Man's Pacemaker Helps Implicate Him in Arson

In a plot twist that has either already transpired on CSI or will shortly, a man in Middletown, Ohio has been arrested on charges of arson after police confirmed his alibi didn’t match up with the data available on his pacemaker.

According to ABA Journal, 59-year-old Ross Compton told police that when his residence caught fire, he scrambled to fetch some belongings and then broke his bedroom window to flee. The problem? Compton’s pacemaker—an implantable medical device that addresses abnormal heart rhythms—contained data from the time in question that showed he hadn’t been as physically active as that stressful situation would have demanded.

Middletown investigators managed to obtain a search warrant for the pacemaker and had a cardiologist review the results. The physician indicated Compton would likely not have been physically able to move as quickly as he claimed.

Compton, who is facing charges of aggravated arson and insurance fraud, told local news outlet WLWT that the accusations are “utterly insane.” Police also found gasoline on his shoes and clothing.

[h/t ABA Journal]