Robert Buskey Jr., a 35‑year‑old man from Schenectady, New York, has been sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison for the starvation death of his 5‑year‑old daughter, Charlotte, in 2024.
What he did
- Buskey pleaded guilty in January 2026 to second‑degree murder and criminal sale of a controlled substance to a child, admitting he acted with “depraved indifference to human life.”
- Prosecutors say he kept Charlotte locked in her bedroom, confined to a small pack‑and‑play, with no food, no water, and no contact; she died of severe dehydration and malnutrition despite food being readily available elsewhere in the house.
- Authorities also found his 3‑year‑old son held in a makeshift cage in the dining room; both children had been cut off from family, doctors, and school, and both tested positive for cocaine.
Sentencing and aftermath
- At his April 3, 2026 sentencing, Buskey apologized, saying, “I deserve it,” and acknowledged why people see him as a monster.
- The judge, Matthew Sypniewski, called it one of the worst child‑murder cases in county history and rejected claims that his drug addiction or mental‑health struggles excused what he did, emphasizing Buskey’s self‑absorption and lack of empathy.
- Under the plea deal, Buskey received the maximum allowed sentence, gave up his right to appeal, and must follow an order of protection barring any contact with his now 5‑year‑old son.
Buskey was previously an amateur mixed‑martial‑arts fighter in upstate New York, but his career reportedly fell apart amid substance abuse.
