A killer husband who attempted to cover-up his wife's murder by claiming she was the victim of a home invasion has been jailed after her Fitbit revealed crucial evidence.
Richard Dabate, 46, was sentenced to 65 years in prison last week over the death of his wife Connie Dabate, 39, at their home in Connecticut two days before Christmas in 2015.
The case attracted US media attention after he told police a masked intruder with a voice similar to Fast and Furious actor Vin Diesel had killed her — but he was convicted in May after his wife's fitness gadget contradicted his story.
Dabate claimed he had returned from work on December 23 to discover an 6ft 3in intruder inside the house, who tied him up, shot his wife dead at around 9.05am and then stabbed him.
But data shared by police from a fitness tracker she had worn revealed Connie had been strolling around the house at a leisurely pace for a whole hour after her husband claimed she was dead.
Her last recorded distance was 1,217 feet, collected between 9.18 a.m. and 10.05 am, while evidence collected from her iPhone showed she had been active on Facebook at 9.40am and 9.46am.
Police additionally revealed they had found no evidence of forced entry at the property. A spokesman from Connecticut State Police had previously told People in a 2017 interview that his story made "no sense", and vowed to "get to the bottom of it."
He had admitted to an extramarital affair during an interview, according to a police warrant, though it was unclear whether his wife was aware.
At court, his defence attorney Trent LaLima had argued that the Fitbit was not sufficiently accurate to be admitted as evidence in a trial.
But Dabate was found guilty of murder, tampering with evidence and making a false statement earlier this year, and sentenced to 65 years on Thursday (August 18).
Trent LaLima told news outlets that Dabate maintains his innocence following his sentencing, and plans to appeal the case.
