Connecticut — A Connecticut man who admitted to murdering his wife and setting fire to their home after they agreed to have an open marriage has been sentenced to decades in prison.
According to a press release from the state’s attorney’s office, George Dodson, 26, a former member of the United States Navy, pleaded guilty in February to the 2022 murder of his wife, Shelby Dodson, age 23. He also pleaded guilty to arson and endangering the life of the couple’s toddler.
According to a police report obtained by local news outlet CT Insider, George Dodson told a paramedic on the scene of the fire, “I did this, I killed her.” According to the report, he made the same confession after being read his Miranda rights.
According to local NBC affiliate WVIT, George Dodson revealed in the police report that he and his wife had agreed to have an open marriage. He allegedly told law enforcement: “We opened up our relationship and she found another man she loved more, and I could not stand the thought of it, so I killed her.”
Prosecutors say New London police responded to reports of a fire at the family’s home on July 20, 2022. While firefighters extinguished the fire, they discovered Shelby Dodson’s body inside, with “significant trauma to her head and torso.”
The couple’s then-13-month-old son was also inside, sleeping in his crib as the fire raged outside. He was safely removed from his home.
According to previous CT Insider reporting, George Dodson told police that he intended to kill himself, his wife, and son.
After bludgeoning his wife to death with a hammer, he cut his own throat. His injuries were not considered life threatening.
On February 19, George Dodson entered a guilty plea to murder, arson, and endangering the life of a minor. On Wednesday, the judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison.
