Politics

Police Say Murder Victim’s Fitbit Identified Assailant as Stepfather

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Police charged 90-Year-Old Anthony Aiello with murder in California after it was discovered his stepdaughter’s life ended within the 15 minuets that he was at her house on Sept. 8.

Karen Navarra, 67, was wearing a Fitbit fitness device when her stepfather, Aiello, made a short trip to her home to deliver homemade biscotti and pizza, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Navarra was found by a co-worker, and her home was reportedly strewn with her blood and pizza. She suffered deep cuts to her head and neck and was found holding a knife in her right hand.

According to Aiello, after he passed his stepdaughter the baked goods, she walked him to his car and gave him two roses.

During police questioning, Aiello was confronted with evidence that his stepdaughter died while he was still in her home. Navarra was wearing a Fitbit, the fitness wristband that tracks steps, GPS location, and heart rate. After these functions were explained to him by police, Aiello was told that Navarra’s pulse quickened and then slowed to a stop five minuets before home security cameras recorded him leaving her home.

Police have previously requested information from Fitbit. In 2015, for example, an accusation of rape in Pennsylvania was disproved in part by Fitbit data.

Aiello claimed there must have been a mistake, that someone else must have killed Navarra just after he left. Authorities informed him that the time recorded by Navarra’s Fitbit and security cameras were both connected to the internet and chronologically in sync before leaving him alone in the questioning room.

When alone in the interview room Aiello reportedly repeated the phrase, “I’m done” to himself.

Police investigations revealed blood splattered clothes in Aiello’s home. He was booked for murder and taken to Santa Clara County Jail and will appear in court at the San Jose Hall of Justice on Thursday.

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