Smart bracelet helps police prosecute husband suspected of killing wife

Data from the smart bracelet revealed loopholes in the husband's testimony, helping police prosecute the suspect in the wife's murder case.

Richard and Connie Dabate. Photo: Facebook

Police in the US state of Connecticut said yesterday that a smart bracelet helped them have convincing evidence to prosecute a husband suspected of murdering his wife, according to BBC.

Richard Dabate, 40, told police that a stranger broke into their home in Ellington County, Connecticut, stole his gun and used it to shoot and kill his wife Connie at 9 a.m. on December 23, 2015, just as she was returning from the gym. He said the intruder was a “tall, overweight” man who sounded like actor Vin Diesel and was wearing camouflage clothing and a mask.

Connie was shot twice in the head and back with a handgun her husband had purchased two months earlier, prosecutors said. Richard said the intruder then tied him up after a struggle. Police found Richard at the scene with one arm and one leg tied to a kitchen chair with zip ties.

However, the police became suspicious when they found no signs of a struggle on Richard. The knife wounds on his body also appeared to be self-inflicted, not caused by an attack. Police dogs did not detect the scent of any strangers in the house in the hours before Connie was killed.

Things began to unravel when the police decided to analyze data from Connie’s Fitbit smart bracelet, a digital sensor bracelet that records every movement of the user, purchased by Connie for her fitness training.

Smart bracelet helps police find clues in crime. Illustration: BBC

Data from the Fitbit recorded Connie’s last movement at 10:05 a.m., more than an hour after Richard said she was shot to death. It also showed she had traveled more than 400 feet after returning home, contradicting Richard’s claim that she was killed shortly after entering the house. The distance from where she parked her car to her home was “less than 120 feet,” according to the police complaint.

"This electronic device that tracks a user's movements is a great tool to help investigators solve crimes," prosecutor Craig Stedman said.

After further investigation, police discovered that Richard was having an affair with another woman and was about to have an illegitimate child. Police suspect that this was the motive that drove him to kill his wife.

Richard Dabate was arrested earlier this month on charges of murder, tampering with evidence and giving false statements to police. He is currently out on $1 million bail and is due in court on April 28./.

According to VNE