A New York man has been sentenced to prison after starving his 5-year-old daughter and giving her illegal substances.
Robert Buskey Jr. admitted to recklessly engaging in conduct that caused the fatality of his daughter, Charlotte, in 2024.
On April 14, 2024, first responders arrived at Buskey’s home on Elmer Avenue, where they found Charlotte’s emaciated body.
Image credits: WTEN
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
The child had been locked inside a bedroom in what was described as a “house of horrors” in a statement from the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities also discovered a makeshift cage in the dining room where Buskey kept his 3-year-old son, who was alive.
Image credits: WTEN
The 35-year-old father reportedly confined his children so he could “do dr*gs, play video games, and not be bothered by [them].”
Charlotte’s body showed that she had been neglected and malnourished for months. She and her brother had been kept completely isolated from the outside world and were not seeing family members, attending medical appointments, or going to school.
“Their world shrunk to the confines of Mr. Buskey’s deplorable home, and ultimately, for Charlotte, the confines of her bedroom in which Mr. Buskey kept her locked, and Jackson, in his cage,” read the statement from Schenectady County authorities.
Image credits: Scott & Barbieri Family Funeral Home
Buskey locked his 5-year-old daughter in her bedroom, leaving her helpless without food or water. She lost her life from severe dehydration and malnutrition, despite food being available elsewhere in the house.
In January, the father pleaded guilty to second-degree m*rder. He also admitted to giving illegal substances to his children.
Both the girl and her younger brother tested positive for c*caine.
Image credits: https://www.schenectadycountyny.gov/sheriff
On Friday (April 3), Buskey was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison.
As part of his plea agreement, he was given the maximum sentence allowed by law, waived his right to appeal, and was placed under an order of protection that prohibits any contact with his now 5-year-old son.
The boy is reportedly staying with his uncle and is doing better since moving into a safe environment.
Image credits: Facebook
According to a report by WGRB, the father apologized and took responsibility for his actions at his sentencing.
“I deserve it,” he said in court. “I understand why I am being prosecuted here. I understand the reasons why everyone looks at me as a monster.
“There’s no excuse for what I did. There’s no ‘this is the reason why.’ I cannot take back what happened. I made mistakes, I let dr*gs and my mental health go and that’s my problem. That’s why since Day 1 I’ve taken responsibility.
“I called, I knew what was going to happen, I knew I was going to jail, and I deserve it.”
Image credits: WTEN
Joseph Litz, the father’s defense attorney, emphasized his client’s struggles with substance dependence and mental health issues. He also said others could have intervened to help Charlotte and prevent the tragedy.
But Judge Matthew Sypniewski stated that Buskey lacked empathy and was directly responsible for his daughter’s fatality.
“This is not a referendum case on the mental health services within the county,” he said.
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“This has everything and only to do with only what could be an absolute narcissist, self-absorbed, individual who is so selfish and has no empathy for what was a locked-up 5-year-old starving to d*ath behind that door. That’s what it’s about.”
The judge emphasized that Buskey’s case was one of the most cruel, horrific, and agonizing cases that Schenectady County has ever seen, WAMC reported.
“Some irony is that you’re going to be locked up yourself for the rest of your life,” Judge Sypniewski said. “And it’s already been mentioned, but in conditions better than your own daughter suffered.”
Image credits: WTEN
The judge then addressed Buskey directly, saying, “You agree with that? Yeah, that’s about the only thing you’ve said that’s made sense. Acknowledging that. At least maybe buried deep down in there somewhere there might be some conscience.”
Image credits: Facebook
The 35-year-old father previously competed as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter in local Cage Wars events, as per the Times Union.
The evidence revealed that Buskey installed a lock on the outside of Charlotte’s bedroom door and reinforced it with tape after he discovered that she was able to escape by jiggling the door.
Charlotte was “completely devoid of any food,” authorities said
Image credits: WTEN
“Inside of the bedroom, she did not even have a bed, but rather a pack n play so small that she was forced to lie in a fetal position,” authorities described.
“Her autopsy revealed that not only was she in a state of severe dehydration, but her body was completely devoid of any food.
“Along with the m*rder of his daughter, Mr. Buskey was also charged with sale of a narcotic dr*g. Under our law, sale of a dr*g includes giving, which is what Mr. Buskey did to his children.”
Image credits: Facebook
District Attorney Robert M. Carney said both Buskey and a mother in Schenectady County who recently abandoned her baby and caused him to pass away from hypothermia exhibited “the utter indifference and wickedness necessary to be convicted of depraved mind m*rder.”
“Like all children, these two innocents undoubtedly loved a parent who, in each case, couldn’t have cared less about them.”
If you suspect crimes against children, call 1-800-422-4453 or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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