SCHENECTADY — The Schenectady man accused of manslaughter after his 5-year-old daughter starved to death last month was denied bail in a Friday appearance in Schenectady City Court.
Robert Buskey, 33, is facing a felony count of second-degree manslaughter and three additional misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child for his alleged role in the death of his daughter Charlotte and endangering his three-year-old son, who was found at Buskey’s Elmer Avenue home with cocaine in his system.
Judge Katherine McGuirl denied a bail request from Buskey's attorney Joseph Litz during Friday’s hearing, with the judge noting that Buskey is a flight risk considering the severity of the allegations. Buskey was remanded to Schenectady County jail.
McGuirl said that Buskey is facing a maximum of 18 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him.
Buskey stood in the courtroom during his appearance, with the former amateur mixed martial arts fighter sporting red flame tattoos on his forearms.
Attorney Joseph Litz and Robert Buskey in a Schenectady City Court appearance on May 3, 2024.
Buskey is set to appear before a grand jury on Tuesday, with a preliminary hearing set for Wednesday at 11 a.m. in city court.
Charlotte Buskey was found deceased on April 14 at Buskey’s 203 Elmer Ave. residence, with her younger brother receiving medical attention after drugs were detected in his system.
Buskey previously pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
“We’re still in the process of reviewing medical records and discovery and so forth,” Litz said following the Friday court appearance. “I think it’s a wealth of information that’s going to provide some direction as to where this case is.”
Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney John Carson said on Thursday that the district attorney’s office has not made a final determination regarding additional charges for Buskey or for any additional suspects in connection to the case. Buskey's sister previously claimed in an interview with the Gazette that her brother had a live-in girlfriend.
“No new arrests have been made and no additional charges have been filed,” Carson said. “It remains an active investigation, so no final decisions about the totality of charges or charged individuals have been made at this time.”