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State police: Richard Dabate charged with 2015 murder of his wife

ELLINGTON —  Richard Dabate has been charged with the 2015 murder that killed his wife Connie Dabate. On Friday, state police said an arrest warrant was i...

ELLINGTON --  Richard Dabate has been charged with the 2015 murder that killed his wife Connie Dabate.

On Friday, state police said an arrest warrant was issued to Dabate, 40, after a lengthy investigation. He was arrested on Birchview Drive and was taken to Troop C in Tolland where he was processed.

Dabate is charged with murder in the first degree, tampering with evidence and providing a false statement. He is being held on a $1 million bond.

A neighbor on Birchview Drive told FOX61 the community members made an agreement not to speak out about the incident out of respect for the family.

On December 23, 2015, a burglary alarm brought police to the house on Birchview Drive; officers encountered smoke where they found Rich suffering from minor injuries. He told police it was a home invasion robbery. Shortly after, police said his wife Connie was found dead, shot in the stomach and head.

Right after the crime, detectives claimed there was no threat to the public, but have refused to say who is responsible.

State police released a 50 page arrest warrant detaining the interaction between Richard and Connie Dabate as well as witnesses to the incident.

In the warrant, Dabate claims an intruder tied him up to a chair in the kitchen and fled. However, when law enforcement arrived to the scene a K-9 unit was unable to find any additional evidence of this claim or any signs of another individual fleeing the property on foot.

Investigators examined an iPhone belonging to Connie Dabate which had a special section in the "Notes" portion labeled, "why I want a divorce". It goes on to list several examples of incidents between the two.

Dabate is being held at the  Hartford Correctional Center. He's scheduled to be presented at Tolland's Superior Court on Monday.

Dabate's lawyer, Hubert Santos told FOX61 "My client is innocent of these charges and he looks forward to being vindicated after a trial."

State police: Richard Dabate charged with 2015 murder of his wife

Stay with FOX61 as this story develops.

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