K-9 training facility to form animal rescue in honor of murder victims

CATSKILL―The owners of Specter K-9 spoke out publicly on Thursday for the first time since the horrific double murder-suicide that took place at their Catskill training facility.

“It has taken us some time to prepare a statement as we are still processing and trying our best to recover from the horror of everything that has happened,” Specter K-9 posted to its Facebook page.

Their property on Forest View Drive, a private dead-end road off of Cairo Junction Road, was where police found Connor Provo, 22, Justin Acevedo, 19, and Clifford Beauchard, 34, all dead from gunshot wounds on the afternoon of Friday, December 12.

Provo called Greene County 911 to report that he had shot two people before he turned the gun on himself.

Justin Acevedo was the youngest son of Jerry Acevedo who owns Specter K-9 along with Danyelle Osorio. They all lived together with Provo and Beauchard at the Catskill property.

“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 K-9 and there were no warning signs prior to what happened on December 12. We will not share any additional information concerning Connor as the investigation is still ongoing,” they stated.

They described Justin Acevedo as a “gentle, kindhearted, caring, shy, sincere, respectful and truly dedicated to working side by side with his father.”

“His potential was enormous and as Jerry’s apprentice, he was on track to be the best in the field. He had fully embraced our family’s passion for dogs and was a literal day away from graduating to full-time trainer,” they continued. “Justin was a son, a rising star, a great friend, and a brother. His loss is beyond comprehension; he is missed beyond words. Justin was our future in more ways than one.”

Beauchard, they said, had “grown to be the closest friend and biggest help in every sense of the word.”

“He became a major part of our future plans to grow. He was a dedicated gentleman who gave his whole life to the dogs he rescued and trained. He chose to live alongside us with his dog, Ice, and every time we would ask him how he was doing, his answer was always, ‘Another day in paradise!’ He was one of a kind and our closest friend and confidante,” they wrote.

Since the tragedy, Specter K-9 says they have been harassed by both reporters and curious locals.

“This is our residence as well as our workspace, but many people have taken it upon themselves to trespass and drive by the property, ”they wrote. “The police has been notified and we will continue to record these incidents on our cameras. The dogs have and will always remain safe in our care.”

In honor of Justin Acevedo and Beauchard, Specter K-9 announced that it is forming a non-profit animal rescue.

“The one solace we have in all of this is knowing they lived and passed doing what they loved. Despite the devastating sudden loss of our son and best friends, we are still moving forward with building our property in Catskill,” they wrote.

“We will now include a memorial space in our plans. After speaking with Cliff’s brother, we have agreed to take over ownership of Ice, Cliff’s dog. She will stay in the home he chose for them and continue to be integrated in our pack,” they stated.

Specter K-9 expressed its most “sincere gratitude to everyone who reached out to us and to those who have provided support throughout this extremely challenging time.”

“We are still mourning the loss of Justin and Cliff and we ask for patience and forgiveness to anyone we do not respond to at this time. We truly appreciate your words and kindness,” they wrote. “We also want to thank the police and detectives who have been so helpful through this, thank you for your work and for the support you give the community of Greene County.”

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