George Legere Arrested for 1973 Murder of Janet Couture in East Hartford
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — After more than five decades, police have made an arrest in the 1973 murder of 21-year-old Janet Couture, who was stabbed to death in her East Hartford home.
George Legere, now 77, was arrested on Wednesday at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, where he is already serving a 25-year sentence for a 1984 kidnapping and sexual assault case. He has now been charged with Couture’s murder.
Couture was attacked on October 13, 1973, when an intruder climbed through a window of her home and fatally stabbed her. Legere was initially considered a suspect, but there was insufficient evidence to charge him at the time.
A major break came in 2021, when Legere’s DNA matched evidence from the 1984 cold case in Avon, Connecticut. That arrest prompted East Hartford police to reopen Couture’s case, leading to new evidence connecting Legere to the 1973 murder.
Authorities say that investigation also uncovered additional cases dating back to the 1960s, all involving violent assaults against women and sharing similarities with Couture’s murder.
“Bringing closure to victims’ families is a top priority,” said East Hartford Police Chief Mack S. Hawkins. “We are committed to pursuing justice no matter how much time has passed. For the Couture family, we hope this brings some measure of peace.”
Legere remains in custody as he awaits further court proceedings related to the newly reopened case.
