Olney man take plea deal, avoids murder trial

OLNEY— An Olney man will serve life in prison after pleading guilty to capital murder of a person under 10 years old.

Instead of facing the death penalty, George Coty Wayman, 18, accepted a plea deal granting him life in prison without the possibility of parole following a May shooting that took the life of 3-year-old Dominic Castro.

According to a court affidavit obtained by the Enterprise in May of 2016, Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 4000 block of Buffalo Springs Pass in Bellevue after 911 dispatchers received a call regarding a child with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency responders transported the child to United Regional Hospital in Wichita Falls, but he died a day later.

The affidavit went on to state witnesses initially told investigators Castro was jumping on the bed and the jumping had caused the gun to go off accidentally. However, further investigation revealed  Wayman pointed the gun at the boy and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t stop jumping. Clay County Sheriff Kenny Lemons said that Wayman then fired the gun and struck Dominic in the back of the head.

In July of 2016, a grand jury indicted Wayman for capital murder of a child under 10 years old. Wayman was an Olney resident until March 18, following an arrest for possession of two stolen handguns.