Authorities are using a Fitbit as evidence in a murder Case that took place on Dec. 23, 2015. Richard Dabate is accused of killing his wife, Connie, in their home in Connecticut. A Fitbit is a wearable device that measures data such as a number of steps walked, heart rate and quality of sleep, among other things.
The husband’s version of the story
According to Dabate, a masked intruder barged into his home, tied him up and tortured him, and when his wife arrived, the intruder shot and killed her. In the morning of the date as mentioned above, Dabate put his two kids on the bus and left for work, he claimed.
Afterward, his wife headed for a fitness class with a Fitbit on her wrist.
Dabate said he forgot his laptop, so he went back to his home to retrieve it, which was between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m. While inside his home, he heard a noise upstairs, so he went there to investigate. There he allegedly discovered a man wearing a mask and a camouflaged suit. Moments later, Dabate claims that his wife returned home and he tried to warn her and told her to run. That’s the point when the intruder allegedly killed Connie.The intruder was able to escape, and Dabate immediately called 911.
The Fitbit’s version
Dabate’s story didn’t convince investigators, and they weren’t able to find any possible suspects other than the husband.
There were no signs of forced entry, and no items were missing from the house. Authorities obtained search warrants for their cell phones, computers, home alarm logs and Connie’s Fitbit device. According to the data from the synchronized logs, investigators found out that Dabate was not telling the whole truth.
Investigators speculated that Connie arrived home around 9:23 a.m.
because that was the time the garage door opened, according to the log. Connie was also active on Facebook as she posted videos around 9:40 a.m. and 9:46 a.m., using her home’s IP address. Also, her Fitbit recorded a distance of 1,217 feet between 9:18 a.m. and 10:05 a.m. Authorities say she couldn’t have traveled that far as it only takes a distance of 125 feet from her car to the basement, where she was killed.
More evidence
The husband admitted that he had an extramarital affair and impregnated another woman. He also attempted to make a claim for his wife’s life insurance policy for $475,000, just five days after the murder. Hubart Santos, Dabate’s lawyer, said in a statement, “My client is innocent of these charges, and he looks forward to being vindicated after a trial,” NBC reported.
