01/08/2026
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. 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 3 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. We will not share any additional information concerning Connor as the investigation is still ongoing.
Local news outlets have published and used our full address in their reporting without any consideration for our privacy. As a result, we have received weeks of harassment from reporters and curious locals. This is our residence as well as our work space but many people have taken it upon themselves to trespass and drive by the property. 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.
We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to everyone who reached out to us and to those who have provided support throughout this extremely challenging time. 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.
Justin was only 19 and the sweetest, brightest, kindest young man in the world. He was gentle, kind hearted, 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. 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.
Cliff 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 everytime 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.
�We will be forming a non-profit animal rescue in Justin and Cliffs names hoping to honor them for their dedication and love of rescuing and training dogs. 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. 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.
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. 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.
