Lyndsay Nichole George, charged with the first-degree murder of Central Kansas Dream Center employee Teresa M. Dutton on Oct. 8 2021, was found guilty of all charges levied in a negotiated plea agreement following her appearance Thursday afternoon in Barton County District Court.
The negotiated plea agreement was determined prior to George’s Thursday appearance, between Victor J. Braden, Deputy Attorney General representing the State of Kansas, and George’s court-appointed defense counsel, Joseph R. Shepack from Ellsworth.
The court hearing was originally scheduled as a Zoom conference but was changed early Thursday to an in-person appearance in Courtroom B of the 20th Judicial District’s temporary office at 1709 Main St. in Great Bend. The courtroom gallery was attended by many of the victim’s family, friends and coworkers, who sat silently during the proceeding.
The negotiated plea agreement also changed the format of the arraignment, with Magistrate Judge Richard E. Burgess Jr. presiding. The plea agreement contained seven charges, with first-degree murder as the base charge. Also among the felony charges were one count of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated burglary. In accordance with the plea agreement, the sentences of all charges would be served consecutively with the Kansas Department of Corrections, as well as carry the requirement to be registered as a violent offender for the duration of time served.
The remaining charges carried misdemeanor penalties, derived from the State’s narrative of George’s actions during the date of Oct. 8, 2021.
Judge Burgess presented the charges as well as the defendant’s right to a jury trial, that would be waived with acceptance of the parameters of the plea agreement.
George responded with a plea of no contest to all charges. Judge Burgess followed the plea with a verdict of guilty to all charges.
The determination of a date for sentencing was contingent upon a pre-sentence investigation and order for examination and evaluation at Larned State Hospital. Due to complications caused by a waiting list at LSH, sentencing would be set for the last week in September.
George was ordered to be transported to LSH accompanied by a pharmacological log of current daily medications.
About the case
Teresa Dutton’s passion for helping others led to her position as assistant director of the Central Kansas Dream Center in Great Bend, where she worked for seven years. On the morning of Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, the Great Bend Police Department and local firefighters were dispatched to her home in reference to a structure fire. They located Dutton, 59, inside the residence and performed life-saving measures that were unsuccessful.
Arson was determined to be the cause of the fire and investigators determined that Dutton’s death was the result of foul play, the GBPD reported.
Less than 20 minutes later, police responded to a residence in the 1500 block of Adams Street in reference to an aggravated burglary and battery related to the arson/homicide investigation. George reportedly left that area on foot and at approximately 8:12 a.m. was reported to be at Park Elementary School.
Officers located George in the 2000 block of 19th Street. After a physical altercation with officers, she was arrested.
For months after her arrest, George was found not competent to stand trial based on evaluations conducted at Larned State Hospital. On January 20 of this year she was declared competent to stand trial.
