Stepfather strangles 18-year-old stepson to death in Maryland: police

Waldorf man found guilty in step son's murder

An unusual case out of Charles County ended with a Waldorf man being convicted of his step son's murder. Now, the man may spend the rest of his life behind bars. FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal has the story.

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. - A man has been convicted in Charles County after choking his stepson to death in Waldorf, according to police.

The suspect has been identified as 44-year-old George Christopher Floyd. He has been convicted of second-degree murder and false imprisonment.

Officers responded to a residence in Waldorf for the report of a person not breathing on October 8, 2023. Upon arrival, officers located the 18-year-old victim unresponsive on the floor in a bathroom. Officers also made contact with Floyd, the victim’s stepfather.

Floyd reported to officers that he put the victim in a neck restraint because the victim was trying to run away. The victim ultimately became unresponsive as a result of the neck restraint. Emergency Medical Services rendered aid to the victim, then transported him to the hospital for further treatment. Unfortunately, he died as a result of the restraint.

An investigation revealed that Floyd, the victim’s mother, and the victim were engaged in a verbal disagreement the night before the murder but went to bed peaceably. Floyd entered the victim’s bedroom at approximately 5 a.m. the next morning and demanded that the victim clean his room. Shortly after, Floyd began to restrain the victim, ultimately putting him in a neck restraint. The victim’s mother entered the bedroom after hearing the commotion, then requested three of the victim’s friends who were sleeping over and his teenage brother to help defuse the situation.

According to investigators, Floyd ordered the young men to help him restrain the victim and pray over him. At one point, Floyd ordered one of the victim’s friends to get olive oil, which Floyd then used to put a cross on the victim’s forehead. However, Floyd kept the neck restraint around the victim for approximately 15–20 minutes while the victim was lying on the floor. During this time, the victim was not moving or talking, but Floyd continued to hold his arm around the victim’s neck.

When Floyd got up and saw that the victim was not responsive, he and the other young men attempted to render aid but did not immediately call for emergency personnel. When the victim remained unresponsive for approximately 5–10 minutes, Floyd called 911.

Floyd's attorney sent FOX 5 a statement, saying, "It was agreed that Mr. Floyd did not intend to cause the death of his stepson. He was convicted of a type of murder based upon an allegation that he engaged in extremely reckless conduct in restraining his stepson as he attempted to jump out of a second-story window. As soon as he became aware that his stepson was in medical distress, he began CPR and called 911 and continued CPR until EMTs arrived. He strongly disagrees with the verdict in this case."
A sentencing date for Floyd has been set for August 16, 2024.

He faces over 75 years in prison.