Five-Year-Old Found Emaciated as Father Admits 'Depraved Indifference' While Gaming

A five-year-old girl was found emaciated inside a locked bedroom in a Schenectady home, where prosecutors said she had been starved for months while her father played video games and used drugs. The child's father has now pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, admitting to what authorities described as a 'depraved indifference to human life'.

Police Response and Discovery Inside the Home

Police were called to a house on Elmer Avenue on 14 April 2024 after reports of an unresponsive child. Officers entering the property described it as 'deplorable', with conditions so severe that prosecutors later referred to it as a 'house of horrors'.

Inside the living room, officers found the girl's three-year-old brother alive but locked inside a cage. In a separate bedroom that had been secured from the outside, police discovered the body of the five-year-old girl Charlotte Vee Buskey. Prosecutors said she was severely emaciated, with sunken eyes and clear signs of prolonged neglect.

Evidence of Prolonged Starvation

Investigators determined that the child had been malnourished and neglected for months. Despite this, boxes of food were found outside her locked bedroom door, a detail prosecutors said underscored the deliberate nature of the neglect.

The child had no access to food, water or regular human contact. Instead of a bed, she slept in an old pack 'n play she had outgrown, forcing her to remain curled in a fetal position during her final days.

Autopsy Findings

A post-mortem examination revealed the girl was in a state of severe dehydration and was 'completely devoid of any food'. Authorities said the findings were consistent with starvation rather than a sudden medical emergency.

Both children later tested positive for cocaine, according to court records. Prosecutors said the father had isolated the children from family members and never sought medical care for them.

Guilty Plea and Court Admissions

In a press release by the Schenectady County District Attorney's Office, the father, Robert S. Buskey Jr., 35, pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree murder. In doing so, he admitted acting with 'depraved indifference to human life' and creating a grave risk that led directly to his daughter's death.

According to court reports cited by the Daily Gazette of Schenectady, Buskey later told police, 'I let my daughter die'. Prosecutors said he prioritised playing video games and using drugs because he did not want to be 'bothered by his children'.

Prosecutors Describe 'Utter Disregard for Life'

In a statement, the Schenectady County District Attorney's Office said the charge of depraved indifference murder is reserved for conduct showing an 'utter disregard for the value of human life'.

District Attorney Robert M. Carney said the case reflected a 'wicked, evil and inhuman state of mind', citing the prolonged starvation, isolation and confinement of the children.

Additional Charges and Sentencing

Alongside the murder charge, Buskey also pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance to a child. He faces a sentence ranging from 27 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for 27 March.

Carney noted that the girl's death was the second child fatality in the area within roughly a month involving extreme neglect. The case has renewed scrutiny of how such severe child abuse can remain undetected for extended periods.

Remembering the Child

An obituary for Charlotte described the girl as loving princesses and dressing up in 'beautiful outfits'. Family members said she enjoyed blowing and popping bubbles and remembered her as a gentle child with a kind heart that touched many during her short life.