A Broome County man was sentenced Friday for fatally shooting his newborn daughter with a crossbow, authorities said.
As reported by WBNG, Patrick Proefriedt was sentenced 25 years to life in prison for killing his three-week-old daughter and attempting to kill his wife with a crossbow.
'Agitated' Proefriedt Shot at Wife, Daughter Following an Argument Over the Child's 'Crying'
Proefriedt shot his wife and daughter early in the morning of June 26th, 2023, after he and his wife Megan Carey got into an argument over 3-week-old Eleanor Proefriedt crying.
Following the argument Proefriedt became agitated, grabbed a crossbow from a neighboring room and fired an arrow into the shoulder of Eleanor and the chest of Carey.
After the shooting, Proefriedt pulled out the arrow and hid Carey's phone so she couldn't call 911 before fleeing in his truck, leaving Carey to deal with Eleanor and her own injuries.
Proefriedt Then Fled the Home in His Truck, Hid in the Woods 'Like a Scared Rat'
The Broome County Sheriff's Office would find Proefriedt hiding in the woods after fleeing from the house. Broome County Sheriff, Fred Akshar said in a press conference Friday that Proefriedt was hiding "like a scared rat"
"After the defendant in this case took the life of his own child. He ran into the woods and hid like a scared rat. A scared rat," said Akshar.
Profriedt Showed Zero Remorse For His Actions
Broome County District Attorney, Paul Battisti told local news outlets that during interrogation with the Broome County Sheriff's Office, Proefriedt showed no remorse for his actions.
"At no point in time did he ever ask how's my wife? How's my three-week-old child? He never showed any remorse," said Battisti. "He talked about how it wasn't that big of a deal, and I'll be out of here as soon as possible"
During the sentencing on Friday morning, prosecution played a 22-minute audio track of Carey's phone call with dispatch after being shot. In the phone call the gallery could hear the heart-wrenching moments where Eleanor passed away in her mother's arms.
Under the ruling from Broome County Court Judge, Joseph F. Cawley, Proefriedt will spend a minimum of 25 years in prison with a maximum of a life sentence, the largest sentence allowed in New York State
