Pennsylvania man killed his grandmother because "she was the devil"

MILFORD, Pa. — A Pike County man has been sentenced to 23½ to 60 years in state prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to the 2024 killing of his grandmother and setting fire to her Milford Township home, officials announced.

George Sisco, 29, admitted to murdering 74-year-old Margie Finlay and then igniting a fire inside her home on April 26, 2024. Sisco told authorities he believed Finlay was “the devil” and claimed she was harming a pet with flea medication.

Firefighters from the Milford and Westfall Township fire departments responded to the blaze, discovering Sisco at the front of the home with blood on his clothes. When questioned by firefighters, he reportedly refused to speak and retreated further into the house, threatening those who tried to enter.

Once emergency crews were able to access the property and extinguish the fire, Finlay’s body was found in the kitchen. An autopsy determined she died from sharp and blunt force trauma. She was already deceased before the fire was set, according to investigators.

Investigation and sentencing details

The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to Sisco’s arrest and subsequent guilty plea. He was convicted of third-degree murder, arson endangering persons, and terroristic threats.

Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin, who prosecuted the case, stated: “There are no winners here, the loved ones of Margie Finlay deeply grieve their loss and that can never be fully repaired.”

President Judge Gregory H. Chelak imposed the sentence, which includes a $2,500 fine in addition to the prison term. Authorities credited the swift response of fire crews, Milford police, sheriff’s deputies, and state investigators for bringing the case to justice.

Sisco remains in state custody following his sentencing.

George Sisco received up to 60 years in prison for killing his grandmother and setting her Pike County home on fire.

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