Skylar Pettit Death: Cousin reacts to indictments
ROTTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Skylar Pettit's cousin Justin Grygas tells NEWS10 he's not surprised by the arrests, but is glad the case is moving forward.
“As myself personally, I think there’s a lot of relief,” said Grygas
A Schenectady County Grand Jury indicted Pettit’s mother Amber Geier on nine charges including manslaughter and concealment of a human corpse. Geier’s boyfriend Ricky Loika was also indicted on six related charges including starving and torturing dogs on their property.
But Grygas still has questions for Skylar’s mother: “Why, why did you stop giving her meds?”
The 24-year-old Pettit had Down syndrome. She was also an insulin-dependent diabetic totally reliant on her mom, a nurse, for care. In a press conference Thursday, District Attorney Robert Carney accused Geier of denying Pettit insulin for months, causing serious medical complications.
“Skylar’s condition had deteriorated by February of 2023, due to inadequate insulin, to such a point that she was bedridden and wasting away" Carney announced.
Grygas was persistent in getting answers from the DA’s office: “Honestly, I’d like to know the intricacies of what took so long?” he questioned.
The answer: “Skylar’s remains, to determine her cause of death, was compromised by the passage of time and decomposition” DA Carney revealed on Thursday. “It also became a financial crimes investigation,” Carney added. (Geier also allegedly stole $3,000 of Pettit’s disability benefits from the time of Pettit’s death in February of 2023 up until her body was discovered last July).
Grygas says he was estranged from Geier and Loika. "For the most part, we've had some passings in the family that they were brought to and we were able to see them. But, for the most part, they've been under lock and key” Grygas detailed.
Despite the alleged heinousness and indignity of Pettit’s death, Grygas chooses to remember his cousin in a positive light. “She always had a smile on her face she was always a happy girl, loved music, and loved a little social media," Grygas said.
Grygas says has a unique plan to honor Skylar’s memory. “The team I represent, Atlantic Barbell, we’re gonna go and work with the Special Olympics powerlifting meet down in New Jersey” Grygas explained. “I kinda have a smile on my face about the coincidence of myself kind of going down here this weekend and this case kind of breaking” Grygas continued.
Both suspects have been arraigned. Loika is out on bail while Geier has been remanded to jail.