On the evening of December 26, 1956, Samuel Cohn, a 65-year-old White/Caucasian male, was working in his East Hartford, Connecticut, liquor store. Between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m., two men, Joseph Taborsky and Arthur Culombe, entered the establishment with the intent to rob it. During the course of the robbery, Cohn was shot twice in the head, resulting in his death.
The assailants then emptied the cash register and stole money from Cohn's pockets before fleeing the scene, leaving the cash drawer open. A customer who entered the store later discovered Cohn's body lying behind the counter.
The murder of Samuel Cohn was quickly linked by police to a string of violent robberies and murders that had been terrorizing Connecticut. Investigators noted the similarities in the method of operation, including rifling through the victim's pockets and the fatal headshots. This crime spree would later be dubbed the "Mad Dog killings" by the press due to its brutal nature. In response to Cohn's murder, the mayor of East Hartford offered a $1,000 reward for information that would lead to the capture of the killers.
The investigation into the "Mad Dog killings" eventually led to the arrests of Joseph Taborsky and his accomplice, Arthur Culombe, on February 23, 1957. Following their apprehension, both men confessed to their involvement in a series of crimes that included eight holdups and six murders. For their roles in the murder of Samuel Cohn and another victim, both Taborsky and Culombe were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Taborsky was ultimately executed, while Culombe's sentence was later commuted to life in prison.
