George Sydnor, a 46-year-old resident of Washington, DC, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Christy Bautista in March 2023. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Sydnor pleaded guilty on October 17, 2025, to one count of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated). Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz handed down the sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release.
“The victim, Christy Bautista, was visiting D.C. to attend a concert—an experience that should have been safe and routine,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Instead, this monster brazenly rode his bike up to her motel, entered her room, and launched a deadly stabbing attack against an innocent woman. Today’s 40-year prison sentence delivers justice and sends a clear message: those who commit acts of extreme violence will be held fully accountable.”
According to evidence presented by prosecutors, Bautista arrived at the Ivy City Hotel on New York Avenue Northeast after traveling from Harrisonburg, Virginia. She checked into her room and began unloading her belongings from her car. Surveillance footage showed Sydnor arriving about ninety minutes later on a rideshare bike. He approached the ground-floor rooms near Bautista’s room and parked his bike outside her window before standing at her door and then entering abruptly.
Once inside the room, Sydnor attacked Bautista with a knife multiple times. Surveillance captured noises immediately following his entry into the room and a witness reported hearing screams for help. At the time of this incident, Sydnor was already out on release related to an attempted robbery case.
Sydnor was arrested on March 31, 2023—the day of the offense—and has remained in custody since then.
Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentencing decision. Both officials acknowledged contributions from law enforcement personnel involved in investigating and prosecuting the case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Lindsey Merikas for their roles.
