Man Charged in 1973 Connecticut Cold Case Dies in Prison
George Legere, 77, who was charged last month in the 1973 fatal stabbing of 21‑year‑old Janet Couture, was found unresponsive in his cell at MacDougall‑Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield and pronounced dead at a local hospital. Legere — who was serving a 25‑year sentence in an unrelated cold‑case kidnapping/sexual‑assault conviction after being arrested Sept. 24, 2025 — reportedly confessed to Couture’s killing in an affidavit; Connecticut state police, the Department of Correction and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are investigating his death.
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📌 Key Facts
- George Legere, 77, was arrested Sept. 24, 2025 while serving a 25‑year sentence in another cold case and charged last month in the 1973 killing of Janet Couture.
- Legere was found unresponsive in his cell at MacDougall‑Walker Correctional Institution (Suffield) on a Friday night and was pronounced dead early Saturday; the medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death.
- Investigators say Legere confessed to fatally stabbing Couture while trying to steal money for drugs; the confession followed information from another inmate and a signed July confession Legere had written.