Man sentenced for shooting and killing his newborn daughter with a crossbow

BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. (TCN) -- A 28-year-old man will spend 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 received a sentence on June 27 of 25 years to life behind bars. He previously pleaded guilty in February 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 following a reported crossbow shooting. According to an 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 reportedly hit the infant in the upper torso and exited near her armpit before striking the defendant's wife in the chest. Proefriedt reportedly tried to stop the woman from calling law enforcement and fled the scene before the sheriff's office arrived.

The baby was pronounced deceased at the scene. Proefriedt's wife was released from the hospital later that day with non-life-threatening injuries.

The sheriff's office, with help from other law enforcement agencies, located the defendant in a wooded area nearby after his car got stuck in the mud.

The Broome County District Attorney's Office called the defendant's actions a "horrific violation of the trust and care every parent owes to their child."

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