Press Releases
08/02/2023
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison For 1984 Kidnapping in Avon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Hartford, CT) - Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford State’s Attorney, announced today that on July 21, 2023, the Honorable Carl J. Schuman sentenced George Legere, age 75, of Springfield, Mass., to 25 years in prison for a 1984 kidnapping in Avon.
A Superior Court jury in Hartford on May 16, 2023 found Legere guilty of Kidnapping in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-92. According to evidence introduced at trial, in the early morning hours of April 13, 1984, the victim arrived in the parking lot of her apartment building in Avon. While attempting to exit her car, she was forced back inside her car by a man who blindfolded her with tape and tied her arms. The man drove her in her vehicle to an unknown location where he tied her to a tree, beat and raped her. After several assaults, the defendant fled leaving the victim inside the vehicle. The victim managed to blow the horn of the vehicle to alert help. When police arrived, they found the victim still bound by the wrists and naked. She was brought to a local hospital where a sexual examination kit was completed.
In May of 2019, while the defendant was incarcerated in an unrelated matter in Massachusetts, a DNA sample was taken as part of the arrest protocol. That DNA sample matched another sample in the Combined DNA Index System, linking Legere to the DNA that was collected in this 1984 Avon Cold Case. Additionally, Legere’s physical description matched the description of the perpetrator that the victim in the 1984 Avon attack gave to police.
"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 Walcott said. "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."
The case was reviewed in detail by retired Senior Assistant State's Attorney Donna Mambrino, with assistance from Executive Assistant State's Attorney Kathryn W. Bare. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Emily D. Trudeau, with the assistance of Inspector Joseph Buyak.