Crucial clue on Connie Dabate's Fitbit cracked murder case after husband Richard tied himself to chair in elaborate plot | The Sun
A MURDERED mom's Fitbit data provided crucial information that led to the arrest and conviction of her killer years after the 2015 crime.
Connie Dabate's husband Richard dodged police for years thanks to an elaborate plot that was foiled by info gathered from the tracker.
Connie Dabate, 39, had the Fitbit on her on December 23, 2015, when her body was found in the basement of the Ellington, Connecticut home, where she lived with her husband and kids.
She had been shot in the head and abdomen, police said.
Her husband, Richard Dabate, was also located inside the house.
First responders found him lying on the kitchen floor, tied to a metal folding chair, Hartford Fox affiliate WTIC-TV reported.
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Dabate, 45, told officers that he dropped off his children at school that morning and was heading to work when he realized he left his laptop at home, according to the news outlet.
He said he was driving back to his house when he got a notification about an alarm going off at home.
Dabate told officers that he got to the house, heard a noise upstairs, and came across an intruder.
He alleged that the intruder had a knife and demanded his wallet and bank card pins.
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When his wife got there, returning from a trip to the gym, he claimed he tried to alert her.
Dabate told detectives that a large person with camouflage clothing and a mask shot Connie.
The investigation into Connie's death revealed she was shot by one of her husband's guns, CT Insider reported.
Dabate reportedly told her family that he believed his wife was going to the basement to grab one of his guns to help him.
No items were taken from the house and Mr. Dabate’s wallet was found in the yard with nothing missing, according to CT Insider.
FITBIT DATA
Information on Connie's Fitbit showed she was moving around for about an hour after her husband claimed she was killed, CBS News reported.
The alleged conflicting timeline is part of the case against Dabate, who was arrested in 2017 and charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and making false statements.
Prosecutors claim a potential divorce was Dabate's motive in the killing.
They allege that he was in an affair with a woman who was pregnant with his child.
Dabate's lawyer said evidence of affairs was "just an attempt to dirty up" his client's reputation.
He has maintained his innocence, telling Connie's family at the time: “I didn’t do this, they said I need a lawyer.”
“His body language was unemotional, he was really flat,” Connie's sister Leslie Garabedian said in court.
“It was as if he was speaking any story without emotion.”
CHILLING FINAL TEXTS
A friend of Connie's revealed a conversation she apparently had with the victim 30 minutes before Richard Dabate called 911.
Connie was inviting Kate Frost and her husband over for a potluck and joked that they would all get food poisoning if Connie cooked.
“Connie was great at a lot of things, but cooking wasn’t one of her strong suits,” Frost said during the trial in state Superior Court in Rockville this week.
Frost recalled Connie ending the message with: “If I don’t get to see you, Merry Christmas."
Debate was convicted of the murder in May and was sentenced to 65 years in prison.
"I just feel like a surge from up above," said Connie's mother Cindy Margotta after the August 18, 2022, sentencing.
"I just feel the strength coming to me right now."
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"Today is an accumulation of almost seven years of stress and anxiety, hurt and pain," said family friend Wayne Rioux.
Richard and Connie's chilling tale is set to be featured on Friday's episode of Dateline which airs at 9pm EST.
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