Ross Compton had no idea his pacemaker would finger him for arson.
Compton — who also needs an external heart pump — told police he was asleep when his Middletown, Ohio, home caught fire in September 2016. As the flames licked the 2,000-square-foot house, he packed a suitcase with some clothes, stashed other items into a few bags, and grabbed his computer and a charger for his medical device. After that, he said he used his cane to break a window and toss out his bags before rushing from the burning house.
Investigators doubted Compton's story.
For starters, the fire had begun in multiple locations. There was the telltale smell of gasoline on the scene and on Compton's clothing and shoes. He also gave conflicting evidence. So, the police got a search warrant to look at data from Compton's pacemaker, including his heart rhythm and heart rate, according to a report in the local Journal-News.
The data contradicted Compton's version of events, said a cardiologist who reviewed it:
"[I]t is highly improbable Mr. Compton would have been able to collect, pack and remove the number of items from the house, exit his bedroom window and carry numerous large and heavy items to the front of his residence during the short period of time he has indicated due to his medical conditions."
Compton was arrested and charged with arson and insurance fraud. The pacemaker's data was "one of the key pieces of evidence that allowed us to charge him," Lt. Jimmy Cunningham told a local television station.
His attorney last year argued the use of that data violated his client's Fourth Amendment right to privacy, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure. A judge disagreed, saying information about someone's heart rate "is just not that big a deal."
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