Police: Navy member planned double-murder-suicide of wife, son

NEW LONDON — A 13-month-old who survived what police suspect was an attempted double-murdersuicide and arson is listed in stable condition, police said Friday.

“Our understanding at this time is that the baby is well,” New London Police Chief Brian M. Wright said.

It’s a piece of good news coming out of the Wednesday-night rampage, during which authorities say a serviceman with the U.S. Navy bludgeoned his wife, Shelby Dodson, 23, with a hammer and set fires in their house — including one intended to kill their baby — before slashing his own neck.

George Dodson, a nuclear-trained technician, was arrested on murder, arson and a half-dozen other charges and remains in custody under suicide watch at the CorriganRadgowski Correctional Center in the Uncasville section of Montville. His bail was set at $3 million.

A search of state records turns up no prior arrests or divorce proceedings for George Dodson, 23, who has lived in the state for about three years. The couple purchased the house on Sherman Street in September 2020.

According to Lt. Seth Koenig, a public affairs officer with the Submarine Readiness Squadron 32, Dodson is a 2nd class petty officer and nuclear-trained electronics technician.

Despite his arrest, his status as an active-duty sailor “is unlikely to change through the adjudication of charges against him in the civilian legal system,” Koenig said.

He said the U.S. Navy is cooperating with the police investigation.

“Certainly, the incident that happened in New London is incredibly tragic,” Koenig said. “We would not want to see that happen to anybody, anywhere, whether they are with the Navy or not.”

Dodson has been assigned to the USS Newport News nuclear attack submarine at the U.S. Submarine Base New London in Groton since June 2019, Koenig said. Koenig said he doesn’t know where Dodson lived between June 2019 and September 2020, when he and his wife bought the Sherman Street house.

Like many incoming sailors, Dodson’s first assignment was Great Lakes, Ill., for recruit training. After that, he went to a couple of schools in Charleston, S.C., to train in submarines and nuclear propulsion, Koenig said.

Dodson was briefly assigned to a command in Norfolk, Va., before he was assigned to New London, he said.

As an enlisted submarine warfare specialist, Dodson was in “a highly specialized line of training,” Koenig said. Asked if there is a lot of pressure involved, he said, “military service is an inherently demanding profession.”

If you need help or just someone to talk to, visit CTSafeConnect.org or call or text 888-774-2900. Advocates available are available 24/7, according to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.