George Jodoin, Arthur Collins: Auburn Real Estate Investor Found Dead In Bed On ID’s ‘Murder Comes To Town’

George Jodoin’s was found dead in his Auburn, New Hampshire, home the day after Christmas almost 13 years ago, and for years, no one was arrested in the cold case. His tragic true story will be told on the next episode of Murder Comes To Town— a gripping true-crime documentary on Investigation Discovery. In the episode, entitled “The Nightmare After Christmas,” viewers will listen to the account of how a close friend discovered George Jodoin — a pawn shop owner, real estate investor, and adventurer, dead in his bed. Law enforcement officials will also take us back to the fateful day through first person interviews and dramatic re-enactments.

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George Jodoin’s true story made local and national news headlines in December, 2001, after a friend found him dead in his bed. When officers arrived at the home near Manchester, they were directed to the master bedroom, where they found the body of a white middle-aged male in his bed. The victim, who was later identified as 41-year-old George Jodoin, had gunshot wounds to the head and neck. It appeared as though the victim had been killed as he slept. The death was viewed as suspicious and later classified as a homicide.

Investigation Discovery’s Murder Came To Town will show how investigators canvassed the neighborhood for clues on what may have happened to George Jodoin, who, by all accounts, was a man who enjoyed living an adventurous lifestyle that including flying, sailing, and skydiving. The handsome real estate investor had many female admirers but seemed to enjoy his bachelorhood and was uninterested in settling down with a woman. In fact, in researching background information for this article, it appears that he had many women who would stop by his pawn shop just to enjoy his company while hoping for a chance to marry him.

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Jodoin’s death came as a shock to neighbors, who told police that they heard gunshots throughout the day, as if he was practicing on a gun range, but stated later that night they heard rapid gunshots, which startled them. A car was also seen speeding away from the scene. Law enforcement detectives also learned that during the day, George Jodoin had three men inside his residence, one was a worker named Arthur Collins, who was considered a handyman and friend of the victim. It was suspected early on that he was killed by someone from inside the home, Jeffrey Strelzin, Senior Assistant Attorney General, told NH1.

“We really narrowed it down to, ‘Who do we think the people were that last saw him alive?’ Obviously, there could have been a fourth person and an unknown killer, but that’s rare in New Hampshire. Fortunately, or unfortunately, most people are killed by people they know.”

He also told WMUR that hard work and luck helped solve the case.

“This case was a result of a lot of hard work by a lot of different people. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you make your own luck, and that’s what happened here, a combination of those two things.”

For years, police had Arthur Collins on their radar, but without enough evidence, they were unable to make an arrest. But that changed several years later when investigators finally charged him with murder. And by 2015, Arthur Collins finally admitted killing George Jodoin in his home back in 2001. Collins said he became enraged after George Jodoin made a sexual advance toward him. When that happened, Arthur Collins said he blacked out and shot Jodoin, then placed his body in bed. Police believe that the motive for the killing was money, and stated that George Jodin was shot three times in bed as he slept.

After pleading guilty to second-degree murder, he was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. At last glance, the New Hampshire Department of Corrections’ records indicated that Arthur Delbert Collins is not eligible for parole until 2042. He is currently being housed at the NH State Prison for Men.

[Image via YouTube]