5 chilling details about Connie Dabate's murder

June 19, 2024

Ellington-based Connie Dabate's murder case, which occurred two days before Christmas in 2015, will feature on NBC Dateline's upcoming episode.

The all-new episode, The Secrets of Birch View Drive, will premiere this January 6, at 9.00 pm ET.

Connie's husband, Richard Dabate, was convicted for her fatal shooting last May and was sentenced to 65 years in prison after a fitbit tracker and other digital evidence proved that he lied about the occurrences from the morning of the murder. The victim was shot to death in the basement of their house, while her husband was found with superficial knife wounds, partly tied to a chair with zip ties.

The investigation also revealed details about Richard's double life that he conveniently hid from the world. It was alleged that his lover was pregnant at the time of the murder and that he sent her text messages the night before the murder, promising to end things with Connie.

Connie Dabate murder case: Five quick facts to know about the Connecticut shooting death, which was solved using the victim's fitbit

1) The crime scene where Connie Dabate was gunned down seemed like a home invasion initially

Connie Dabate (39) was found dead in the basement of her house when Ellington police arrived on December 23, 2015, upon receiving a distressed 911 call from her husband, Richard Dabate (40). The husband was found partly zip tied to a chair with superficial knife wounds. Connie was shot twice, once in the back of the head, using a gun that her husband owned.

According to reports, Richard told authorities that his wife had been shot by a masked intruder who was dressed in camoflouged clothing and was also wearing gloves.

2) During the investigation, police dogs were unable to smell an intruder

According to reports, after hearing about Richard Dabate's intruder narrative, the authorities brought a K-9 unit to the crime scene. Rocky, the police dog, was charged with tracking down the smell of the supposed intruder.

However, the dog, unable to track down the intruder's smell at first, soon switched his focus to Richard, who was receiving medical treatment.

3) Data recovered from Connie Dabate's fitbit contradicted her husband's version of the story

According to reports based on data retrieved from a fitbit around the victim's waistband, Connie moved around for over an hour after her husband claimed she was murdered. Authorities disclosed that Richard Dabate claimed that the intruder attacked him at around 9 am that December morning and shot Connie shortly after as soon as she returned home from her local YMCA exercise class.

However, authorities believe Connie's Fitbit detected activity inside the residence at 9.23 am. She was also on Facebook between 9.40 am and 9.46 am, posting videos on her profile from her house on her iPhone. Her Fitbit detected a distance of 1,217 feet between 9.18 am and 10.05 am. Detectives determined that Connie's entire walking distance from the car to the basement was about 125 feet.

4) Richard Dabate was leading a double life and had a pregnant girlfriend out of his marriage

According to authorities, Richard Dabate was having an affair behind his wife's back, and this other woman was pregnant with his baby. Richard reportedly told cops that his marriage was troubled by constant adultery. He admitted to investigators that there were instances of cheating from both sides initially.

Richard reportedly stated that he was shocked to learn that he was to become a father with the other woman, adding that the pregnancy was unexpected and that the circumstances unfolded "like a fricking soap opera." He further stated that the three of them - him, his wife, and his mistress - were to "co-parent the baby."

5) Connie Dabate's husband, who was the primary suspect, sent messages to his girlfriend the day before the murder

According to authorities, Richard Dabate texted his pregnant girlfriend the day before Connie was murdered, writing:

"I'll see you tomorrow, my little love nugget."

Moreover, in the texts, he even assured the other woman that he would divorce Connie Dabate. Reports even included dozens of more incriminating texts from Richard to his girlfriend, including a disagreement about him and his wife going on a weekend trip to Vermont.

Catch Connie Dabate's murder case in an all-new episode of NBC's Dateline, titled The Secrets of Birch View Drive, premiering this January 6, at 9.00 pm ET.

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