Suspect in 1973 cold case fatal stabbing was reportedly found dead in cell
10/07/2025 12:22 pm PDT
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (TCN) -- A 77-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a 21-year-old woman over five decades ago has reportedly died.
As previously reported, Janet Couture was found stabbed to death in her home in October 1973, and despite investigators’ efforts, the case went cold for decades.
In 2021, Avon Police apprehended 77-year-old George Legere for allegedly kidnapping a woman in a separate cold case from 1984. Police said Legere had been an early suspect in Couture’s death, but there wasn’t enough evidence to file charges.
Upon further investigation, police discovered "additional closed cases dating back to the 1960s involving Legere assaulting women, revealing disturbing similarities" to Couture’s alleged stabbing.
Police determined that Legere allegedly went into Couture’s home through a window and fatally stabbed her. He was arrested on Sept. 24 at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, where he was serving a 25-year sentence from his 2021 arrest. However, according to WFSB-TV, staff members found him unresponsive on the night of Oct. 3. He was officially pronounced deceased at a hospital the following morning.
MORE:
