Murder of Connie Dabate

Background

Connie Dabate (née Margotta, 1976–2015) married Richard Dabate on July 4, 2003. At the time of her death, the couple had two young sons. Connie worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Reckitt Benckiser, while Richard worked as a computer network administrator. Investigators later uncovered evidence of significant marital problems, including an affair Richard was having with a woman named Sarah Ganzer, who he learned was pregnant with his child shortly before Connie's murder. Notes found on Connie's phone included a list of reasons to divorce Richard, as well as a list of reasons to stay married, reflecting ongoing tension over finances and Richard's spending habits.

The Murder and Initial Account

On the morning of December 23, 2015, first responders arrived at the Dabate home in Ellington, Connecticut, after a panic alarm triggered on the household security system. Police found Richard on the kitchen floor with his wrist and ankles bound to a folding chair with zip ties. Richard told police that after leaving for work, he returned home to retrieve a forgotten item and encountered a masked intruder in the upstairs bedroom. He claimed the intruder overpowered him, and that when Connie arrived home, the intruder chased her to the basement and shot her before returning to bind, stab, and burn Richard with a blowtorch. Richard said he eventually burned the intruder's face, causing him to flee. Police dogs searching for the alleged intruder's scent trail only detected Richard's scent.

Investigation and Contradicting Evidence

Connecticut State Police investigators found substantial inconsistencies in Richard's account. Digital records showed that Richard had logged into his email from the home's IP address at 8:41 a.m. and browsed a YMCA exercise schedule and ESPN's website shortly after 9:18 a.m.—directly contradicting his claim that he had left for work and was calling from the roadside. Connie had been wearing a Fitbit One fitness tracker that recorded her movements; the device indicated she was still moving inside the home until 10:05 a.m., which conflicted with Richard's timeline placing her death shortly after 9 a.m. Investigators also found that Richard had repeatedly changed his story about his affair and his wife's awareness of it, initially claiming Ganzer was a surrogate before admitting she was a former high school friend he had impregnated.

Trial and Outcome

Richard Dabate was tried and, on May 10, 2022, was found guilty of murder, tampering with evidence, and making false statements to police. On August 18, 2022, he was sentenced to 65 years in prison. The case attracted significant national and international media attention due to the use of Fitbit data as forensic evidence, leading to its frequent characterization in the press as the "Fitbit murder" case.