BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. – A man was jailed for using a crossbow to shoot and murder his newborn daughterA 28-year-old man faces decades in state prison after shooting and killing his newborn daughter with a crossbow nearly two years ago.
According to the Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin, Patrick Proefriedt was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on June 27. In February, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 3-week-old baby.
On June 26, 2023, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home after receiving reports of a crossbow shooting. According to the initial release from deputies, Proefriedt and his wife allegedly got into an argument, and the defendant shot a crossbow at her while she was holding their 3-week-old daughter.
The crossbow bolt allegedly struck the infant in the upper torso, exiting near her armpit before striking the defendant’s wife in the chest. Proefriedt allegedly attempted to prevent the woman from contacting law enforcement and fled the scene before the sheriff’s office arrived.
The baby was pronounced dead at the scene. Proefriedt’s wife was released from the hospital later that day, having sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
After the defendant’s car became stuck in the mud, the sheriff’s office, assisted by other law enforcement agencies, located him in a nearby wooded area.
The Broome County District Attorney’s Office described the defendant’s actions as a “horrific violation of the trust and care that every parent owes to their child.”
