Richard Dabate murder charge
Richard Dabate's story about an intruder killing his wife appears to be contradicted by evidence from her Fitbit device Connecticut State Police

A Connecticut man has been charged with murder after claims an intruder killed his wife in their house were apparently contradicted by movements recorded on her Fitbit device.

Richard Dabate, 40, alleged a "tall, obese man" who wore a mask and camouflage clothing and spoke like "Vin Diesel" shot his wife Connie, 39.

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He also stated the perpetrator tied him up after a struggle, leaving Debate with minor knife wounds — claims that appeared to be corroborated when officers found his leg bound to a kitchen chair by zip ties.

However, police now suspect a different timeline of events after checking his wife's Fitbit — a device used to monitor physical activity — and Debate has since been charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and making false statements.

Officers have found found no evidence of a physical struggle in the house, and state the Fitbit undermines Debate's version of events.

Timestamps and CCTV footage

Dabate claims the attack took place just after 9am on the morning of 23 December 2015, and that he managed to call the police at 10.20 am. However, time stamps on the fitness device, coupled with CCTV footage, indicate his wife had been at a local gym until 9.18 am.

She later posted Facebook videos and her Fitbit showed she moved around inside her home until 10.05am.

Debate, a computer technician, also claimed to have sent an email from his car, but this was disproved after the message was traced to a laptop in his house.

Murder weapon linked to Debate

As for the attack itself, analysis showed that Connie, a pharmaceutical representative was shot twice with a .357 revolver bought by her husband two months earlier.

A police dog did not detect the scent of any other people in the house in the two hours before Connie died.

Police found Debate was having an affair with a friend from childhood who was pregnant, and tried unsuccessfully to cash in a $475,000 (£370,000) life insurance policy five days after Connie was killed.

He successfully withdrew $90,000 from her account a month later, reported the Hartford Courant.

Dabate posted bail of $1m. His trial date is set for 28 April.