crime

Navy sailor allegedly kills wife with hammer and sets home on fire with baby inside

Published 14:32 24 Jul 2022 BST

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He is being held on a $3 million bond

A Navy sailor has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife with a hammer before setting their home on fire with their baby inside. George Dodson, 23, has now been charged with killing his wife and the attempted killing of their 13-month-old baby. Firefighters arrived at the scene in New London, Connecticut, to find the house on fire. They found Shelby Dodson, 23, dead and soon rescued the baby from the second floor. The child was unconscious at the time and was rushed to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, while two dogs also escaped the property and were uninjured. "Upon arrival, the New London Fire Department observed signs of an active fire and immediately initiated services to extinguish the working fire," a statement from police explained. "Inside of the residence, fire department personnel located a 23-year-old female victim and a one-year-old male victim." Investigators allege that Dodson's wife's torso and head showed signs of "significant trauma." [caption id="attachment_350205" align="alignnone" width="536"]

is held on $3 million bond in Connecticut.

Via New London Police Department[/caption] Officers found Dodson in the back garden with his hands covered in blood, where he then admitted to murdering his wife out of jealousy, local media reports. “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,” he told police. Navy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Seth Koenig also confirmed that Dodson is an active-duty service member for the US Navy, assigned to the USS Newport News (SSN 750). Alongside murder and attempted murder charges, Dodson is also facing charges of first-degree arson, risk of injury to a minor, tampering with evidence, cruelty to animals and reckless endangerment.