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Nearly three months after a double-murder suicide shocked the small Hudson River town of Catskill, investigators still have not determined why a 22-year-old man shot and killed two friends before taking his own life.
On Friday (December 12), Connor Provo called Greene County 911 at approximately 12:18 p.m. and reported that he had killed his friends. When New York State Police and Greene County Sheriff's deputies arrived at a property on Forest View Drive — a private road in the town of Catskill — they found Provo dead inside a trailer from an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.
Officers then entered a double-wide building on the property, where they found Clifford Beauchard, 34, and Justin Acevedo, 19, both of Catskill, dead from gunshot wounds. Greene County Coroner Gerard Buckley determined that all three men sustained shotgun wounds to the head.
As reported by the Daily Gazette, New York State Police Public Information Officer Jennifer Alvarez confirmed on Monday (March 2) that the investigation has yet to produce answers.
"We have not found a motive at this time," Alvarez said. "There is no clear indication as to what motivated this tragedy."
The property on Forest View Drive is home to the Specter K-9 Training Facility, where Beauchard and Acevedo both worked. On Wednesday (January 8), the business addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post, offering some context about Provo's relationship with the victims.
"As some of you know on December 12, 2025, while we were out running day-to-day errands, Jerry's youngest son Justin and our dearest friend Cliff were murdered by Connor Provo before he turned the gun on himself," the post read. "All three had been living with us on our property, the same one where this occurred. We were a family and we had cared for Connor as such for approximately three years. At no point was Connor a formal employee of Specter K9 and there were no warning signs prior to what happened on December 12th."
One of the facility's owners, Jerry Acevedo — Justin's father — told the Times Union the post was written to address questions from clients and community members. He said the owners were also in the process of creating a nonprofit to fund animal rescues, a cause both Beauchard and Justin were passionate about.
Beauchard was remembered by those who knew him as someone deeply devoted to animals. Kim Von Heim, president of the Hi Tor Animal Care Center in Rockland County, told the Daily Gazette that Beauchard had a rare ability to connect with dogs that others had given up on.
"He had a gift with animals, and his heart and soul was all about trusting the community and getting them new lives," Von Heim said. "And that is where he was before he lost his life."
Justin was described in the Specter K9 post as "the sweetest, brightest, kindest young man in the world," and was said to be close to completing his apprenticeship as a full-time dog trainer.
As previously reported, the incident shook Catskill, a Hudson River community of roughly 11,000 residents. The investigation remains open. Anyone with information is urged to contact the New York State Police Catskill Barracks at (845) 344-5300.
Anyone who needs to talk can call 800-273-8255 no matter the time of day.