The family of Janet Couture will never see justice delivered in a courtroom.

Just weeks after George Legere, a convicted kidnapper, was charged with the horrific 1973 murder of 21-year-old Janet Couture, he was discovered unresponsive in his cell at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Corrections reported that the 77-year-old was found around 11 p.m. on Friday, October 3. Despite efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on October 4 at the hospital.

The exact cause of Legere’s death remains a mystery and is currently under investigation by the Connecticut Department of Corrections alongside the Connecticut State Police. The circumstances surrounding his passing leave many questions unanswered, further complicating a case that has haunted the community for decades.

At the time of his unexpected death, Legere was serving a 25-year prison sentence for the kidnapping of another woman. It was in September when the East Hartford Police revealed that he had been connected to Janet Couture’s murder, reopening a case that had lingered cold for more than 50 years.

On October 13, 1973, Janet was home alone at her residence on Cannon Road. Police reports indicate that Legere broke in through a window and brutally stabbed her in what authorities have characterized as a “heinous crime.” This shocking act left a lasting scar on the community, and despite decades of investigation, it remained unresolved until recently.

Legere, who often visited a friend next door, told police at the time that he’d been inside Janet’s apartment several times to use the phone, but denied ever harming her, according to a warrant obtained by CT Insider.

Her sister Shirlene Couture told the news outlet that Janet, a part-time model and secretary, had been unnerved by his visits. 

“She said, ‘He comes in to use my phone all the time,’” Shirlene recalled. “She said, ‘I’m afraid of this guy. He keeps asking me out.’”

Although Legere was considered a suspect, the investigation lacked sufficient evidence to charge him and the case went cold for decades.

George Legere Convicted in Separate Kidnapping

Then, in May of 2019, while Legere was in prison for another crime, his DNA was collected as part of standard procedure, according to a statement from the State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. When it was entered into the national crime database CODIS, his DNA was matched to a violent 1984 kidnapping and rape case in Avon, Connecticut. 

According to evidence presented at his 2023 trial, a woman arrived at her apartment complex parking lot in the early morning hours of April 13, 1984. She was getting out of her vehicle when a man forced her back inside, blindfolded her with tape and bound her arms. He then drove her to an outdoor area, tied her to a tree and repeatedly raped her, before fleeing.

She eventually used the car’s horn to alert help. 

“When police arrived, they found the victim still bound by the wrists and naked,” authorities said in the statement. “She was brought to a local hospital where a sexual examination kit was completed.” 

Legere was convicted of kidnapping in the first-degree in 2023 and sentenced to 25 years in prison in that case.  

“Special thank you needs to be given to the Avon Police Department for the work they did and in keeping this case on their radar,” State’s Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott said at the time. “It is unfortunate that the victim had to relive this horrific nightmare while testifying before a jury, but we sincerely appreciate her willingness to come forward and see the process through.”  

George Legere Allegedly Confessed to Janet Couture’s Murder

The arrest also reinvigorated the investigation into Janet’s death. 

According to East Hartford Police, “The Avon Police Department’s arrest of Legere assisted East Hartford investigators with uncovering additional closed cases dating back to the 1960’s involving Legere assaulting women, revealing disturbing similarities to Couture’s murder.”

Legere had a lengthy criminal record, including arrests and convictions for more than 30 cases including kidnapping, sexual assault and negligent homicide, The Associated Press reported. 

In July, Legere also allegedly confessed to killing Janet, according to the arrest warrant, telling police he had gone into her apartment to steal money for drugs.

“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,” he said, according to the warrant. “I ended up stabbing her.”

However, East Hartford Det. Christina Johnston questioned that motive, writing that she believed he went into her home to sexually assault the victim, noting that valuables like cash, jewelry and a safe deposit box had been left behind, according to CT Insider.

Legere described details police believed that only the killer would know, explaining that she had been stabbed in the chest with her own knife and beaten with a wire coat hanger. 

East Hampton Police arrested him for her murder on Sept. 24. 

“Bringing closure to victims’ families is a top priority for our team of detectives,” East Hartford Police Chief Mack S. Hawkins said in the 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.”

Shirlene told CT Insider that the arrest was able to bring her family some measure of closure, yet it came two years after her mother—who always wanted answers—had died.

She described her sister as “very sweet,” adding “She cared a lot about people and everybody loved her.”