A second jury choice is about to start Tuesday for the trial of a Connecticut man accused of killing his spouse, whose Fitbit exercise tracker is predicted to be a key piece of proof in opposition to him. Potential jurors can be questioned in Rockville Superior Court docket for the homicide case of Richard Dabate, who has maintained his innocence.
Dabate advised police a masked man shot his spouse, Connie Dabate, and tied him up earlier than he burned the intruder with a torch on the couple's Ellington residence on Dec. 23, 2015. The couple's two younger sons had been in class on the time.
However police say data on Connie Dabate's Fitbit contradicts Richard Dabate's story, displaying she was transferring round an hour after he mentioned she was killed.
Tolland State's Legal professional Matthew Gedansky has mentioned he believes Richard Dabate's motive for the crime was concern a couple of potential divorce and alienating household and associates. Authorities mentioned Richard Dabate had affairs, together with one with a lady who was pregnant on the time of the killing.
Dabate allegedly advised investigators his spouse was unable to have one other youngster, so the couple did some "untraditional issues." He mentioned all three deliberate to co-parent the kid, CBS affiliate WFSB reported.
Richard Dabate's lawyer, Trent LaLima, has mentioned proof of the affairs was "simply an try to soiled up Mr. Dabate's status."
A jury had been picked for the case in early 2020, earlier than state courts shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. A choose dismissed that jury final August, saying it had been empaneled too lengthy and a few jurors had moved out of state.
Dabate stays free on $1 million bail. Kin have mentioned the boys reside with different relations.
In 2017, Connie Dabate's sister filed a wrongful loss of life lawsuit in opposition to Richard Dabate. Marliese Shaw, the executor of her sister's property, additionally requested a probate choose to order that Richard Dabate return greater than $70,000 taken from his spouse's property after she died.