“Please Don’t Die” Father Murders 3-Week-Old Daughter with a Crossbow | Patrick Proefriedt

When a panicked 911 call came from a quiet home in Colesville, New York, dispatchers could hear a mother’s desperate pleas, “please don’t die.” Moments later, the truth emerged, 28-year-old Patrick Proefriedt had fired a crossbow at his wife, Megan, as she held their three-week-old baby, Eleanor.

What followed was a crime so cruel it stunned even veteran officers, and a courtroom hearing where a 22-minute 911 call revealed every agonizing second. This is the case of a man who turned his rage on the people he was supposed to protect.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
At five point fifteen am on June twenty sixth, twenty
twenty three, a frantic nine to one one call came
into the Broome County Sheriff's Office from a home on
State Route forty one in Colesville, New York. On the call,
the dispatcher heard a woman, Megan Carey, telling someone to
stay with mommy and please don't die. Meghan reported that

(00:26):
she and her newborn baby, Eleanor m Carey had been
shot with a crossbow.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide were Kai's
AI co hosts here to bring you another midweek mini,
a quick but powerful case written by Kai herself. Before
we get started, remember that Love and Murder is completely
listener funded. If you want to help keep the show
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(00:54):
scenes extras, and more, join the lambfam at patreon dot
com slash Love and Murder.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Don't forget. Monday's case came out a bit late, but
Kai did drop it yesterday, so if you missed it,
look for the episode right before this one. She reported
a very sad case and a shocking update to a
previous episode. Then she read some of your comments.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Now let's get back to your midweek many.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Twenty eight year old Patrick Prufreet, Meghan's husband, was described
as someone who had lived a violent life, this uncontrollable
life long before he met Meghan in twenty nineteen. Patrick
had a long record of disorderly conduct, repeated violations of
protection orders, and previous arrests for abusing Megan, including an

(01:39):
incident where he slammed her head through a wall. The
relationship had been marked by violence and control from the beginning.
Even with an active protection order, Meghan had continued to
suffer abuse. Police had been called to their home multiple
times for domestic disturbances, but in the early hours of
June twenty sixth, it reached its breaking point. Patrick became

(02:03):
enraged when their three week old newborn started crying. He
left the bedroom where Meghan sat holding Eleanor, loaded a crossbow,
came back and fired the broadhead bolt pierced Eleanor's tiny
body and exited near her armpit before hitting Meghan in
the chest. Instead of helping Patrick rip the arrow out,
threw towels at her and told her to stop the bleeding.

(02:25):
He then grabbed her phone hid it in another room.
So she couldn't call for help, put on his shoes,
took the only car available, and left. Meghan managed to
find her phone while bleeding and made that nine to
one one call. When paramedics arrived, they started immediate efforts
to save the child, but Eleanor was pronounced dead at
the scene. Sheriff Fred Akshah described this as one of

(02:49):
the most heartbreaking and senseless crimes that has been committed
in recent history. Meghan was transported to Wilson Hospital for
treatment of her injuries while police started searching for Patrick. Thankfully,
he didn't make it far. His red Dodge Ram got
stuck in the mud less than a mile from the house.
He abandoned it and ran into the woods. Within an hour,

(03:12):
law enforcement, including the Broome County Sheriff's Office, New York
State Police, and Shenango County Sheriff's Office, surrounded the area
and found him hiding. Sheriff Akshah said that Patrick quote
ran into the woods and hid like a scared rat
after taking his baby's life.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Our thoughts are with the family of this innocent three
week old girl. I commend the quick and decisive action
of our law enforcement division in responding to this tragedy
and ensuring mister Profrit did not escape justice.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
When detectives questioned him, Patrick showed no remorse. He blamed Megan,
saying she had dared him to shoot, and claimed that
it wasn't that big of a deal. He was arrested
and faced charges of second degree murder, second degree attempted murder,
and first degree criminal contempt or violating an order of protection.

(04:08):
District attorney Paul Batisti said Patrick quote wanted to blame
everyone but himself. During their investigation, police found that Patrick
had multiple domestic abuse charges against him. In one instance,
he reportedly hit her during an argument about childcare. Another time,
neighbours called police after hearing screams coming from their house.

(04:30):
When officers responded to past incidents, they saw that Megan
often had visible bruises, but sometimes chose not to press charges,
a pattern advocates said is common in ongoing domestic abuse cases.
In court in twenty twenty three, Patrick pled not guilty. However,
on February twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, Patrick eventually pled

(04:52):
guilty to second degree murder. Because he'd finally pled guilty,
there was no trial during his sentence hearing on June
twenty seventh, twenty twenty five, the prosecution played the twenty
two minute audio track or Meghan's nine one one call.
The court was able to hear the heart wrenching moments
where Eleanor died in her mother's arms. By the end

(05:15):
of the call, Meghan had said that Eleanor's face was pale,
she wasn't moving or looking at her, and her breathing
had stopped. Meghan, who had survived her injuries, told the
court what happened after Eleanor was shot. She talked about
the nine one one call, what those twenty two minutes
on the phone were like, holding her baby, bleeding, begging,

(05:36):
and watching Eleanor's life slip away.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Everywhere I look, I see you, a part of you
in almost everyone. I can't express how much I miss
and love you.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
She then said that she would do everything she can
to get her daughter justice. She told Patrick that even
if he is ever capable of remorse, it could never
bring her daughter back. She continued by.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Saying, despite everything that has happened, I still believe in love,
I still believe in healing, I believe in forgiveness. But
he is beyond forgiveness, he has no empathy and no humanity.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Patrick's defense talked about his history of abuse, but said
it was due to his tumultuous childhood and his developmental
and mental health struggles. Attorney Batisti and Deputy District Attorney
Lucas Finley focused on Patrick's cold actions, stressing his refusal
to show accountability. Attorney Batisti highlighted the premeditated nature of

(06:34):
the attack, how Patrick left the room, loaded the weapon,
and came back to shoot Megan while she held Eleanor.
They also emphasized Patrick's failure to act as a father.
Broome County Court Judge Joseph F. Cawley acknowledged Patrick's difficult
childhood and mental health struggles that was presented by the defense.

(06:55):
He said that there is no doubt that Patrick has
been subjected to a very difficult and tumultuous childhood, suffering
from physical, verbal, and sexual abuse at a young age.
He also said that he believed Patrick's downward spiral got
worse in twenty nineteen after losing a child shortly after

(07:17):
birth due to health complications, but he reminded the court
of what mattered most that on the morning of June
twenty sixth, twenty twenty three. Patrick didn't try to help
this child at all. He didn't call for help, didn't
do anything to save his three week old daughter. The
judge also made it clear that none of Patrick's childhood

(07:38):
experiences excused what he'd had done.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
No one can possibly understand what Megan went through during
those last twenty two minutes of Eleanor's life. There must
be consequences.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Patrick mumbled a short statement saying.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
I take full responsibility. I got to do what I
got to do. I apologize to my wife, and I
apologize to you for the sake of my child.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
Any BATTISTI called the case an act of pure cruelty,
and Sheriff Akshaw echoed that, saying Patrick's cowardice after killing
his daughter spoke volumes.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
It's a senseless case.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Judge Cowley then sentenced Patrick to twenty five years to life,
the maximum allowed in the state of New York. As
for Megan, she continues to carry the weight of that morning,
the scars, the grief, and the memory of her seventeen
day old baby, whose life was stolen before it had
even begun. Sheriff Akshaw said.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
That mister profriate was dealing with some internal demons. He
was not dealing with having a newborn child. Domestic violence
is incredibly real. These are situations that so many people
throughout our community go through on a day to day basis.
This is one of several cases in the last few
months in which people have lost their lives because of
domestic violence. I cannot stress to the people of this

(08:56):
community enough that there are human service organizations that exist
in Broome County that are here to help, Here to
help people who are in troubled situations and relationships, here
to help people get out of one of those situations
and relationships.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic
Violence Hotline at one eight hundred seven ninety nine seven
two three three, or go to the hotline dot org.
All calls are toll free and confidential. The hotline is
available twenty four to seven in more than one hundred

(09:31):
seventy languages. You can also visit the LAMB site for
more resources Murder and Loove dot com.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
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(09:58):
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