Rensselaer man confesses to rape and murder of three-year-old girl

A Rensselaer man has admitted to raping and killing a three-year-old girl a year ago.

Robert Fisher, 34, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and rape in Rensselaer District Court on Tuesday.

Fisher was responsible for the death of Josefina Cunningham in a home at 1552 Broadway on July 7, 2023. The girl was found unconscious and her mother called 911. The girl was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Fisher had been in the house. He was initially charged with hindering the investigation after he attempted to get back into the house, according to police.

Fisher was charged with rape and murder in late July 2023.