New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford State’s Attorney, announced today that after a brief deliberation, a Superior Court jury in Hartford found George Legere, age 75, of Springfield, Mass., 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, while exiting her car parked in the lot of her Avon apartment complex, was forced back inside her car by a man who blindfolded her with tape and tied her arms together.
The man drove the victim in her vehicle to an unknown location, tied her to a tree, and began to beat and sexually assault her. He then forced her back inside her car where he continued to force her to perform sexual acts. When they arrived back at the parking lot, he ran out of the vehicle and left the victim inside, still bound and blindfolded.
Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford State’s Attorney photo.
The victim managed to blow the horn of the vehicle in order 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 Sex Assault Examination Kit was completed, using techniques of the day.
In May of 2019, George Legere was incarcerated on an unrelated matter in Massachusetts and a DNA sample was taken as part of the state’s protocol. That DNA sample produced a hit in the Combined DNA Index System, linking Legere to the DNA that was collected in the 1984 kidnapping and sexual assault in Avon. Additionally, the defendant’s physical description matched the description of the attacker that the victim gave to police in 1984.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Emily D. Trudeau with the assistance of Inspector Joseph Buyak. The Honorable Carl J. Schuman presided over the trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2023 in Hartford Superior Court.”-Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office.
