DA Highlights Swift Justice In Colesville Murder Case

On February 28th (2025), an announcement was made by Paul Battisti, Broome County District Attorney, that Patrick Proefriedt of Colesville, New York, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in Broome County Court.

Proefriedt was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, which is the maximum sentence permitted by law, for charges from an incident on June 26, 2023.

Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of Patrick Proefriedt’s heinous actions. The court’s decision ensures he will never again pose a threat to another innocent life. While no sentence can undo the devastating harm caused, this outcome affirms our commitment to pursuing justice and standing firmly with victims and their families in the face of unthinkable violence. - Broome County District Attorney Paul Battisti.

According to the announcement, Broome County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence at 2208 Route 41 in the Town of Colesville for a report of a shooting.

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Authorities found that Patrick Proefriedt had used a crossbow to shoot both his wife and their newborn daughter. The child succumbed to her injuries, and his wife sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital that day.

Nothing can undo this senseless, heartbreaking, and horrific crime that stole the life of three-week-old Eleanor Carey, but our teams have worked tirelessly to bring justice and closure for her family and for our community. I commend the quick and decisive actions of our Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Division in responding to this tragedy, and I thank our District Attorney���s Office for seeing this case through and ensuring Patrick Proefriedt is held accountable to the fullest extent our law allows. - Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar

Attorney Battisti noted that Deputy Assistant District Attorney Lucas Finley prosecuted the case on behalf of the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, with support from District Attorney Investigator Thomas Brady, and the investigation was led by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office.

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