A New York man with a documented history of domestic abuse was arrested and charged with murder following an incident involving a crossbow.
The grim incident took place on Monday, June 26, inside the family home located in Colesville, New York, leading to the death of his three-week-old daughter.
As per the report from the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Patrick D. Proefriedt allegedly fired a crossbow bolt at his wife, Megan Carey, while she held their infant daughter, Eleanor. The projectile fatally wounded the baby before piercing Carey in the chest. Proefriedt purportedly extracted the bolt from Carey’s body and tried to obstruct her from dialing emergency services.
First responders arrived at the crime scene around 5:15 am. The baby, unfortunately, was beyond medical help and was declared deceased at the scene, while Carey, aged 31, was rushed to Wilson Hospital to treat her injuries.
Proefriedt fled in a red 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck, only to be located in nearby woods, less than a mile from the crime scene. The assistance of aerial drones led law enforcement to his truck, which had become immobilized in mud.
Charges against Proefriedt now include second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and first-degree criminal contempt, the last one due to his violation of a protection order. Broome County Sheriff’s Office stated that there had been an active protection order against Proefriedt because of prior domestic abuse cases.
Just weeks before the incident, Proefriedt had shared a Facebook photo of himself with baby Eleanor, pledging to safeguard his family and friends.
The ongoing investigation led by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office continues as Proefriedt is held without bail until his court appearance.
