Maine shooting Grisly scene at Bowdoin home revealed as Joseph Eaton motive unknown
Cynthia Eaton, David Eaton, Patricia Eger and Robert Eger were named as the four victims killed
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Court records in the Maine shooting spree revealed the grisly crime scene discovered by police called to the scene after suspect Joseph Eaton allegedly shot and killed four people, including his parents and their two friends.
The suspect appeared in court in West Bath on Thursday, his first appearance since the killings.
The victims, who all died of gunshot wounds, include his parents Cynthia Eaton, 62 and David Eaton, 66, and their friends Robert Eger, 72 and Patricia Eger, 62.
Court documents state that Patti’s sister visited the home at about 9am, finding drops of blood near the door, WABI reported.
Inside, she discovered a number of guns and bullet holes. She exited the home and called 911.
Police have said they found one victim in a barn and three others in the home. Court documents reveal that a dog was also shot at the scene.
Detectives searching the area also discovered a note stating that someone had been molested and that “there was nothing done about it”
The note also stated that someone had been freed of pain and that the author of the note wanted “a new life”.
The four victims are believed to have been killed one day before they were discovered on Tuesday morning.
Not long after the discovery, police responded to a shooting along a highway where Sean Halsey, 51, and his two children, Justin, 29, and Paige, 25, had all been shot.
They were transported to Maine Medical Center.
The father and son suffered injuries not considered life-threatening while Ms Halsey was in critical condition. Mr Halsey said on Wednesday afternoon that his daughter’s breathing tube had been removed and that she was on the road to recovery.
The car the suspect had been driving was rented by his parents at Portland Jetport when they arrived in the state on 13 April to collect their son upon his release from prison.
Mr Eaton didn’t enter a plea in court on Thursday. His next court date has been scheduled for 28 June.
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Who is Joseph Eaton? Everything we know about Maine shooting spree suspect
Two communities in Maine were rocked this week when suspected gunman Joseph Eaton suddenly embarked on a shooting rampage – first at a home and then along an interstate.
Maine State Police said that officers were called to a house in the town of Bowdoin on Tuesday morning to find four victims dead from gunshot wounds.
Not long after the grim discovery was made, an assailant randomly opened fire on cars driving along Interstate 295 in nearby Yarmouth.
Three people were shot in the second attack – with one of them now in critical condition. The alleged gunman was taken into custody on the scene.
Read more:
What we know about Maine shooting spree suspect Joseph Eaton
Joseph Eaton was released from prison just four days before he allegedly opened fire in a shooting spree in Maine. Rachel Sharp reports
PHOTOS: Eaton appears in court
Court records reveal grisly scene cops encountered
The court records outline the scene that police encountered on Augusta Road on Tuesday morning.
The documents state that Patti’s sister visited the home at about 9am, finding drops of blood near the door, WABI reported.
Inside, she discovered a number of guns and bullet holes. She exited the home and called 911.
Police said on Wednesday that they found one victim in a barn and three others in the home. Court documents reveal that a dog was also shot at the scene.
Detectives searching the area also discovered a note stating that someone had been molested and that “there was nothing done about it”.
The note also stated that someone had been freed of pain and that the author of the note wanted “a new life”.
Father of highway shooting victim says she’s on the mend
After police arrived at the murder scene on Tuesday morning, law enforcement responded to the highway shooting where Sean Halsey, 51, and his two children, Justin, 29, and Paige, 25, had all been shot.
They were all transported to Maine Medical Center.
The father and son suffered injuries not considered life-threatening while Ms Halsey was in critical condition. Mr Halsey said on Wednesday afternoon that his daughter’s breathing tube had been removed and that she was on the road to recovery.
Timeline of killings and weapons used unclear
While police have said that Mr Eaton has confessed to the shootings, they haven’t revealed when the victims were killed. It’s also unclear how the suspect got ahold of the weapon or weapons used.
Following felony convictions in Maine and in Florida, where his parents were living, Mr Eaton was unable to legally own firearms.
Police have said that Ms Eaton picked up her son at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham on Friday where he had just finished serving a sentence after being convicted of assault. The mother reportedly took him to the home of the Egers where they had been staying, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Sister of homeowner found blood, broken glass, and ‘bullet holes everywhere'
The Thursday release of the affidavit revealed that Ms Eger’s sister told the authorities that she texted Ms Eger at about 8.30am on Tuesday to say that she would be at their house at about 9am that morning but she never got a response.
The sister had been staying at the home but had left to allow the Eatons to stay there while they collected their son from prison. She said she was going back to collect some clothing she had left behind, according to WMTW.
When she arrived at the house, the sister saw two drops of blood on the front steps of the house.
She opened the front door and called out but didn’t get a reply. She then spotted broken glass and blood on the floor in addition to a body covered by a towel on the kitchen floor.
The sister said she couldn’t tell if it was Mr Eger or David Eaton as they had similar appearances, but going off his clothing, she guessed it was Mr Eger.
She said she saw “bullet holes everywhere,” according to the legal filing.
She left when she saw drag marks throughout the home, waiting outside until police arrived.
Bodys covered in home as molestation note left on kitchen island
The note was found on the kitchen island, but it wasn’t addressed to anyone or signed by the author, the affidavit states. The legal document said that the note “said someone had been molested there and there was nothing done about it. The note mentioned someone being freed from pain and the writer wanted a new life”.
In a video shared on Facebook on Monday, Mr Eaton said he had been molested as a child.
The other two bodies in the home, likely those of Ms Eaton and Ms Eger had been covered, like the body of Mr Eger. The fourth body, reportedly that of Mr Eaton, was found in a barn on the property.
The court filing states that police found several firearms in the home.
Justice orders Eaton be held without bail
When he appeared in court on Thursday, the suspect was dressed in orange inmate clothing as well as a bulletproof vest.
Superior Court Justice Daniel Billings asked the suspect if he understood the charges he’s facing, which he said he did. The suspect wasn’t requested to enter a plea since he hasn’t yet been indicted by a grand jury in Sagadahoc County.
The justice ordered that Mr Eaton be held without bail. Maine law states that bail isn’t available to those facing charges of murder, the Bangor Daily News noted.
Justice Billings added that the suspect must undergo a psychiatric evaluation to ascertain if he can be a part of his own defence. Mr Eaton is set to appear in court again on 28 June.
Maine shooting spree: What we know about the deadly attacks on a home and highway
Seven people were shot – four of them fatally – when a gunman embarked on a shooting spree across two different locations in Maine on Tuesday.
The horror incident first began at a home in Bowdoin where four victims were found dead before police were called to reports of a random shooting at cars on a nearby highway in Yarmouth.
Suspect Joseph Eaton, a 34-year-old convicted felon who was released from prison just days earlier, was arrested and charged with murder. Among the four victims shot dead in Maine were the suspect’s parents.
Now, the victims, their families and the communities of Bowdoin and Yarmouth are the latest to join a growing list impacted by gun violence in America.
Here’s what we know so far:
What we know about the Maine shooting spree on a home and highway
Man just released from prison kills parents and their friends before going on highway shooting rampage. Rachel Sharp and Gustaf Kilander report
Who is Joseph Eaton? Everything we know about Maine shooting spree suspect
Two communities in Maine were rocked by gun violence when suspected gunman Joseph Eaton suddenly embarked on a shooting rampage – first at a home and then along an interstate.
Maine State Police said that officers were called to a house in the town of Bowdoin on 18 April morning to find four victims dead from gunshot wounds.
Not long after the grim discovery was made, an assailant randomly opened fire on cars driving along Interstate 295 in nearby Yarmouth.
Three people were shot in the second attack. The alleged gunman was taken into custody on the scene.
Here’s what we know so far about Joseph Eaton:
What we know about Maine shooting spree suspect Joseph Eaton
Joseph Eaton was released from prison just four days before he allegedly opened fire in a shooting spree in Maine. Rachel Sharp and Gustaf Kilander report