A US man was convicted at this time of homicide within the 2015 killing of his spouse — a case constructed partly on proof supplied by her Fitbit train exercise tracker.
A jury in Rockville Superior Courtroom discovered Richard Dabate responsible of all three prices — homicide, tampering with proof and making a false assertion to authorities — following a five-week trial and on the second day of deliberations.
Dabate maintained his innocence and testified that a big masked man with a voice like actor Vin Diesel and wearing camouflage shot his spouse, Connie Dabate, and tied him up on the couple’s Ellington dwelling in December 2015.
Police mentioned data on Connie Dabate’s Fitbit contradicted her husband’s story and confirmed she was shifting round an hour after he mentioned she was killed.
Prosecutor Matthew Gedansky mentioned in his closing argument that Dabate hatched a plan to kill his spouse and stage a house invasion as his life was about to unravel with the beginning of a kid he was having with one other lady.
The homicide cost carries as much as 60 years in jail. Dabate is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
Courtroom marshals handcuffed Dabate and led him out of the courtroom after Choose Corinne Klatt elevated his bond to US $5 million.
He had been free after posting $1 million bail following his arrest.
Dabate's lawyer, Trent LaLima, mentioned an enchantment of the convictions is deliberate.
“I believe we placed on a really sturdy case for why Rick didn't commit this offence,” he mentioned exterior the courthouse after the verdicts had been introduced.
Wayne Rioux, a spokesperson for Connie Dabate's household, mentioned justice prevailed with the convictions of Richard Dabate.
“The trial was not about Fitbit,” he mentioned.
“The trial was in regards to the cold-blooded, deliberate homicide of Connie Margotta Dabate.
"There can be no closure for the Margotta household, however there may be lastly justice for Connie.”
LaLima questioned the reliability of the info from the Fitbit tracker, saying the gadgets weren't designed with the accuracy wanted for courtroom testimony.
LaLima additionally pointed to unknown DNA that was discovered within the Dabates’ dwelling, together with on the gun that killed Connie, and testimony from a home cleaner, who mentioned they might have seen a darkish inexperienced determine transfer previous the window across the time of the crime.
A jury was picked for the case in early 2020, earlier than state courts shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A decide dismissed that jury final August, saying it had been empanelled too lengthy and a few jurors had moved out of state, and a brand new panel was chosen starting in late February.