The second week of Richard Dabate's murder trial begins on Monday. Dabate has pleaded not guilty to killing his wife, Connie, in their Ellington home in 2015.
Dabate has maintained his innocence the last six and a half years. Loved ones of Connie say the trial has been a long time coming and those who knew her are remembering what a good mom she was.
“She was a great mom. She was a PTO mom with me so that’s what I remember most –plant sales, book sales, doing things involving herself in the community," said MaryAnn Libby, of Stafford.
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Connie was found shot to death in the basement of her Ellington home on December 23, 2015.
During day two of the trial last Wednesday, much of the focus was on Dabate's wounds. Debate said a masked intruder shot his wife and stabbed him multiple times with a utility knife.
An emergency room doctor who treated Dabate testified that his injuries were consistent with self-inflicted wounds. The defense later moved to strike that testimony.
While in Hartford Hospital, state police spoke with Dabate. On Thursday, the jury began listening to the hours of that testimony. It continued on Friday and will most likely continue this week.
There is still a lot of evidence that has yet to be presented in this trial including Connie's FitBit tracker that contradicts Dabate's timeline of the events.
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The trial is expected to last weeks.
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