New York Father, Patrick Proefriedt Sentenced to 25 Years to Life for Crossbow Attack That Killed Infant Daughter In a case that has shocked the nation, Patrick Proefriedt, a New York father, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the horrifying murder of his three-week-old daughter in a brutal crossbow attack.
The sentencing was delivered this week in Broome County Court following Proefriedt’s guilty plea to second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the June 2023 incident.According to prosecutors, the 26-year-old father fired a crossbow at his wife during a domestic dispute inside their Colesville home.
Tragically, the arrow struck their newborn daughter, Ruby Proefriedt, who was in her mother’s arms at the time. The projectile fatally wounded the infant and injured the mother. Proefriedt then attempted to prevent emergency responders from accessing the home by disabling the couple’s phones
and trying to barricade himself inside before fleeing the scene in a truck, leading authorities on a brief manhunt before his arrest.District Attorney Michael Korchak called the crime “unfathomable,” stating, “This was an intentional act of extreme violence carried out in the presence of an innocent child. Ruby’s life was stolen before it even began.”
During sentencing, the court heard emotional victim impact statements from family members, including Ruby’s grieving mother, who described the trauma of witnessing her baby’s death and surviving the assault. The judge referred to Proefriedt’s actions as “monstrous and beyond comprehension.”
Proefriedt had a prior history of domestic violence, including an existing order of protection meant to keep him away from his wife at the time of the attack. The sentence of 25 years to life reflects both the heinous nature of the crime and the lasting impact on the surviving family.Ruby’s death continues to serve as a painful reminder of the dangers of domestic violence.
