he's 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, "i'm 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 couldn't make bail, he'd remain in jail, unless -- >> a deal? a plea deal? >> they had offered a second-degree 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 didn't know whether i could put them through another year of what we had already gone through. >> reporter: that's when one of curtis' 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 he'd have to admit his culpability, responsibility in cory's death. that's the condition, right? >> correct. and that he wouldn't have to spend probably any more than 13 years in prison. >> reporter: the two said "no thanks" to the state's 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 didn't appear to be any option. >> this could be a moment for christine to say, i'm out of here. i didn't sign on to be some tammy wynette for this guy, standin' by her man. i'm gone. >> yeah. and who -- who could -- who could blame her if she would have done that? but that's not who she is. >> reporter: it looked as though curtis would have to use a public defender. but christine wouldn't 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. he's a civil rights attorney by practice who also does pro bono work with the exoneration project. its aim, overturn wrongful convictions. but curtis hadn't been convicted, at least not yet. still, loevy and co-counsel 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 didn't 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 wouldn't be home sweet home for long. while curtis and mrs. lovelace number three waited for the next trial in 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. that improves age-related blurry near vision. wait, what? 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[laughs] like, really? really. vuity™ is a prescription eye drop to help you see up close. ow! wait, what? wait. wait? wait, what? see for yourself. use vuity™ with caution in night driving and hazardous activities in poor light. also, if your vision is not clear, do not drive or use machinery. contact your doctor immediately if you have sudden vision loss. most common side-effects are headache and eye redness. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ most common side-effects are headache and eye redness. add downy to your wash for all the freshness and softness of home. even when you're not at home. feel the difference with downy. wet dishes? spots? cloudy glasses? when detergent alone isn't enough... ...add finish jet dry 3 in 1. to dry, prevent spots, and protect glasses against cloudiness. the dishes aren't done without finish jet dry 3 in 1. >> reporter: curtis lovelace was a local celebrity. or at least so infamous, according to his new defense team, that he couldn't 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. that's 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 valentine's 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 prosecution's theory this go-round on how cory died remained the same. after a heated argument, the night before valentine's 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 prosecution's case. but prosecutors had a new witness. a star forensic expert. >> i have also testified before the house of representatives. >> reporter: in a 64-year career, dr. werner spitz has consulted on the jfk and martin luther king assassinations, as well as in other high-profile 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 cory's 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. >> there's 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 cory's 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 ex-wife 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. >> he's rarely honest except for when he's 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 wasn't talking about a cat, but about cory's last minutes of life, as she struggled while curtis smothered her. >> erika had a story to tell. there's 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 he's talking about killing his wife at that moment. >> that's 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 that's pretty much what would've happened if suffocation was occurring. >> reporter: the prosecution believed its evidence against curtis was overwhelming. "not so fast," said the defense. that's because it had some things up its sleeve. a new piece of last-minute 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 bombshell testimony. >> did you know when you decided to pursue this investigation that the arms had been moved? >> i did not. we told the judge we weren't going to talk. >> curtis lovelace was putting his hands in the life 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 didn't have a lot of options. >> cory died of massive liver disease. >> in his opening remarks, he said the state hadn't 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 onset condition brought on by her alcoholism. >> one of the defense's key goals was to debunk the damaging testimony of curtis' ex, erika, he had violently attacked her and ripped her shirt. >> once we finished talking and i take 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. >> erika 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. >> that was her words. >> she first reported curtis accidentally hit her. she didn't 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 isn't written. anybody can redo this. >> then the defense did something unusual. it asked erika about other accusations she made about curtis and she had a laundry list of complaints. >> he knows how to forge paperwork. 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 daughter's bicycle out of the garage. >> at one point, an overwhelmed erika asked for a time-out. >> can i get a break, please. >> but erika wasn't 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. 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. >> isn't it true, ma'am, you never went to a doctor and said, i think i'm being poisoned. >> it wouldn't 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 wasn't 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 pathology shopping, that is, he consulted a series of pathologists before finding him one to give him the answer he was looking for, that, yes, cory's death was in fact a murder. >> if my opinion is not what he wants, he's 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 there's nothing unusual here, you're barking up the wrong tree. >> then came even more damaging accusations against gibson. they obtained other documents it was supposed to have received from the police but never did. potentially exculpatory evidence. >> you understood this e-mail, didn't you? >> it was not something that i thought of, no. >> one e-mail 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 else's and that would give plenty of reasonable doubt to a jury. >> this e-mail should have been turned over. >> i believe so it should, yes. >> you didn't turn it over. >> i did not. >> the prosecution's case appeared to be teetering. then came another blow. william ballard was one of the first emt's on the scene. he wanted to place ekg stickers on cory's body to check for a heartbeat 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 mortis and to also move her arms up to place the stickers where i'm supposed to place them. >> he moved cory's 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 you're 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 wasn't 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. it's been difficult. >> the defense wrapped up its questioning with an emotional curtis telling jurors of enormous toll the two trials had taken on him and his family. >> how long have you been dealing with this? >> it's been two and a half years. >> whenever you're ready. >> on cross-examination, 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 you're saying erika is lying, the detective gibson is lying, marty is lying and the science is lying. do you agree? >> it's up to them to decide who is lying. >> after seven days of testimony, curtis lovelace's trial had come to an end. the jury began deliberations. remember, the first panel was deadlocked 6-6. >> let me ask you this, have you reached a 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 cory's death, two and a half years after curtis' arrest and two jury trials later, not guilty. >> two-hour verdict, murder trial, what does that tell you? >> that tells me that they were absolutely convinced that curt was innocent. >> that's not how prosecutor ed parkinson 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 you're looking at a guy who you think might have got away with murder. i feel bad because i think we're right. >> how do you feel right now. >> the legal consequences for curtis are over, but the fallout from cory's death continues to paralyze the extended family. >> i don't know what to believe anymore. >> now a teacher, the daughter remains estranged from her father, but she hopes to salvage something despite all that's happened. a relationship with her brothers. >> i just pray everyday and hope that one day i'll get a call, a text, a message, an e-mail, something from one of them. >> cory's mom, marty. did you come to an opinion about what role, if any, he had in cory's death, curtis? >> those are tucked here. i have kept my mouth shut for a long time. i'm 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 11-count lawsuit against the police and the city of quincy. the suit alleges malicious prosecution and argues curtis' 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 counts. 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 started an exoneration-type organization. they say they want to help others wrongfully accused of convicted. >> what happened to you guys in this whole thing, do you think? >> i don't 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 i'm innocent. >> curtis lovelace, a life interrupted. . i'm craig mel ven and this is "dateline." . this was the christmas choir bank wet. she was dressed up to the nines. >> as a young girl catches his eye? >> she caught everyone's eyes. there was blad splattered all ever a the car. it was a frenzied attack. >> the theories were awful, prostitute rings. >> the entire town was going crazy. >> i thought eventually, we're swabbing so many people, we're going to come across her sister. >> it was fascinating the investigations.