Man sentenced to 40 years in prison for stomping man to death near Greyhound bus station in downtown

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Florida man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for stomping a man to death in downtown Houston, according to the district attorney's office.

Teddy Geer, 36, was convicted in the death of 50-year-old Randy Thompson in April 2018.

According to the Houston Police Department, Greer was in Houston while traveling back to Miami from California.

Geer told officers he was attempting to buy a small amount of crack cocaine near the Greyhound bus station in downtown Houston when a woman and three men allegedly robbed him.

Later that evening, Geer said he believed he saw one of the robbers, Thompson, and started to have a conversation.

Thompson was staying at a men's shelter nearby after having problems at home, police said.

A surveillance camera captured Geer and Thompson walking together as if they were friends, HPD said.

Geer admits to police that once Thompson turned his back, he hit him in the head, then proceeded to stomp on his head until he broke Thompson's skull.

Police said that Geer searched Thompson's pockets for money but didn't find anything.

"This was a senseless and brutal beating for no reason other than the fact that this killer decided to act as judge, jury, and executioner," District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "This man hid his intentions to gain the victim's trust and then moments later viciously beat him to death."

Assistant District Attorney Erica Robinson Winsor, who prosecuted the case with ADA Michele Oncken, said Thompson was a well-loved man who was going through a tough time.

"There's no evidence that Randy Thompson was involved in the theft of $10, but even if he was involved, that does not warrant a death sentence," Winsor said. "It's just senseless."