Man dies days after being charged in 1973 killing of woman in Connecticut

A man charged last month in the 1973 slaying of a woman in Connecticut died while serving time for kidnapping and sexual assault in another cold case.

George Legere, 77, was found unresponsive in his cell Friday night at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. He was pronounced dead early Saturday at a local hospital, the Department of Correction said Tuesday.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the cause of death is “pending further study.”

Legere, who had a lengthy criminal history, was arrested Sept. 24 while serving a 25-year sentence in another cold case for kidnapping and sexual assault. Police charged him with murder after he confessed to fatally stabbing 21-year-old Janet Couture in her East Hartford apartment while trying to steal money for drugs, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. 

Police said she was home alone when Legere climbed through a window and attacked her.

“I went into the apartment looking for money and unfortunately the person woke up and recognized me and that left me no choice to do what I did,” Legere said, according to police. “I ended up stabbing her.”

Investigators said Legere’s confession followed information from another inmate, who told police Legere admitted killing Couture and had written and signed a confession in July, instructing the inmate not to release it until after his death.

Legere’s arrest also help East Hartford police connect him to additional cases dating back to the 1960s that shared similarities to Couture’s murder, police said.

“Bringing closure to victims’ families is a top priority for our team of detectives,” East Hartford Police Chief Mack S. Hawkins said in a statement. “We are committed to pursuing justice in every case, no matter how much time has passed. For the Couture family, this is especially significant, and we hope it brings them some measure of peace.”

The Connecticut Department of Correction and the Connecticut State Police are investigating Legere’s death.