Saturday, March 11, 2017

Curtis Lovelace: (Part 3): Illinois; Major development. Acquittal. Jury returns not guilty verdict in little more tha two hours........"Loevy said a “smoking gun” for the defense was an email from prosecution witness Dr. Scott Denton. In the email, Denton said that unless Dr. Jessica Bowman — who performed the autopsy on Cory Lovelace — amended her report from “undetermined,” reasonable doubt would exist in the case. Loevy pointed to the testimony of Dr. Shaku Teas and Dr. William Oliver, who both said Cory Lovelace died from fatty liver related to chronic alcoholism. Teas and Oliver testified this week that Cory Lovelace's body would have shown more trauma if she had been suffocated, and that signs of a struggle would have been prevalent. Both forensic pathologists also believed the statements provided by three of the Lovelace children to Quincy police Detective Jeff Baird, who handled the initial death investigation.........During closing arguments, prosecutors said jurors should believe the testimony of Denton, Dr. Werner Spitz and Dr. Jane Turner, all of whom said Cory Lovelace died of suffocation. All believed Cory Lovelace had died several hours earlier and that the placement of her arms showed advanced rigor mortis, although the defense argued her arms were moved by first responders.".


QUOTE OF THE DAY: “That's the science,” assistant prosecutor David Robinson said during closing arguments. “Who do you trust? Who do you believe? Spitz, Denton and Turner, or Shaku Teas and Oliver?”

Assistant Prosecutor David Robinson:

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STORY: "Defence believes Lovelace taking stand had greatest benefit," by reporter Matt Hopf, published by The Whig-Herald on March 10, 2017.

GIST: "Jon Loevy said he knew Curtis Lovelace was innocent after meeting the former Adams County assistant state's attorney for the first time a year ago in the Hancock County Jail. “After spending an hour with him I said, 'This guy is being falsely accused,' ” Loevy said. The attorney's instincts were confirmed Friday when a Sangamon County jury needed a little more than two hours to find Lovelace not guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his first wife, Cory, in February 2006. The trial was the second for Lovelace, who prosecutors alleged suffocated his wife with a pillow. An Adams County jury was unable to reach a verdict after two days of deliberation in February 2016.........The defense team of Loevy and Tara Thompson was provided through the University of Chicago's Exoneration Project, which seeks to overturn sentences of those wrongly accused. Loevy, who delivered an often-blistering 110-minute closing argument Friday, said the decision by Curtis Lovelace to take the witness stand a day earlier strengthened the case, even thought he believed the defense already had “won the trial.” “Curt wanted to tell his community, you and everyone else, that he did not kill his wife,” Loevy said. Curtis Lovelace, now 48, testified that Cory Lovelace was alive when he left at 8:15 a.m. to take three of their children to school on Feb. 14, 2006. He said he discovered her lifeless body when he walked into their bedroom about 9 a.m. Loevy said that the state's entire case was based on “pure speculation.” He called Quincy police Detective Adam Gibson a “rookie detective” who failed to acknowledge statements from three Lovelace children that their mother was alive hours after prosecutors claim she had been murdered. Loevy also said Gibson continued to “doctor shop” the case until he found forensic pathologist Dr. Jane Turner to agree with his conclusion that Cory Lovelace's death was caused by suffocation. Gibson testified Tuesday that he started looking into the case after coming across it while reviewing old case files. Loevy said a “smoking gun” for the defense was an email from prosecution witness Dr. Scott Denton. In the email, Denton said that unless Dr. Jessica Bowman — who performed the autopsy on Cory Lovelace — amended her report from “undetermined,” reasonable doubt would exist in the case. Loevy pointed to the testimony of Dr. Shaku Teas and Dr. William Oliver, who both said Cory Lovelace died from fatty liver related to chronic alcoholism. Teas and Oliver testified this week that Cory Lovelace's body would have shown more trauma if she had been suffocated, and that signs of a struggle would have been prevalent. Both forensic pathologists also believed the statements provided by three of the Lovelace children to Quincy police Detective Jeff Baird, who handled the initial death investigation.........During closing arguments, prosecutors said jurors should believe the testimony of Denton, Dr. Werner Spitz and Dr. Jane Turner, all of whom said Cory Lovelace died of suffocation. All believed Cory Lovelace had died several hours earlier and that the placement of her arms showed advanced rigor mortis, although the defense argued her arms were moved by first responders. “That's the science,” assistant prosecutor David Robinson said during closing arguments. “Who do you trust? Who do you believe? Spitz, Denton and Turner, or Shaku Teas and Oliver?”

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.whig.com/20170310/jury-starts-deliberating-in-lovelace-case

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;