If you followed the true crime circuit in the mid-2010s, the name Curtis Lovelace probably rings a bell. It was one of those cases that felt like a movie script—a former Big Ten football star turned prosecutor accused of smothering his wife, Cory, on Valentine’s Day.
After two high-stakes trials and a mountain of media coverage, the legal dust finally settled. But for many who watched the "48 Hours" specials or followed the local Illinois news, one question always lingers: is Curtis Lovelace still married?
Honestly, the answer is yes. But it’s not to the woman you might expect if you only caught the early parts of the saga.
The Short Answer: Yes, He is Married
As of early 2026, Curtis Lovelace remains married to his third wife, Christine Lovelace.
They didn't just meet recently. Christine was actually a high school classmate of Curtis's. They reconnected and eventually tied the knot in 2013, which, if you’re doing the math, was just about a year before he was first arrested and charged with the murder of his first wife.
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Imagine that for a second. You get married, and shortly after, your husband is hauled off to jail for a cold case death from eight years prior. Christine didn't just stay; she became his fiercest advocate. She was a constant presence in the courtroom, often seen sitting right behind the defense table.
Life After the Acquittal
After his 2017 "not guilty" verdict, Curtis and Christine didn't just go back to their old lives in Quincy, Illinois. You can't really go home again when half the town thinks you’re a murderer and the other half thinks you’re a victim of a vendetta.
They basically packed up and left.
They moved to the Urbana-Champaign area and eventually toward Chicago. Together, they founded the Lovelace Center for Criminal Defense. It’s a bit of a "full circle" moment. Curtis, the man who used to put people in jail as a prosecutor, now works as a defense attorney alongside his wife to help people who claim they’ve been wrongfully accused.
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A Quick History of the Lovelace Marriages
To understand the current state of things, you kinda have to look at the timeline. It’s been a long, winding road for the former University of Illinois captain.
- Cory Lovelace (1991–2006): This was the marriage that ended in tragedy. Cory died on February 14, 2006. While the initial autopsy was inconclusive, the case was reopened years later, leading to the trials that made national headlines. They had four children together.
- Erika Gomez (2008–2013): This was Curtis’s second marriage. It was, by all accounts, volatile. During the second trial, Erika testified for the prosecution, alleging that Curtis had been abusive. Curtis’s defense team vehemently denied this, calling the claims "blatantly erroneous." They divorced in 2013.
- Christine Lovelace (2013–Present): Christine has been the "rock" throughout the legal battles. She wasn't just a spouse; she helped manage the legal team’s logistics and even participated in the civil lawsuit that followed his acquittal.
The $4.5 Million Turning Point
If you're wondering how they’re doing now, money is probably a lot less of a stressor than it used to be.
In July 2022, a federal jury awarded Curtis and his children $4.5 million in a civil lawsuit against the city of Quincy and several police officers. The suit claimed that the authorities ignored evidence and basically "tunnel-visioned" on Curtis to secure a conviction.
That settlement wasn't just a payday. For the Lovelaces, it was a form of public vindication. It allowed them to solidify their new life away from the shadow of the Adams County courthouse.
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Where are they in 2026?
The couple is still very much active in the legal community. While Curtis handles the heavy lifting in court, Christine often manages the business side of their practice. They’ve focused heavily on "difficult cases"—the ones where defendants insist on their innocence and refuse to take plea deals.
It’s a niche born out of Curtis’s own experience sitting in a jail cell waiting for a verdict. He’s mentioned in interviews that he knows exactly what that "nerve-racking" wait feels like.
Addressing the Common Misconceptions
People often get confused about the timeline of his marriages because the trials happened so long after Cory's death.
- Did he marry Christine after the trial? No. They were already married when he was arrested in 2014.
- Is he still in Quincy? No. They’ve made it clear in multiple interviews with outlets like Illinois Public Media that returning to Quincy wasn't an option for them emotionally or professionally.
- What about the kids? His children from his first marriage are grown now. During the trials, they largely supported their father, which was a huge part of why the jury in the second trial felt the prosecution's "abusive household" narrative didn't hold water.
Final Takeaway
Curtis Lovelace’s life is a reminder that the "happily ever after" in true crime stories is usually much more complicated than a 60-minute documentary makes it look. He is indeed still married to Christine, and they have built a life centered around the very system that nearly took his freedom away.
If you’re looking to follow the case further, you can look up the Lovelace Center for Criminal Defense or check out the archives of the Exoneration Project, which played a pivotal role in his 2017 defense. Their work continues to influence how "cold case" suffocation evidence is handled in Illinois courts today.
For those interested in the legal nuances of his civil victory, searching for the Lovelace v. City of Quincy court filings provides a deep dive into how his defense team dismantled the original police investigation.