Background: Shelby Dodson and her son (GoFundMe). Inset: George Dodson (New London Police Department).
A Connecticut man who confessed to killing his spouse and setting their residence ablaze after they decided on an open marriage has been sentenced to several decades behind bars.
George Dodson, aged 26 and a former U.S. Navy serviceman, admitted his guilt in February regarding the 2022 murder of his 23-year-old wife, Shelby Dodson, as mentioned in a press statement from the state’s attorney’s office. He also entered guilty pleas for arson and putting their young child in danger. A police document accessed by local media CT Insider reported that George Dodson informed a paramedic during the fire’s aftermath, “I did this, I killed her.” The document further revealed that he repeated this admission after being advised of his Miranda rights.
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Based on reports from NBC affiliate WVIT, the police documentation indicated that George Dodson disclosed that he and his wife had mutually agreed to have an open marriage. He was cited as telling officers, “We opened up our relationship, and she found another man she loved more, and I couldn’t bear the thought, so I killed her.”
According to prosecutors, New London police responded to reports of a fire at the family’s home on July 20, 2022. While firefighters were able to put the fire out, they found the body of Shelby Dodson inside with “significant trauma to her head and torso.” Also inside was the couple’s then-13-month-old son, who was in his crib while the fire raged. He was safely removed from the home.
George Dodson told police that he intended to kill himself as well as his wife and son, according to previous reporting by CT Insider. After bludgeoning his wife to death with a hammer, he slashed his own throat. His injuries were not deemed life-threatening.
On Feb. 19, George Dodson pleaded guilty to murder, arson, and endangering the life of a minor. A judge sentenced him on Wednesday to 50 years in prison.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
