In the quiet community of the Forestview Estates condominium complex in Norwich, Connecticut, the evening of September 7, 2015, was shattered by violence. Inside their home at 6 Forestview Dr., 58-year-old Caucasian female Diana Hodgdon was found by emergency responders with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after authorities arrived.
What was initially reported as an accidental shooting quickly unraveled into a homicide investigation as police grew suspicious of the circumstances.
The sole suspect in the shooting was Diana's husband, 56-year-old James Hodgdon. He was arrested the following day and charged with the murder of his wife. According to police reports, James claimed that he and his wife had been arguing throughout the day. He stated that he had gone to the garage with a shotgun, intending to take his own life. During this time, he reportedly called his boss at the Millstone nuclear facility, where he worked as a security guard, and left instructions for letters in his locker to be distributed if he didn't show up for work. He also posted a farewell message on his Facebook page.
James Hodgdon told investigators that his wife followed him downstairs and they began to struggle over the shotgun. He claimed that as they pulled the weapon back and forth, it discharged, fatally wounding Diana. Despite his claims of an accident, the investigation led by the Norwich police, with assistance from the State's Attorney's Office and the state police, resulted in his arrest.
Initially charged with murder, James Hodgdon, who had no prior criminal history, was held on a $1 million bond. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. In May 2018, James Hodgdon, then 58, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison, to be followed by five years of probation for the shooting death of his wife.
