A former mixed martial arts fighter has confessed to locking his five-year-old daughter in a bedroom and leaving her to starve to death, while her three-year-old brother wasted away in a makeshift cage inside their family home.
Guilty Plea and Maximum Sentence
Robert S Buskey Jr, 35, of Schenectady, New York, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty on January 23 to second-degree murder in the death of his daughter Charlotte and criminal sale of a controlled substance to a child, according to prosecutors.
Officials have confirmed he will receive 27 years to life in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by law, when he is sentenced on March 27. As part of the plea agreement, Buskey waived his right to appeal and will be barred from having any contact with his son, who is now five years old.
He admitted acting with what prosecutors described as a 'depraved indifference to human life' when he created the conditions that directly led to Charlotte's tragic death.
The House of Horrors Discovery
Emergency responders were called to Buskey's Elmer Avenue residence on April 14, 2024, following reports of an unresponsive child. What they discovered inside was characterized by officials as nothing short of a 'house of horrors.'
Charlotte's severely emaciated body was found inside Buskey's bedroom, while her three-year-old brother was being kept confined in a makeshift cage located in the dining room, investigators revealed.
Systematic Neglect and Confinement
Authorities believe the children had been subjected to prolonged neglect and malnutrition for several months, largely cut off from the outside world. They were no longer visiting relatives, attending medical appointments, or going to school.
Instead, prosecutors stated their lives had been reduced to the walls of the home, where Buskey locked Charlotte inside a bedroom and kept her brother confined so he could freely use drugs and play video games without being disturbed by his children.
Investigators detailed how Buskey installed a lock on the outside of Charlotte's bedroom door. After discovering the little girl could escape by jiggling the mechanism, he reinforced the lock with tape to prevent any possibility of escape.
Deplorable Living Conditions
Inside the room, Charlotte did not have a proper bed. She was forced to sleep in a pack-and-play crib designed for a much younger infant, so small that she had to lie curled up inside it.
Officials confirmed she was left completely without food, water, or human contact, despite the home itself being stocked with groceries, including boxes of food stored just outside her bedroom door.
When Charlotte was discovered, prosecutors said she was 'so dehydrated that her eyes were sunken into her skull and her body completely emaciated.' An autopsy later revealed her body was 'completely devoid of food.'
Drug Exposure and Legal Consequences
Authorities also discovered that both children tested positive for cocaine exposure. Under New York state law, providing narcotics to another person can constitute the criminal sale of a controlled substance, leading to the additional charge against Buskey.
From Fighter to Felon
Buskey was once known locally as an amateur MMA super heavyweight fighter, compiling a 3–1 record between 2015 and 2022, with his last three victories coming by first-round knockouts.
However, a former coach told media outlets that the fighter's life unraveled as he drifted away from the sport and descended deeper into drug addiction.
'There's definitely two different people,' the coach, who declined to be identified, stated. 'The person that we knew and then the person that, after they left, the person they became.'
The coach revealed he had repeatedly tried to encourage Buskey to seek help for his problems. 'I used to reach out every so often to go get help,' he explained. 'It was brushed off as I was a "boring person."'
Family Background and Prison Violence
According to the coach, Buskey had custody of the children at the time because their mother was undergoing drug rehabilitation treatment.
He also claimed Buskey has already been assaulted while incarcerated after other inmates learned about the nature of his crimes. 'They found out what he did and he caught a couple of beatings over it,' the coach reported.
The case has shocked the local community and highlighted the devastating consequences of severe parental neglect and substance abuse.
