Lexington man charged with murder, sodomy in 2018 death of 3-year-old girl
A Lexington man has been arrested and charged with murder in the 2018 sexual assault and death of a 3-year-old girl.
Andrew Charles Buster, Jr., 33, was charged with murder and sodomy on Monday, according to police. His bond was set at $1 million by Judge John L. Tackett at an arraignment Tuesday. He will be back in court Feb. 4.
Police were called to an apartment at 1040 Cross Keys Road on Dec. 10, 2018 for a report of an unresponsive child. Lillyann Grace Reck was taken to a Lexington hospital, where she died of her injuries four days later, according to police.
Lillyann was being cared for by Buster while her mother was at work, according to police. The medical examiner’s office ruled her death a homicide and DNA evidence would later lead to confirmation.
Waiting on DNA testing took time and those results allowed investigators to move forward this week, police spokeswoman Brenna Angel said Tuesday.
Days after her death, police said they were investigating what happened to Lillyann.
“At this point, we’re just investigating every angle we can,” police spokesman Donnell Gordon said at the time.
In 2018, Lillyann’s father, Joshua Reck, told the Herald-Leader that Lillyann was a happy and cheerful child who liked to swing, go on car rides and dance.
Because of a custody dispute, Reck said had not seen Lillyann for more than a year before her death. At the time of her death, he said that that he didn’t know what happened to his daughter and that “the only people who do know ain’t talking.”
Lillyann was an organ donor, according to her family.
Buster was arrested at the same apartment complex on Cross Keys Road where the 2018 assault occurred at 5:20 p.m. Monday, according to his arrest citation. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon.
Buster was charged with second-degree rape in 2008, but a grand jury amended the charge down to sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor, according to court records. Buster pleaded guilty to the amended charge.
No additional charges or arrests are expected in the case at this time, Angel said.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 10:56 AM.
