Troy man who texted he ‘choked the s–t out’ of his wife gets maximum sentence

Evans insisted someone else killed his wife but his defense was underdone by DNA found on the belt and a text message in which he admitted he “choked the s–t out of her.”

Evans, a one-time basketball standout at La Salle Institute who starred at point guard for the Cadets in the early 2000s and played briefly for Iona College’s Division-1 hoop team, was found guilty of second-degree murder on May 24. The verdict ended an eight-day trial. 

District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly praised the trial work of Chief Assistant District Attorney Matt Hauf and Assistant District Attorney Spencer Lane.

“Our focus has always been on justice for Georlasia and her family, and we hope this sentence brings them some comfort,” the district attorney said in a prepared statement that announced Evans’ sentence.

Georlasia Evans was killed outside the couple’s home on 104th St. Police learned of the killing when her body was left in a vehicle outside the entrance to Samaritan Hospital. 

Haug argued at trial that Evans used the cloth belt to strangle his wife. Evans, who claimed that he found his wife’s body after another person had choked her, drove her lifeless body to Samaritan Hospital in Troy followed by his mother, whom he had contacted and who was unaware of how her daughter in law had died, Hauf said.

Eric Galarneau, the attorney for Evans, had argued that someone other than his client carried out the killing. Prosecutors’ evidence, however, included the discovery of Evans’ DNA inside of the belt and on ligature marks on the victim’s body.

And Evans had sent a message from his wife’s cellphone to his daughter admitting that he “choked the s–t out of her,” referring to his wife.