A shocking series of events unfolded in Maine on Tuesday as Joseph Eaton, a 34-year-old man, was released from prison. Eaton killed his parents, killed their friends, and injured three others in two separate incidents.
Eaton is now facing four counts of murder. He’s currently being held without bail at the Two Bridges Regional Jail.
Eaton had completed a sentence for aggravated assault at the Windham Correctional Facility and was released on April 14. His mother, 62-year-old Cynthia Eaton, met him upon his release. Following his release, Eaton stayed with his parents, who lived with family friends Patricia Eger, 72, and her husband Robert Eger, 62.
Tragedy struck on Tuesday morning when Eaton fatally shot Cynthia, Patricia, Robert, and his father, 66-year-old David Eaton. The Maine State Police Department confirmed that all four victims died from gunshot wounds and their deaths were ruled as homicides.
The gruesome discovery was made by an unidentified family member who went to the house after being unable to contact anyone. Upon entering the residence, the family member found one body and called the police, who later discovered the remaining three victims.
In a separate incident, Eaton was located in a wooded area following a shooting spree on Interstate 295. He had targeted multiple vehicles, believing they were police cars in pursuit. This attack resulted in injuries to 51-year-old Sean Halsey and his children, Justin Halsey, 29, and Paige Halsey, 25. While Sean and Justin suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Paige remains in critical condition.
The Bangor Daily News revealed that Eaton has a criminal history dating back to 2013, with 15 prior charges, including aggravated assault and simple assault convictions. A felony assault conviction in March 2022 led to an eight-month prison sentence. Eaton’s legal representation, if any, remains unclear at this time.