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The Murder of Charles Garay

● Sentenced Child Victim New York
Victim
Charles "Charlie" Garay
Age at Death
4
Date of Death
December 20, 2020
Location
Rotterdam, New York
Cause of Death
Blunt Force Trauma
Perpetrators
2 Convicted
Foster Child
Yes — Placed September 2020
Case Status
Both Convicted and Sentenced
Charles "Charlie" Garay | 2016–2020
Full NameCharles Garay
Age4
LocationRotterdam, New York
PlacedSeptember 2020
SiblingOlder brother, age 5 — survived
The Victim

Charles "Charlie" Garay

Charles Garay, known as Charlie, was four years old. In September 2020, the Albany County Department of Social Services removed Charlie and his five-year-old brother from their biological family's home and placed them into foster care. Because no placement was available within Albany County at the time, the boys were placed in a certified foster home in Schenectady County, at 2734 Broadway in Rotterdam, New York, the home of Dequan and Latrisha Greene.

The Greenes were parents of three biological daughters, all under the age of five. They had been certified as a foster home by the Schenectady County Department of Social Services. Prior to Charlie and his brother, they had fostered one other child for a single day. Charlie and his brother were in their care for approximately three months.

Charlie died on December 20, 2020, less than a week before Christmas. He was four years old. His brother survived and was placed in another foster home. Prosecutors from the Schenectady County office, learning that the five-year-old had spoken about looking forward to Christmas, pooled their own money and bought him presents. He has continued to heal and thrive.

01
Background

What We Know

On the morning of December 20, 2020, Latrisha Greene was home with the children when Charlie had an accident. She subjected him to a cold shower and made him stand against a wall in a stress position for an unspecified period. Later that day, Dequan Greene was alone with the children while Latrisha was out shopping. During that time, Charlie was fatally injured.

Rather than calling 911, Dequan called his wife. When Latrisha returned home, she called 911. Emergency services arrived to find Dequan attempting to revive an unconscious Charlie. Paramedics transported Charlie to Ellis Hospital in Rotterdam, where he was pronounced dead. Emergency personnel observed bruising across his body. Charlie's five-year-old brother was also taken to the hospital, where he was found to have injuries in various stages of healing, including facial bruising, a split lip, and a torn frenulum.

The Schenectady County medical examiner determined Charlie's cause of death was extensive internal injury to his liver and intestines caused by blunt force trauma. Dequan Greene initially told emergency responders that Charlie had fallen from a small chair and then began slurring his speech before losing consciousness. He later told others the child had choked. Both accounts were inconsistent with the medical findings.

02
Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

September 2020
Charlie and His Brother Placed in Foster Care
Albany County DSS removes Charlie, age 4, and his five-year-old brother from their biological home and places them with Dequan and Latrisha Greene in Rotterdam, NY. Albany County had no available foster home placements within the county. Monthly welfare checks were conducted by video chat due to COVID-19 restrictions. No concerns were flagged during this period.
December 20, 2020
Charlie Is Killed — Brother Also Hospitalized
Emergency services respond to the Greene home and find Charlie unconscious. He is transported to Ellis Hospital and pronounced dead. His five-year-old brother is taken to the hospital and found to have injuries in various stages of healing. Dequan Greene gives conflicting accounts of what happened to Charlie. He is later arrested.
January 22, 2021
Dequan Greene Formally Arrested and Charged
Prosecutors charge Dequan Greene with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and child endangerment. Latrisha Greene is charged with tampering with evidence after she called her husband from the hospital to warn him of an impending search warrant.
September 2022
Dequan Greene Convicted
Dequan Greene is convicted at trial. Latrisha Greene testifies. Her testimony about text messages she sent regarding the boys' injuries leads prosecutors to file four counts of first-degree perjury against her, in addition to two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
December 6, 2022
Dequan Greene Sentenced — 25 Years to Life
Schenectady County Judge Matthew Sypniewski sentences Dequan Greene to 25 years to life in prison. He is transferred to Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, New York.
June 23, 2023
Latrisha Greene Convicted of Perjury
Latrisha Greene is found guilty on four counts of first-degree perjury and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, related to her false testimony during her husband's trial about text messages regarding the boys' injuries.
August 25, 2023
Latrisha Greene Sentenced — Maximum Penalty
Schenectady County Judge Chad Brown sentences Latrisha Greene to the maximum allowed: 9⅓ to 28 years on all charges, to be served consecutively. She is also ordered to pay $6,375 in fines and is subject to a 36-year order of protection barring future contact with Charlie's surviving brother.
03
Investigation

The Investigation

The investigation began at Ellis Hospital on December 20, 2020. Emergency personnel observed bruising on Charlie's body and flagged similar injuries on his five-year-old brother, which prompted police to act quickly. The medical examiner's findings were central to the case — the internal injuries were inconsistent with the fall from a chair that Dequan Greene described, and the pattern and staging of injuries across both boys indicated ongoing abuse over a period of time.

A critical development came when Latrisha Greene, while at the hospital being questioned, called her husband and told him to "clean up what you can" before a search warrant was executed at the home. This action drew investigators' focus to her role in the case and ultimately led to her own charges. The search warrant was executed at the Broadway home and yielded additional evidence.

Investigators also established that Albany County DSS's video-only welfare checks during the COVID-19 period had failed to detect months of ongoing abuse. The boys had been with the Greenes for approximately three months before Charlie's death. Evidence gathered during the investigation included text messages between Latrisha and Dequan Greene referencing the boys' injuries, which Latrisha later lied about under oath during her husband's trial.

Prosecutors described the pattern of abuse as torture. Allegations included the use of switches on both boys, force feeding, and the five-year-old being made to sleep in a dog kennel. There were also separate allegations regarding mistreatment of one of the Greene's biological children.

If You Suspect Child Abuse or Neglect — Report It
New York State Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720 (24 hours)
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 | childhelp.org
04
Arrest & Charges

The Convicted

Dequan Greene
Dequan Greene
Age 29 — Rotterdam, New York — Foster Father / Minister
Charges: Second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, child endangerment
Convicted: September 2022 — Schenectady County
Sentence: 25 years to life — December 6, 2022 — Judge Matthew Sypniewski
Currently Serving: Great Meadow Correctional Facility, Comstock, New York
Latrisha Greene
Latrisha Greene
Rotterdam, New York — Foster Mother
Charges: Four counts first-degree perjury, two counts misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child
Convicted: June 23, 2023
Sentence: 9⅓ to 28 years (consecutive) — August 25, 2023 — Judge Chad Brown — maximum allowed
Fines: $6,375
Order of Protection: 36 years — no contact with Charlie's surviving brother
In Memoriam

He Is Not Forgotten

Charlie Garay was four years old. He had a five-year-old brother who loved him and who, from his hospital bed in the days after Charlie died, talked about what he was hoping for at Christmas. The prosecutors who heard about that went and got him those presents themselves.

Charlie had been in the care of people who were supposed to protect him, certified and approved and monitored by the systems that exist precisely for children like him. The system failed him. Both people responsible for his death have been convicted and sentenced. They will not have the opportunity to harm another child in their care.

Charlie Garay was cremated. His final resting place is not publicly known. He is not forgotten.

"Charlie suffered an unimaginable fate at the hands of those who were supposed to raise and protect him."
Schenectady County Prosecutor — 2022
Sources
Daily Gazette (multiple reports 2021–2022) | Times Union | MSN / Schenectady Gazette | Schenectady County District Attorney's Office | Find a Grave
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