A former super heavyweight MMA champion has admitted guilt in the tragic death of his 5-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Robert Buskey pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and now faces a 27-year prison sentence for the heinous crime.
Robert Buskey, a 35-year-old amateur mixed martial artist from Schenectady, New York, once held a 2-1 professional record. Known as ‘Jitspanda’ and recognized for his powerful striking, Buskey’s brief career included a super heavyweight title win in Cage Wars, alongside a single successful kickboxing bout. While his athletic endeavors never brought him widespread recognition, it was the horrific act committed against his own daughter that tragically brought him to public infamy.
Reports indicate that Charlotte succumbed to extreme thirst and starvation. Her 3-year-old brother was also found severely neglected, confined to a cage and suffering from malnutrition. During this period, sources reveal Robert Buskey was reportedly engrossed in drugs and video games, neglecting to feed or care for his children despite a home filled with food. Disturbingly, both children also tested positive for cocaine.
Charlotte was reportedly imprisoned in a locked bedroom, secured by Robert Buskey from the outside. The room offered no proper sleeping arrangements, leaving the young girl to seek comfort in an undersized playpen.
The Schenectady County District Attorney’s report vividly described Charlotte’s condition, noting she was so severely deprived of sustenance that ‘her eyes were sunken into her skull and her body completely emaciated’.
Having pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, Robert Buskey received the maximum sentence permissible by law.