Father Sentenced to 27 Years to Life in 'House of Horrors' Child Neglect Case
A father has been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of his five-year-old daughter, who starved to death in what authorities described as a 'house of horrors' in Schenectady, New York. Robert Buskey Jr., 35, admitted to second-degree murder and criminal sale of a controlled substance to a child, following months of severe neglect that left his children malnourished and isolated.
Gruesome Discovery of Emaciated Girl and Caged Son
Police were called to Buskey's home on Elmer Avenue on April 14, 2024, where they made a harrowing discovery. Inside a locked bedroom, they found the body of his daughter, Charlotte Buskey, who was unresponsive and severely emaciated. In the dining room, his three-year-old son was confined in a makeshift cage, highlighting the extreme conditions the children endured.
The Schenectady County District Attorney's Office stated that the siblings had been neglected for months, with no contact with the outside world, no medical care, and no schooling. Their world had shrunk to the confines of the deplorable home, where Buskey prioritized drug use and video games over their well-being.
Locked Away and Left to Die
Authorities revealed that Buskey had installed a lock on the outside of Charlotte's bedroom door, later reinforcing it with tape after she attempted to escape. She was forced to sleep in a 'pack n play' so small she had to curl into a fetal position, with no proper bed, food, or water.
"That's where Charlotte spent her final days, abandoned and locked in her room by her father," the District Attorney's statement read. "She had no food, no water, no contact with anyone, left there to die, and she did. And she died in a house that was stocked with food, including boxes of food right outside of her locked bedroom."
An autopsy confirmed Charlotte died from severe dehydration and starvation, with her eyes sunken into her skull. Both children tested positive for cocaine, leading to additional charges against Buskey for giving narcotics to his son.
Sentencing and Apology from a 'Monster'
At his sentencing on April 3, Buskey apologized and took responsibility for his actions, telling the court, "I deserve it. I understand why I am being prosecuted here. I understand the reasons why everyone looks at me as a monster."
District Attorney Robert M. Carney drew parallels to another recent child murder case in the community, involving an 11-month-old baby abandoned to die of hypothermia. He emphasized that both cases exhibited "utter indifference and wickedness" characteristic of depraved mind murder, noting that the children loved parents who showed no care in return.
The case has shocked the local community, underscoring the tragic consequences of parental neglect and drug abuse. Buskey's sentence aims to deliver justice for Charlotte and her brother, who survived but endured unimaginable trauma in their early years.
