The innocent partner of a woman who was viciously attacked and killed was exonerated with the help of his Fitbit device.
Nicole Vander Heyden went out with friends on May 20, 2016, but never returned home. She lived with her boyfriend, Doug Detrie, and their infant son at the time of her disappearance.
The following day around 4 pm, Doug contacted the authorities to report Nicole missing. Unfortunately, several days later, Nicole’s deceased body was discovered in a field three miles from their residence in Wisconsin, US.
She had suffered fatal beatings and strangulation, with 241 distinct injuries inflicted on her. An inquiry into her demise was initiated, leaving her loved ones devastated by the loss of Nicole.
Doug became a primary suspect promptly after concerns arose about the delay in reporting her absence to the police. Moreover, he allegedly took a shower before going to the station to provide a statement.
“It doesn’t appear as though a man who is genuinely worried about his girlfriend and the mother of his child, does it?” Slinger mentioned to ’48 Hours’ reporter Erin Moriarty.
Doug was apprehended but later cleared of suspicion due to his Fitbit device. His Fitbit data during the period of Nicole’s murder indicated “minimal activity.”
Prosecutors successfully argued that the recorded Fitbit data did not match the brutal murder, where Nicole was fatally assaulted. Doug was also wearing his Fitbit during the police interrogation.
Furthermore, there was no physical evidence linking Doug to the heinous crime.
Subsequently, DNA from a man named George Burch was detected on the electrical cable used to strangle Nicole. Burch was charged with Nicole’s murder and received a life sentence without parole.
“Nobody had any idea who he was,” Kate Briquelet, a Daily Beast writer, informed CBS News. “He had no ties to Nikki, Doug, or any of their acquaintances. He was truly an enigmatic figure.”
According to reports, Burch encountered Nicole at a bar the night she was out and offered her a ride home before committing the atrocious act.
