A father in New York confesses to firing a crossbow at his wife while she was holding his 3-week-old daughter, wounding her and killing the child.
On Friday, Judge Cawley condemned Patrick Proefriedt to 25 years to life in jail. He was sentenced for second-degree murder of his daughter Eleanor and attempted murder of his wife. In 2023, around 5:15 a.m., Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report that an adult female and a female newborn had been shot with a crossbow at a residence.
According to the sheriff’s office, Proefriedt had an altercation with his wife and discharged a crossbow while she was holding their three-week-old daughter, Eleanor.
The broadhead crossbow bolt struck Eleanor in the upper torso, exiting through the armpit before reaching the woman in the chest.
Proefriedt then allegedly attempted to remove the bolt before trying to prevent his wife from dialling 911. He left the area in a red 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck before deputies arrived.
Eleanor was confirmed dead at the spot, while Proefriedt’s wife was released from the hospital later that day with non-life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff’s office said they discovered Proefriedt in the woods less than a mile from the residence after his vehicle became stuck in the mud.
Reference: Father shot, killed his 3-week-old baby girl with crossbow, authorities say