5 chilling details about Connie Dabate's murder

Connie Dabate was murdered in 2015 in the quaint community of Ellington, Connecticut. The mother of two was shot dead in her own home, allegedly by a masked intruder during a home invasion. However, as the case unraveled, investigators discovered details of a brutal murder.

Connie's murder is the subject of the upcoming re-airing of a Dateline episode. Titled The Secrets of Birch View Drive, the episode is set to air on Friday, January 3, 2025, on NBC. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"After an apparent brazen home invasion during the holiday season in a quiet Connecticut community leaves Connie Dabate dead, investigators discover a silent witness that cracks the case wide open."

This case is filled with chilling details that will interest even the most ardent true crime fans. Ahead of the episode's air time, let us go over five such details.

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5 key details about the murder of Connie Dabate

1) Connie Dabate was found shot to death in her home allegedly by a masked intruder

First responders were called to the Dabate residence in Ellington, Connecticut after firefighters were alerted by the home's security system in December 2015. At the home, they found 41-year-old Richard Dabate partially tied to a metal chair while his 39-year-old wife, Connie found dead in the basement. She had two gunshot wounds, one to the stomach and one to the head.

She was allegedly killed by a tall, masked intruder, as described by her husband Richard.

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2) The authorities soon started doubting the existence of an intruder

Authorities soon debunked Richard's claims (Image via Pexels)

Soon after the investigation began, authorities started suspecting that something was wrong with Richard's story and descriptions. They noted that there were inconsistencies in his retelling of the events of the night and his alleged wounds also seemed superficial. He had reportedly told the officers that a masked intruder had tortured him.

As they conducted their investigation and tried to corroborate his story, they found very little evidence of an intruder having been at the place.

The CCTV footage at the home also failed to catch the alleged masked intruder, leading authorities to shift their focus to Richard Dabate.

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3) Richard Dabate was having an affair and tried to mask it in a very unconventional way

As the police began their investigation into Richard Dabate, they found out that before Connie Dabate's death, Richard was having an affair with Sara Ganzer. They also discovered that Sara was pregnant with Richard's child.

However, Richard tried to explain that Connie Dabate and Sara Ganzer had a complex agreement of sorts and Sara's pregnancy was a part of that scheme.

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4) Connie Dabate's Fitbit data turned out to be crucial in debunking Richard Dabate's claims

Investigation proved Richard was guilty of the murder (Image via Pexels)

While Richard tried to stage the scene of the crime to replicate a home invasion, he seemingly missed his wife Connie Dabate's Fitbit. When investigators found it, they tracked the data and realized that Robert hadn't been completely truthful with them about Connie's movements and the places she visited.

This turned the case against Richard Dabate.

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5) With a mountain of evidence, Richard Dabate was charged with the murder

After discovering all the inconsistencies in Richard's stories, investigators also managed to trace a 357 Magnum back to Richard. It was the same gun that was used to kill Connie and police discovered that her husband had bought it two months before the 39-year-old was killed.

Additionally, they also discovered that Richard had tried to claim Connie's insurance money days after her death. All this led to Richard's conviction in his 2022 trial.

Richard was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the murder of Connie Dabate and remains there as of today.

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The upcoming episode of Dateline will cover this case in more detail.