New York man accused of killing his 3-week-old daughter with a crossbow
06/27/2023 3:33 pm PDT
COLESVILLE, N.Y. (TCD) -- Deputies arrested a 26-year-old father this week for allegedly killing his daughter with a crossbow while aiming it at his wife.
In a June 26 press conference, Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar said deputies responded to a home at 2208 State Route 41 on Monday, June 26, shortly after 5 a.m., to a report of an adult female and infant who had been shot with a crossbow. First responders transported the female victim to the hospital and pronounced the infant, Eleanor, dead at the scene.
According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, Patrick Proefriedt got into a dispute with his wife, the adult female victim, and allegedly "fired a crossbow at her while she was holding their 3-week-old daughter."
The crossbow reportedly struck the infant in the torso, "exiting near the armpit" and then hit the woman in the chest.
The Sheriff's Office said Proefriedt removed the arrow and tried to stop his wife from calling law enforcement. He reportedly fled the home in a 2016 Dodge Ram before deputies arrived at the scene.
Akshar said deputies created a perimeter in the area and began searching for Proefriedt with assistance from the New York State Police and Chenango County Sheriff's Office. Investigators reportedly found Proefriedt less than a mile away from the home in a wooded area after his truck got stuck in the mud.
Deputies arrested Proefriedt on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, and first-degree criminal contempt. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, June 26.
The Sheriff's Office noted that Proefriedt has an active Stay Away Order of Protection and a long history of domestic violence.
Akshar called the case one of the "most heartbreaking and senseless crimes."
He added, "Having a newborn child should be the greatest thing in life. It should not push you to commit homicide. And that’s exactly what Mr. Proefriedt did."
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