‘Sadistic’ Killer’s Fate Sealed After Stabbing Woman 34 Times in Allegedly ‘Random’ Attack

Nearly three years ago, 31-year-old Christy Bautista tragically lost her life in a brutal attack while attempting to order pizza at the Ivy City Hotel. Now, her murderer has been sentenced to serve 40 years in prison for his crimes.

Originally from Virginia, Bautista had traveled to Washington, D.C., to see a concert in the area. On March 31, 2023, George Sydnor rode his bike toward her hotel room located on the ground floor before abruptly bursting inside while she was in the middle of ordering food.

“The defendant attacked Ms. Bautista, stabbing her multiple times, killing her,” a press release detailing the case read. “Hotel surveillance footage captured several loud thud noises immediately after Sydnor entered Ms. Bautista’s room and a witness heard a woman screaming for help. At the time of this offense, Sydnor was on release for a previous attempted robbery case.”

By the time police arrived, Bautista was dead. It was later determined that Sydnor, 46, stabbed her 34 times in the gruesome attack.

During their investigation, officers discovered a broken half of the murder weapon — a Santoku-style kitchen knife — in the hotel room. Following the stabbing, Sydnor reportedly left his jacket in the room where authorities found the other piece of the weapon, according to a police report obtained by Law & Crime.

“The broken half of the knife blade was found inside of the black jacket in the front left pocket,” the arrest report stated. “This half of the knife was also covered in blood. There were no other weapons or cutting instruments found inside of room 116.”

Last October, Sydnor pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder. His sentencing hearing took place on Friday, January 16.

“The victim, Christy Bautista, was visiting D.C. to attend a concert—an experience that should have been safe and routine,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said at the time. “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.”

Bautista’s family members called the murder “sadistic” and “random,” noting that they did not believe there was any prior connection between the 31-year-old and Sydnor.

“Just the randomness of it all is, I don’t know, it’s hard to digest, because things could have been prevented,” Emily Bautista, Christy’s younger sister, said before Sydnor received his sentence. “She was aware. She moved her car right out in front of her hotel room. She had all the right precautions, and she still was killed randomly.”

One of Christy’s other sisters, Ashley Bautista, revealed her death “made our family a shell of what it was.”

She continued, “I feel a humongous hole in our heart…never being able to talk to her again, to love her and to hug her. I miss her so much.”

It’s additionally been discovered that Sydnor had a lengthy criminal record and two open warrants for his arrest at the time of the murder — a fact that was called out by the victim’s aunt.

“The system’s supposed to keep victims safe, and in this situation, Christy was the victim of a person who had just pleaded guilty months before to attacking another woman randomly,” she said at the time. “He was supposed to come back to court, and he didn’t, and when he didn’t, he was free to murder Christy.”