48 Hours - Death on Valentine's Day - Encore

Episode Date: August 12, 2018

Tried twice for allegedly killing his wife, former hard-charging prosecutor Curtis Lovelace speaks out about the case that made national headlines. "48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher investigates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. Did you have anything to do with the death of your wife, Corey? I did not. Two minutes. I'm with the CBS affiliate in Quincy, so we've been covering this from day one.

I was a journalist in Quincy for 25 years, and I'm now writing a book on the case. Sends the touchdown. Curtis Loveless was a center on the Quincy High football team. The offensive line, Kurt Lovelace was a center on the Quincy High football team. The offensive line, Kurt Lovelace. Went to the University of Illinois and became an All-Big Ten center. Well, we're just underway. I think we all understand the concept of the play more than the past. He was hired in the Adams County State's Attorney's Office as an assistant state's attorney.

She was a beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, thin, perfect face. Essentially what it was, it's you have like the star football player dating the cheerleader. That's what Corey and Curtis were. And then they get married and they have these kids. Everybody thinking he had it all. Do you have good memories of any of the time together? I do. There were good times and bad. I mean, it wasn't a perfect marriage. On Valentine's Day 2006, Curtis Loveless found his wife Cori dead

in the bedroom of their home on Kentucky Street in Quincy. What was your reaction? Just utter shock. Just not knowing what to do. At what point does it change from being this blissful, you know, storybook relationship to death on Valentine's Day? I think the volatility, you know, sort of built over time. It did escalate to a point where there was a lot of gossip in the community about him. The case was quickly closed. There was no determination for a cause of death,

and Curtis went on with his life. That's when the Quincy Gossip Mill got started going. People wanted to know what happened to her. I was sitting in my newsroom and got the call, and they said, sounds like Curtis Loveless has been arrested. Curtis Loveless was arrested this afternoon. Loveless is accused of suffocating his former wife,

Cori Loveless, in 2000. We begin tonight with the start of the Curtis Loveless murder trial. To not only be called a murderer, but to say that I murdered the mother of my children, it's horrible. This is a prosecution that should have never been brought. There never should have been an indictment. Breaking news here inside the Adams County Courthouse. Judge Hardwick did just now declare a mistrial. It's set for retrial and we plan to retry it. Here we are again, the beginning of another Lovelace trial, the retrial.

We're a year after the first one. Defendant's first wife, Corrie Lovelace, will suffocate. That will be our medical evidence. On the age of supposed fake news, this is a fake case and there are fake witnesses. No evidence of any homicide. Jenny, what do you see as the big difference this time around? Lovelace's second wife, Erica Gomez, as we know, she was banned from this first trial. She's the biggest difference in this case. A lot of people saying that she was the missing puzzle piece to why we're even here to begin with. May 2012 is the first time that he attacked me.

He ripped my shirt and he tried to grab me again. And I kept on trying to fight him off. The children were called down to stop me from calling the police. They were lies. I told them multiple times that I had nothing to do with Corey's death. So how do you find yourself in this position? It's a good question, and it's a question that we've been asking for the last two and a half years. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals.

However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access,

I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island.

It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn. And it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reached the age of 10 that would still have urged it. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn.

When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. The way I describe circumstantial evidence is as follows. I like to look at it as pebbles in a mosaic. And you're going to step away from that mosaic.

And you know what it's gonna say? Murder. The opening statements are about what the evidence is gonna show. The state had an opportunity to explain to you what evidence they have that Kirk Douglas murdered his wife, Corey Lovelace. And they didn't present it.

Because there is none. For Curtis Lovelace and his family, February 14, 2006, might seem like a long time ago. But for the second time in two years, the husband and children of Corey Lovelace are about to relive those difficult days after she died with yet another murder trial. This time it's in a different courthouse, in a different city. But first, you need to know how this all started. It's Friday night in Quincy, Illinois. And hundreds have come out for the home team.

Go, Ed! Go, Ed! Go, Ed! have come out for the home team. Local journalist Bob Goff swaps his keyboard for a microphone and moonlights as an announcer. If you're a local sports star, people are always wanting to know about you. And at Quincy High in the 80s, there was no bigger star than Blue Devils Hall of Famer Curtis Loveless.

Both on the field and in the classroom. Curtis Loveless was a very hardworking kid, smart kid. The University of Illinois gave Loveless, number 54, a scholarship to play football. But he wasn't just any player. Loveless, a business administration major, was considered one of the top offensive linemen in the Big Ten. A team captain who led the fighting Illini to the conference championship his senior year.

He even got a look in free agent camp in the NFL with the Patriots. Had a bad knee injury, which I'm not sure if he would have made it or not, but that certainly didn't help the situation. But being a smart kid, you know, Curtis Loveless already had other goals in mind. While still in college, Curtis started a long-distance relationship with high school classmate Corey Dedrickson, who was studying communications at the University of Iowa. She just had a perfect smile.

Marty Dedrickson, Corey's mother, spoke to our CBS affiliate, KHQA. And she just smiled at everybody, and she just did stuff. Corey was vibrant, dynamic, a little bit of stubbornness, and she was a pistol, and I loved her for that. Steve Belko, Beth Dobryski, and Brett Schrader grew up with Corey and Curtis in Quincy. Kurt was easygoing. He was a gentleman, fun-loving, intelligent, a gentleman. Did you think they were well-matched? I did. I did. Well, they looked great together.

They had a lot of similarities, and they seemed to have fun together. In 1991, just one year after graduation, they were married. Steve was Kurt's best man, and Beth was Corey's bridesmaid. It was one of the best days, you know, in our lives. They were very happy. The pictures, you could see on their faces. It was a magical night. With Corey by his side, Loveless had grand plans. He attended law school and eventually became an assistant state's attorney in the city they both loved, Quincy. What did Corey want to do with her life? What were her dreams? Cori was all about family.

She wanted the big family, the happy marriage, being involved in Quincy. Cori's dream came true in 1993 when their first child, Lindsey, was born. What are you doing, Lindsey? That's an ugly dog you got there. And continued with the addition of three sons. Logan. Logan, say something. That's an ugly dog you got there. And continued with the addition of three sons. Logan. Logan, say something. He's so skinny. Lincoln. Hey, Lincoln, smile. And Larson. Lindsey is now in her 20s. She was a loving person. She was involved, headroom mother, PTA, always there at our games, dance recitals, everything. Our number one cheerleader. Do you have a fondest memory of her? I always say dancing to ABBA in the kitchen. She always played ABBA and we always sang along and

twirling around and it was just special and I still listen because it's everything to me. It was just special, and I still listen because it's everything to me. And Curtis continued to chase his dreams as well. In 2005, while still at the state's attorney's office, he started his own law firm. And as if he wasn't busy enough, Loveless was elected president of the school board, became a captain in the Illinois National Guard, and an adjunct professor at Quincy University. Big man on campus, and he always kind of had that air about him.

Was he arrogant? He became arrogant more and more. Yes, there was a little bit of a holier-than-thou. Maybe you're entitled to this living. I think he lost friends over time because of that. to this living. I think he lost friends over time because of that. And the situation at home was changing as well. Curtis's working long hours away from Corey and the kids was taking a toll on their personal life. They fought. At a young age, I thought it was normal. But then growing up later on after she was gone, I realized that it wasn't normal. Neighbors around the Loveless House here on Kentucky Street say that in the months leading up to her death, they had heard loud and contentious arguments between Corey and Curtis. By many accounts, both were heavy

drinkers. And in this small community, it was known that at times there was a tremendous amount of turmoil in their home. I knew that she wasn't taking care of herself. Corey's family acknowledges she was suffering with an eating disorder, bulimia. I was aware of the bulimia, the binging and the purging late in the day. Corey was an alcoholic, and unfortunately, so much of alcoholism, all of alcoholism, is not pretty. It's ugly, and it brings out oftentimes the worst in people, and it was something that she struggled with. You said you drank. Would you describe yourself as an alcoholic?

I do describe myself as an alcoholic, and I stopped drinking. Was Corey's death the result of her alcohol abuse, or was it murder? It was a question that would go unanswered for almost eight years, until a rookie detective would take a new look at this old case. That's when I went to the chief and asked him if I could take a look at it again. And when you saw the pictures, what was your first reaction? It did not appear to me that

that could have been a natural death. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman,

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Plus, we guarantee that after listening, you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. It's just the best idea yet. I was at the office just reading old case files, and the Loveless case popped into my head. In 2014, Adam Gibson, as a newly promoted detective, decided to take a look at a file of a case he'd always been curious about. The death of Corey Loveless eight years earlier. A death ruled as undetermined. After seeing the photos, that's when I went to the chief and asked him if I could take a look

at it again. The photos of Corey's body show her arms slightly elevated above her chest. It didn't really make sense and there was no real explanation for him. In reopening the case, Gibson first consulted Adams County Coroner James Keller, who was the deputy coroner in 2006 when he was called to the Loveless House the morning of February 14th. Upon entering the bedroom, I noticed the female lying on the bed on her back with her hands kind of in an upright position. A body always tells a story the way you find them. What is the story that Corrie's body was telling you?

That she had passed earlier that prior evening or day. Gibson contacted Dr. Jane Turner, an assistant medical examiner in St. Louis, who agreed with Keller's assessment that Corey's body had stiffened, a condition called rigor mortis, which only happens over an extended period of time. In my report, I stated 10 to 12 hours. Rigor mortis develops maximally at 12 hours. Rigor mortis develops maximally at 12 hours. And it was the position of Corrie's arms that led Dr. Turner to the theory that Corrie had been suffocated. What did you determine would have caused the suffocation? Well, with the position of the hands, it suggests that there was an object between her hands and her body.

And it appears that there's a pillow missing. So I suppose that a pillow was used to suffocate her. Turner theorized that the pillow had not been removed until much later, after Corey's arms had frozen around it, that her dead body had laid in bed all night. Gibson and Turner's theory of murder was a very different account than the one Curtis Loveless gave police. Curtis says it all started the weekend before Valentine's Day.

She had become ill. She appeared to have the flu. Curtis insists Corey was very much alive that morning. The vivid memory is her coming down. One of the kids needed a pair of pants. She wasn't feeling any better and we made the decision that I would take the kids to school. Four-year-old Larson stayed home while Curtis dropped off the other kids. Larson would later tell police that on that morning, he couldn't wake mommy up. Frightened, he waited at the top of the stairs for his dad. By 9 a.m., Curtis returned. And that's when he found Corey dead in their bed.

found Corey dead in their bed. What was your reaction? Just utter shock. In fact, I'm not even sure how I reacted. I know what I did. Oddly, Curtis did not react by calling 911. What I saw was someone who didn't need help. I just saw my wife, who had passed away. Loveless says at that moment, his main concern was to get his youngest child, Larson, out of the house. At trial, Corey's mother, Marty, testifies that Curtis brought him over to her house, which was just around the corner. Sometime after 9, Curtis is knocked on the door

and he asked if I would watch Larson. So I take Larson and he turns and he said, oh, and by the way, Corey's dead. He turned to leave. He turned to leave. And I'm trying to think. I think I remember the fact that on the way I said I want to go, and he said everything's been taken care of, and he left. No. No.

No. Did you have anything to do with the death of your wife, Corey? I did not. But Detective Gibson wasn't buying it. His investigation would lead to an indictment. Curtis Loveless was arrested this afternoon in connection with... And Curtis Loveless' first trial, 10 years after his wife's death. Following breaking news outside of the Adams County Courthouse where a mistrial has been declared... The jury deadlocked, unable to decide if Corey was murdered.

How does it feel to be released finally? Curtis Loveless was out of jail, but for how long? One year later, a new trial. Very dramatic day today here in the Sankman County Courthouse. A new jury, but the same question. Did Corey die from alcohol abuse or something more sinister? The second trial would be the culmination of events that began 11 years ago that Valentine's Day morning. She was laying in the bed and her arms were drawn up by her chest. The grim details of

that morning would be embedded in the minds of those who were there. EMT Cole Miller was among the first on the scene. I went in there to check for signs of life and checked her carotid pulse in her neck and then checked her wrist and saw that it was cold and stiff. I'm Jeff Baird. Baird was the lead detective in the case in 2006. Are you determined that this investigation should be closed because there was no evidence of crime? That is what we determined. Defense attorney John Lovey asks him to describe the scene.

Did you find anything whatsoever in the seemed consistent with any kind of struggle? No. Did you find any evidence of a homicide? No. No signs of homicide because the cause of death was ruled undetermined. Were you surprised to see that undetermined? I think it was unexpected. I was expecting to see a death from natural causes related to a health condition. Baird also didn't expect to see, on the day he discovered Corey,

the condition of her hands and arms. Her arms were up in an unnatural position. Her hands and arms from the elbow to the hands were leaning or resting against her abdomen and appeared to be up. It is this strange position of Corey's arms that would become a critical and controversial piece of this case. There was mild rigor in one of her arms and moderate rigor in the other.

Rigor was also forming in her legs. Let's be real clear. Were her arms still pliable at 10-15? Yes. Tell the jury what pliable means. We could move them. The defense argues if Corey's arms were pliable, it would indicate she could have died that morning. And that is in direct contrast to James Keller's testimony.

The body was in a full state of rigor, rigor mortis. However long Corey Loveless had been dead, to Keller, it certainly appeared that medical rigor mortis had set in. The state of rigor mortis to get in that position, generally the rule of thumb of anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Did it make any sense to you that they were saying it was that morning? It did not. It just didn't seem to add up. Two days after Corey's death, her body was cremated and the case was closed. A 38-year-old woman was suddenly dead for seemingly no apparent reason. We assumed that her eating disorder, that her alcoholism somehow caused her death,

and whether it was checked undetermined or natural death really wasn't something that we were concerned about. Life went on. Six months later, Loveless started dating Erica Gomez, who he later married. Gomez would become an explosive figure in his second trial. His parents knew that he was abusive. That's why they came and got him. His parents probably knew that he killed his first wife. After his wife, Corey, mysteriously passed away in 2006, it took Curtis Loveless less than six months to find love again, this time with one of his students at Quincy University, Erica Gomez. I remember my dad coming up to me and saying, hey, just so you know, I've been seeing this woman.

And what was your reaction? I was shocked, but couldn't process it at the same time, because what 12-year-old's going to process a parent dating, especially so quickly after the loss? And looking back, it was, I think, properly characterized as a rebound relationship. I regret starting the relationship. Were you lonely? Absolutely.

Two years later, Loveless and Gomez were married. What was your relationship like with Erica? Not good at all. For some reason, there was some hatred towards my mom. Like she was public enemy number one. So I would tell her to stop. Like, it's not fair. And then I would get punished for that.

By whom? By Erica. And what scared me more was that my dad would sit there and watch it. It didn't take long for things to go from bad to much worse. It was Christmas Eve, and my mom's side of the family invited all of us to come for family dinner. Christmas was my mom's favorite holiday. And I was crying because I missed her and I wanted her there. And all of a sudden Erica walks in and says, we're leaving now. So I get three to five minutes to calm down, get ready, go to walk out the door,

find out that my dad, Erica, the boys had left. My family was not happy with them leaving me, and that set off a bomb. A bomb that blew her family apart. It blew up to the point where when I returned home that evening, Ms. Gomez was throwing Lindsay's stuff out of the house. I closed around the street. My room is completely trashed. I knew my life was never going to be normal ever again.

And that's when you moved in with your mom's mom. Yeah. Loveless and Gomez divorced in 2013. I decided that I'd made a poor decision and tried to end that relationship as peacefully and as amicably as possible. Unfortunately, it just didn't end as peacefully and amicably as it should have. end as peacefully and amicably as it should have. On the stand in front of the jury, Erica gave the courtroom a sample of her explosive personality. He threatened me. He controlled me. He is physically abusive to me. Hurling a variety of accusations against Loveless.

I've watched him get rid of evidence. I've watched him use his children to get rid of evidence. He used my social security number to try and steal money out of my account. He sexually assaulted me. Did you have any concern that they would buy into what she was saying? I didn't have that concern because I knew they were lies. He was poisoning me. There was, my hair was falling out. There were white lines on my fingers. I was extremely sick. I had to. You were aware, Ms. Gomez, that you were not supposed to mention that because there was no evidence. While Gomez was a witness for the prosecution, ultimately her testimony may have done more for the defense. I had a hard time believing that the prosecution actually wanted to put her on the stand.

Also in the courtroom, Curtis Loveless's third wife, Christine, who, like Corey, Curtis knew from Quincy High. They were married in 2013, just months after his divorce from Gomez. The behavior was so outlandish. The accusations were so outlandish. The fake tears. The children were called down to stop me from calling the police. So you felt that the jury would have zero credibility with you? Absolutely.

On the stand for the prosecution, Detective Adam Gibson would have to defend his credibility and explain just how he found an expert to support his belief that Corey was murdered. It's been implied that you did some back-up shopping. Yes. Do you think that's what you did? Absolutely not. Remember, Dr. Jane Turner sided with Detective Gibson. After studying the evidence, Turner believed that Corey had died the night before police arrived.

Given the circumstances of the state in which her body was found and the altered scene, it appears that she did die of a homicide from suffocation. A logical conclusion, except for the fact that when questioned by Quincy police, the loveless children, except Larson, said they saw their mother alive on the stairs before going off to school the morning Gibson believed Corey was already dead. When Adam Gibson came to speak to you and he asked you, do you remember, you told him that you did. You remembered seeing her that morning. And you came to believe that the children were wrong, correct?

I didn't say they were wrong. I don't know what they saw. And maybe neither did they. I had had a story in my head of, I saw her sitting on the stairs, waving to us, goodbye, I love you, left. And I always said, oh, it was great. I got to say, I love you. Do you remember seeing your mother that Valentine's Day morning? It's a black hole. You don't know? No. How certain are you now that Curtis Loveless murdered his wife, Corey? I'm 100% certain. But defense attorney John Lobey was about to challenge everything Detective Adam Gibson believed about the death of Corey Loveless. Adam Gibson decided to create a crime where one didn't exist.

You knew that the case had been closed because nobody found suspicion of any cause, are you correct? Correct. I read that it was closed, yes. Prosecutor Ed Parkinson brings in three forensic pathologists to prove Detective Gibson's theory that Corey was murdered. From world-renowned Dr. Werner Spitz. Miss Lovelace died in my view of suffocation. To Dr. Scott Denton, the pathologist first consulted when the case was reopened.

I would determine her cause of death to be suffocation. And finally, to Dr. Jane Turner, the out-of-state expert who also believes Corey was suffocated. Defense attorney Lobey tries to discredit Turner, saying she never saw Corey's body. And her opinion that Corey's body was in full rigor mortis conflicts with the first responders on the scene. For you to be right, Jeff Beard has to be wrong about his assessment, correct? That's correct, right? Yes.

For you to be right, Paramedic Ballard has to be wrong about his assessment that the arm was still pliable, correct? Yes. If Corey Loveless's body was pliable, as the defense claims, Full Rigor Mortis had not set in, and she did not die the night before. When Coroner Keller is cross-examined, Lobey belittles his role in the case. Probably, yes, sir? Probably, yes, sir. Lobey comes down hardest on Detective Gibson. You've continued to pursue Mr. Lovelace because you had already decided that this man must be guilty. No. He grills Gibson about rigor mortis. At what point did you learn that you were wrong, that the body was in full

rigor? I don't know to this day that I'm wrong. Then a new twist. Lovey accuses Gibson of withholding evidence, emails that never made it into the first trial. You did delete all your emails in January 2015, did you not? Yes. The defense was able to recover those emails. Lobey reads one email from a pathologist who told Gibson he could never make a good murder case since Corey's death had originally been ruled undetermined. That is more than reasonable doubt in any reasonable person's mind.

This email should have been turned over, right? I believe so, it should have, yes. You didn't turn it over, did you? I did not. But Gibson testified that he never engaged in any intentional wrongdoing. Have you ever intentionally deleted or modified emails to manipulate an investigation? No. I have this family called Dr. William Oliver. Lobey calls to the stand his own noted pathologist, Dr. William Oliver,

who was on the O.J. Simpson case. Oliver had no doubt how Corey died. It is my opinion that she died of the complication of alcohol withdrawal known as acute fatty liver. After a battle of the experts, the defense gambles that the most believable witness might be the accused killer himself. As I approached the bed, I could see her hands. I could see her eyes were open, and she was very pale, and there was nothing there. Corey was dead. That's what I saw.

That's what I saw. I told him multiple times that I had nothing to do with Corey's death. Of course, being accused of a cold-blooded murder of your wife, that reduces your liability factor, correct? A little bit. Do you feel like everything you said, every decision A little bit. We've been doing this for two and a half years. And it was remembering the time right after Corey died that Curtis became most emotional. One of our high school classmates who was a pastor, he's the one that delivered the eulogy.

I wrote it, but I couldn't deliver it. All three loveless boys continue to support their father. The two oldest testified they saw their mother that Valentine's morning. I remember getting ready for school, walking back and forth, getting stuff done, sitting on the stairs with my mother and heading out the door. How confident are you, though, from your memory itself that you're talking about her last night? 100%. Was this the last time you were talking about her last night? Yes.

Their sister, Lindsay, was not called to testify by either side. As the trial goes to final arguments... You have a reasonable doubt, ladies and gentlemen. Use the standard. Those words don't have a dictionary definition. You're going to have to apply your life experiences beyond your reasonable doubt, ladies and gentlemen, is the standard. Those words don't have a dictionary definition. You're going to have to apply your life experiences. Beyond a reasonable doubt. Doesn't mean probably.

Doesn't mean maybe. Beyond a reasonable doubt. What's that mean? Well, because really what the case is about is that lady, Corey. That's who the case is about. She died at age 38 because a six-foot, four-inch former football player standing over her muffled her and forgot to take the pillow away. The question is whether any jury can sort out what exactly happened that Valentine's Day morning. Do you think we'll ever know what happened with your mom?

No. If a verdict comes out this round, it comes out, I don't think we'll ever fully know. fully know? Hear Curtis Loveless testify on the shock of getting arrested at 48hours.com All murder trials have their clashes between the prosecution and defense.

I would like to know who's coming. I'd like you to ask her. Are you going to act like you're winning, pretend like you're doing well? But the spats between Ed Parkinson and John Lobey were more contentious. I've objected to his answers. I've told him to shut up. I don't like it. I told him to shut up. I don't like it. After seven days of testimony in Curtis Loveless' second murder trial, the jury continues hearing closing arguments. So here we are. What has the state shown?

Corey died from suffocation, but he didn't. Prosecutor David Robinson. He had a motive. She was an alcoholic. She yelled at him. She yelled at the kids. And that night, he had enough. The state has to define Curtis Wallace guilty of murder beyond reason.

There is no evidence in this case that this woman was smuggled. She died a natural death. They have no murder weapon. They have no forensic evidence. And he went out trying to prove a case where there was no crime. This is revoked. Now, Pete, I did this for you. I'm not going to take long.

Because he committed a stupid crime. And with that, the jury began their deliberations. As this case is stated in these instructions, the jury will follow all of it. I believe in everything we did, every step that we took, it was a search for the truth. Then, in little more than two hours, all parties were called back to the courthouse. Unlike in the first trial, this time the jury had reached a verdict.

We were prepared in our minds, in our heart for whatever the verdict was. So this time, at least you know there's going to be an answer. this time. At least you know there's going to be an answer. We know there's going to be an answer, but still knowing that 12 people have our fate and our future and our children's future in their hands is scary. We the jury, rightly defendant, Curtis T. Lovelace, not guilty. Woo-hoo! Signed by the court person and 11 jurors. Thank you.

Would anybody like to hear your claim? No, you're not. More than 10 years after Corey died, and two trials accusing him for the murder of his wife, Curtis Loveless, surrounded by his three sons, walks out of the courtroom a free man. We put our trust in God, and we put our trust in the legal system, and we weren't let down. And so it's a great day for our family, a great day for all of our friends. And we're just thankful. Kurt had absolutely nothing to do with his wife's death.

And the jury saw that. Prosecutor Ed Parkinson is clearly upset by the quick decision. Disappointed. But the jury has spoken, so that's the end of it. But just days after the verdict, Curtis Loveless told 48 Hours that he and Christine still have a lot of questions about Detective Adam Gibson's investigation.

Clearly, I don't appreciate what he's done to me and my family. And whatever happens with Adam Gibson happens with Adam Gibson. There's truth, and I believe the truth will come out. You intend to pursue how and why this all happened? I think those are questions we want answered. The family remains deeply divided by the legal saga now behind them. Curtis, Christine, and the three boys have not spoken to Lindsay since the day Curtis was arrested in 2014. I don't think by our choice. We were advised not to engage in a relationship with people who were possibly against Kurt. So do you see a day when everyone is together?

We hope so. We talk about it often. Is that on the docket of things to do? You know, I think we'd all like to see reconciliation. I'm just not sure how that happens. I'm sure it's going to be difficult. For now, Lindsay says she is working to move forward with her own life, inspired by her mother's memory. My mom was a beautiful person. She touched so many people.

She was passionate. But that's the kind of person she was, and that's the kind of person I try to be. Christine Lovelace adopted Curtis' three sons. Lindsay was already 18 years old. Curtis Lovelace filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Quincy Police and Adams County officials. He claims he was denied due process and constitutional rights and was the subject of malicious prosecution. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. malicious prosecution.