MA Man Charged In 1984 Avon Kidnapping Case: Police

AVON, CT — A Massachusetts man has been charged in connection with a 1984 kidnapping in Avon, according to police. Avon police served a warrant at Hampden County Jail and House of Correction to take George Legere, 73, into custody on three counts of first-degree kidnapping.

Legere was arrested as a fugitive from justice by the Springfield Police Department on May 19, 2021 and waived extradition to Connecticut.

Avon police responded to a call April 13, 1984, on Avonwood Road for the report of someone slumped over their steering wheel with the horn sounding. Officers discovered the person had been abducted and sexually assaulted, according to police.

Medical personnel at the University of Connecticut Medical Center collected evidence, which was submitted to the State of Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. However, a suspect was not identified at that time.

The Avon Police Department was recently notified by the state's Division of Scientific Services of a match between DNA evidence collected that morning and DNA that had been entered into the National Offender DNA databases. The offender was identified as Legere.

Legere has a criminal history that includes arrests and convictions in 31 separate cases, including convictions for sexual assault and kidnapping. His DNA had been collected at the time of his latest release from prison in Massachusetts, according to police.

Legere was held on a $675,000 court-set bond and will be arraigned at Hartford Superior Court on May 28.

Police said in a statement: "The Avon Police Department would like to acknowledge the diligent work done by the Officers and Detectives who followed up on numerous leads and suspects in 1984. Their hard work resulted in the solving of this case 37 years later. Thanks are also extended to current Avon Police Detectives and Springfield, MA Police Department Detectives who all worked diligently to coordinate the follow-up investigation, search warrants, and eventual arrest warrant for Legere.

"The Avon Police Department also acknowledges the hard work of medical personnel at UConn Medical Center, whose efforts, 37 years ago, helped preserve the DNA evidence.

"In closing, the Avon Police Department gratefully acknowledges the victim in this case, who despite having to constantly relive this trauma, was fully supportive of our efforts to bring this case to conclusion."