A dad in upstate New York is facing possible life in prison after his daughter’s death. Robert Buskey allegedly kept his young children confined to his home, barring them from the outside world. But their life inside his home was much worse than anything they would have encountered outside. Buskey kept both of his children literally locked up so he could do things such as play video games. He stopped feeding his daughter, who slowly wasted away over the course of months before her death, and he gave his young son cocaine. Despite this, the boy survived and is now in someone else’s care.
Schenectady Police were called to Buskey’s home around 3 a.m. on April 14, 2024, WRGB reported at the time. A 5-year-old girl was reportedly unconscious and not breathing. Sadly, she was declared dead.
According to court documents, Buskey hadn’t given the little girl food or water between April 10 and April 14.
A 3-year-old boy was also found in the home at the time of the police’s arrival, per WRGB at the time. Days later, that child tested positive for cocaine.
Buskey was initially charged with second-degree manslaughter and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Those charges were eventually upgraded.
A Schenectady father is facing a manslaughter charge and endangerment charges after he did not provide food or water to his 5-year-old daughter between April 10th and April 14th. Police found the little girl dead early Sunday morning.
— Ashley Cusicanqui FOX45 (@ashleycusitv) April 15, 2024
More: https://t.co/feIOWUSYpv@CBS6Albany pic.twitter.com/DxyBHH126X
Investigators determined that the 5-year-old, a girl named Charlotte, and her younger brother had been isolated from the outside world, WRGB reported. They had no contact with family members, weren’t going to medical appointments, and weren’t enrolled in school.
Charlotte was confined to a Pack n’ Play and locked in a bedroom. Evidence showed Buskey installed a lock on the room from the outside, which he reinforced after she tried to break out. The girl wasn’t given food or water, which led to her death from severe dehydration and starvation.
Her younger brother reportedly was locked in a makeshift cage in the home’s dining room area.
On January 23, 2026, Buskey pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and criminal sale of a controlled substance to a child, according to a news release from the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office.
For the murder charge, Buskey will face 25 years to life in prison. His controlled substance conviction adds an additional two years, meaning he will serve 27 years to life in prison. As part of his plea, he can’t appeal his sentence.
“In pleading guilty to Murder in the Second Degree, Mr. Buskey admitted that, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, he recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of serious physical injury or death to his 5 year old daughter, and thereby caused her death,” the news release detailed.
“The charge of depraved murder is reserved for those individuals who have an utter disregard for the value of human life. It reflects a wicked, evil and inhuman state of mind as manifested by brutal, heinous and despicable acts, and it sums up Mr. Buskey’s conduct in this case,” the release added.
The release went on to explain that Buskey kept the children confined in a “house of horrors” that prosecutors called “deplorable.” He reportedly confined them so he could “do drugs, play video games, and not be bothered by his children.”
In her obituary, Charlotte was described as a “gentle soul with a kind heart.” She also “loved princesses and dressing up in beautiful outfits. Her favorite thing to do was to blow and pop bubbles.”
Buskey will be sentenced on March 27, 2026. At his sentencing, an order of protection will be issued, prohibiting him from having any contact with his now 5-year-old son, per WRGB.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
