A homicide defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on Oct. 17.
George Sydnor, 46, was originally charged with three counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel offense, first-degree burglary while armed, and kidnapping while armed for his involvement in the fatal stabbing of 31-year-old Christy Bautista on March 31, 2023, at the Ivy City Hotel on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE.
During the hearing, Jesse Winograd, Sydnor’s attorney, alerted the court of his intent to accept a plea deal extended by prosecutors – a week before his trial was slated to begin with DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman. Sydnor specifically requested to accept the deal before Judge Kravitz.
According to Winograd, the deal required Sydnor to plead guilty to first-degree premeditated murder while armed in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges. The parties agreed to a sentencing range of 35-to-40 years of imprisonment.
The prosecution stated that, had the case gone to trial, they would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Sydnor, who had a warrant out for his arrest due to a failure to appear at a sentencing, broke into Bautista’s ground-level hotel room on the night of the incident after having watched her through an open window shade. When he was in the room, according to the prosecution, he attacked Bautista.
According to the prosecution, Bautista was able to open the room door and scream for help before she was pulled back into the room. A witness called 911, and when officers arrived, Sydnor answered the door and told them everything was fine.
An officer looked into the room through the window, and saw blood on Sydnor’s hands – they entered the room and located Bautista suffering from 34 stab wounds to the head, neck and torso, according to the prosecution.
They insisted Sydnor did not act in self-defense and did not have a legal justification for his actions.
Bautista’s family and friends filled the courtroom as Sydnor accepted the deal.
Parties are slated to reconvene for sentencing on Jan. 16.
