A Pennsylvania man will spend several decades behind bars after he admitted to brutally killing his grandmother and setting her body on fire in a shocking 2024 incident that rattled Milford Township.
George Sisco, 29, received a sentence of 29 ½ to 60 years in state prison on Friday. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder, arson, and making terroristic threats in connection with the death of 67-year-old Margie Finlay.
The Pike County District Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing, stating that justice had been served, though the loss remains immeasurable for the victim’s family.
On April 26, 2024, emergency crews rushed to Finlay’s home in Milford Township, roughly 40 miles from Philadelphia, after a fire broke out. Firefighters were met with an eerie sight, Sisco standing outside, blood-soaked and silent.
When approached by the assistant fire chief, Sisco didn’t respond. Instead, he retreated back into the home and threatened to harm anyone who attempted to follow him inside, according to prosecutors.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames and made a horrifying discovery: Finlay’s lifeless body in the kitchen.
Sisco later confessed to police that he killed his grandmother, claiming he believed she was the devil. He explained that he acted under a delusion, thinking the flea medication she applied to the family cat was harmful.
According to investigators, Sisco slashed her throat, stabbed her, and then used a kitchen rag to ignite her body. He told state troopers that the Bible instructed him to “kill the devil with the holy spirit and fire.”
An autopsy confirmed that Finlay died from both blunt force trauma and sharp injuries. Sisco had been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. A psychological evaluation initially found him unfit to stand trial. However, a later assessment determined he was competent to face charges.
Sisco’s attorney stated that his client’s mental condition deteriorated when he stopped taking his prescribed medication. Despite the defense’s plea for understanding, the court emphasized the gravity of the crime.
During sentencing, Finlay’s son mourned the deep betrayal. “She loved him, and he turned into a monster,” he said.
Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin, who prosecuted the case, acknowledged the immense sorrow surrounding the tragedy. “There are no winners here. The loved ones of Margie Finlay deeply grieve their loss and that can never be fully repaired,” he said.
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