Woman’s Fitbit ‘may have solved her murder’ after police look at heart rate data

A 90-year-old American man has been charged with the murder of his step-daughter, 67 – after police looked at data from the woman’s Fitbit.

Her stepfather, Anthony “Tony” Aiello, claimed to have brought pharmacy technician Karen Navarra some pizza, and then left in his car.

A colleague then found her blood-spattered body on September 13, slouched over her kitchen table next to a knife and an uneaten pizza.

But police examined data from Navarra’s Fitbit and found that the timing was suspicious.

The woman’s Fitbit Alta HR showed a ‘spike’ in her heart rate – then recorded her heart stopping.

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When police compared the time in the Fitbit data to surveillance camera footage outside her house, it showed that Mr Aiello may have still been in the house.

Brian Meeker, a San Jose police detective, said, ‘After explaining the abilities of the Fitbit to record time, physical movement, and heart rate data, he was informed that the victim was deceased prior to his leaving the house.’

Mr Aiello was arrested and is due in court this week.

It’s not the first case where Fitbit data has been crucial.

Richard Dabate told officers his partner Connie had been shot dead by a masked burglar minutes after she came home from a morning spinning class.

Records from her keep-fit tracker appeared to show she was alive in the house for almost an hour after the time she supposedly died.

Dabate pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.