George Sydnor, 46, received a 40-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release for the first-degree premeditated murder of Christy Bautista, 31, at the Ivy City Hotel in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 2023.​
Attack Details
Bautista, visiting from Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a concert, had checked into her ground-floor room and was ordering pizza when Sydnor arrived on a rideshare bike. He parked outside her window, listened at her door, then forced entry and stabbed her 34 times, primarily in the back, perforating her lungs and liver with such force that some wounds caused broken ribs and blunt trauma. Police found a broken, bloody Santoku knife and Sydnor’s jacket containing the blade fragment; he initially told responding officers everything was fine.​
Legal Proceedings
Sydnor pleaded guilty on October 17, 2025, to one count of first-degree murder while armed before D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz, with other charges dismissed under a plea deal stipulating 35-40 years. Sentencing occurred January 16, 2026, at the maximum despite his defense citing a recent stroke and health decline rendering him wheelchair-bound. He expressed regret to the judge but not the family.​
Victim Impact
Family described the random “sadistic,” “brutal,” and “vicious” killing, criticizing the system for granting Sydnor bond after a prior guilty plea for randomly attacking another woman, allowing him to remain free. Bautista, remembered as a vibrant encourager via GoFundMe, parked precautions like moving her car near her room but was still targeted. Her sisters and aunt voiced profound loss, noting the family’s shattered state.​
