5 chilling details about George Jodoin's murder

A prominent member of the tight-knight Auburn community in New Hampshire and real estate investor, 50-year-old George Jodoin was found shot to death inside his home the day after Christmas in 2001. An investigation ensued, giving start to a mystery that would baffle authorities for decades.

Without a solid lead and sufficient evidence, investigators struggled to move forward with the case, given the fact that Jodoin had no enemies and was liked and admired by all. However, things changed in 2011 when the cold case was reopened, and all evidence and suspects were re-examined.

The victim's handyman and friend Arthur Collins from Manchester, who earlier claimed to have met him for drinks before the shooting, finally slipped and confessed to the murder. Collins was sentenced in 2015 after accepting a plea deal.

ID's Murder Comes to Town recently chronicled George Jodoin's decades-old murder case in an episode titled The Nightmare After Christmas, which aired on Thursday, December 22, 2022. The synopsis says:

"In Auburn, N.H., rumors fly after well-known resident George Jodoin is found murdered in his bed and three of his closest friends emerge as the top suspects."

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George Jodoin murder case: Five quick facts to know about the case that remained unsolved for over a decade

1) The crime scene was discovered by one of George Jodoin's close friends

50-year-old George Jodoin was shot dead inside his Auburn home in 2001 (Image via SpikyTV)

One of Jodoin's close friends alerted the 911 dispatchers upon discovering the crime scene at his Auburn house on December 26, 2001. When the police arrived, they found George shot to death, lying on the master bedroom bed.

A gunshot wound to the head and neck caused the victim's death. Authorities assumed that he was shot dead while asleep. Moreover, there were no signs of theft or break-in.

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2) Jodoin's neighbors reported hearing gunshots throughout the day

When questioned about noticing anything strange that day, George Jodoin's neighbors told authorities that they heard gunshots throughout the day. But later that night, they heard multiple gunshots and even saw a car speeding away from the area. It was assumed that the perpetrator sped away from the crime scene after shooting the victim.

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3) Three individuals Jodoin met that day became prime suspects in the case

Arthur Collins, a handyman, was arrested in May 2012 (Image via WMUR, nhpr.org)

At the time, authorities learned that George Jodoin had three visitors on the day he was killed, including a handyman named Arthur Collins. However, due to a lack of leads and evidence to back up, detectives hit a wall from the very start.

Additionally, the victim got along well with most people and had no lingering disputes. They questioned the three suspects, but all of them denied involvement, making it even more difficult to make an arrest.

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4) One of the suspects finally slipped when the case was re-opened in 2011

Authorities re-examined the cold case from 2001 a decade later in 2011 and questioned handyman Arthur Collins again. He supposedly changed his account as they claimed to have found flaws in his alibi, initially saying he was there when Jodoin was shot but subsequently saying that someone else fired at him.

Although investigators had long suspected Collins, they lacked the proof necessary to make an arrest. He ultimately admitted to shooting the real estate investor three times all those years ago after failing a polygraph test. It was alleged that Collins shot Jodoin for financial gain.

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5) Collins claimed that he shot George after he made a s*xual move on him

Arthur Collins was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2015 after he accepted a guilty plea (Image via nhpr.org)

In May 2012, authorities arrested Arthur Collins, 43, and charged him with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Jodoin. Collins claimed that on the night of the incident, Jodoin made a s*xual move on him, which prompted him to fire the gun.

He stated that Jodoin wanted to "do stuff to him" and even took the handyman to his bedroom. Collins allegedly ran to the kitchen, grabbed a gun from the table, and quickly returned to the bedroom, where he shot George thrice.