Father gets 35 years in prison in Lufkin's 'worst' child abuse case

As referred to by several local officials, "the worst case of child abuse" in Angelina County came to an end Wednesday after a Lufkin father pleaded guilty for failing to stop his wife from beating and sexually abusing the couple's children.

Wearing orange jail scrubs with his head lowered and appearing nervous, Joshua Buckjune listened as his attorney explained to him the court process for a plea agreement prior to his hearing.

"I know you're frightened. I know you're scared," said John Heath Sr., Buckjune's hired attorney.

Minutes later Buckjune, 36, pleaded guilty to four counts of abuse before a state district judge, agreeing to serve 35 years in prison for allowing wife Bennedetha "Anita" Buckjune to abuse his two teenage daughters while the family lived in Lufkin for a year.

"The state didn't get all they wanted and we didn't get all we wanted, but it's a good resolution, " Heath said after the hearing.

State prosecutor Dawn Armstrong said the state settled on the amount of years it offered after balancing what would be best for the children who testified in Anita's trial.

"The jury could have given more, but we had to weigh (the children's) interest," she said.

Lufkin police arrested the couple in May 2005 after a neighbor's call helped them unravel the gruesome family secret.

"This is the worst that I've seen that (the victim) wasn't dead," said investigator Sgt. David Campbell in a June 2005 interview with The Lufkin Daily News.

In August, an Angelina County jury convicted Anita on 13 of 15 felony counts, including three first-degree felonies for starving, brutally beating and sexually abusing her two step-children.

The two girls testified of the horrors in court, saying Anita often beat them bloody with belt buckles, forced them to scrub the walls of blood and prevented them from eating on several occasions. During Anita's testimony, she repeatedly denied the allegations and blamed the abuses on Buckjune.

Former state district Judge David Wilson later gave the mother three 75-year sentences, plus 10 20-year sentences in prison, which she will serve all at once.

Armstrong said she was glad Buckjune decided to plead guilty, sparing his children from testifying about the abuse once more.

"This was their dad. It would have been extremely and emotionally difficult for them to do that (testify)," she said.

Armstrong said Buckjune's children are doing as well as expected for what they have survived.

"They look better physically. They've gained weight and their hair has grown out," she said.

Buckjune's two children and Anita's three children are currently living with foster parents.

Buckjune pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of injury to a child by omission, a first-degree felony, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.

After serving two years in Angelina County Jail, Buckjune will be eligible for parole in eight years.