Richard Dabate was convicted of the murder of his wife in Connecticut. He claimed that a masked intruder had killed Connie Dabate in 2015.
However, the Fitbit device that the 39-year-old woman used to wear was a key piece in her evidence. It showed that she was still moving an hour after her husband had claimed she had died.
A jury in Rockville Superior Court found Dabate guilty on all charges against him — murder, tampering with evidence and making a false statement to authorities. After a five-week trial, Dabate was convicted on Tuesday.
Dabate could face up to 60 year imprisonment September 16 was the date of his sentencing hearing. Following his conviction, Dabate, who was free on $1million bail, was taken into police custody. Judge Corinne Klatt raised his bond to $5million.
His defense lawyer said that he will appeal the verdict.
Dabate testified that a large, mask-wearing man, who sounded a lot like Vin Diesel, had entered the home of the family and tied him up. He then shot and killed his wife.
Investigators stated that the murder took place two days before Christmas, while the children of the couple were at school.
Investigators claimed that they learned later that Dabate was having an affair and that he wanted to divorce his wife.
Wayne Rioux was a spokesperson for Connie Dabate and said that justice had been done.
“The trial was not about Fitbit,”He said. “The trial was about the cold-blooded, planned murder of Connie Margotta Dabate. There will be no closure for the Margotta family, but there is finally justice for Connie.”
Prosecutors alleged that Dabate concocted the home invasion to cover the murder of Connie. Authorities claimed that the husband committed suicide because his life was about collapse due to his mistress’s pregnancies.
Due to COVID-19 shut downs, the trial was delayed.
