A homicide defendant waived his right to have a jury decide whether he committed a stabbing while on pre-trial release for another crime on Sept. 12, leaving that decision to a judge.
George Sydnor, 46, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, kidnapping while armed, and two counts of felony murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 31-year-old Christy Bautista on March 31, 2023 at a hotel on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE.
All charges include “offense committed during release” enhancements and an aggravating circumstance of an especially “heinous, atrocious or cruel crime.”
According to court documents, Bautista died from 30 stab wounds to the back, head, and neck.
During a Sept. 12 hearing, Sydnor waived his right to a jury trial for the pre-trial release enhancements, which could increase Sydnor’s sentence. The question of whether the offense was committed during pre-trial release will now be answered by a judge rather than the jury.
The jury won’t be made aware of Sydnor’s prior convictions and his actions on release during the trial. Defense attorney Jesse Winograd chose this approach to ensure that the jury will not be biased by Sydnor’s past criminal record.
For the heinous, atrocious, and cruel aggravating circumstance changes, DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz reasoned the question should be decided by a jury or the judge after trial. Judge Kravitz explained that a bifurcated trial, or trial where two legal questions are answered by two separate juries, will not be necessary.
Parties are slated to reconvene Oct. 3.
