After his mother picked him up from jail, the man admitted to killing his parents, two of their friends, and three drivers on a Maine highway. He was then sentenced to life in prison.
The 35-year-old Joseph Eaton found out this week that he will join his parents, Cynthia Eaton (62), and David Eaton (66), in death. They were killed at home in Bowdoin, Maine, near Portland, in April 2023, along with their friends Robert Eger (72), and Patricia Eger (62). He got his sentence after admitting to four counts of murder and one count of aggravated attempted murder.
The families of the victims talked about how the killings changed their lives in long-lasting ways.
Patricia Eger’s nephew is married to Kristina DeRaps. She told The Associated Press, “He killed the only four people in this world who actually loved and cared for him.” For Eaton, DeRaps said he was “a selfish little boy.”
According to the AP, the suspect said, “I wake up every day regretting what I did.”
He also told the local ABC station WMTW, “I deserve a life sentence, and to be honest, I think I deserve worse.”
Andrew Wright, Eaton’s lawyer, told the AP outside of court that he doesn’t understand why his client described him as “a kind and compassionate, emotional and empathetic” man, even though the violence happened.
“It’s a stupid thing to do that no one can understand,” he said. “What a tragedy.”
The case was made public in the early hours of April 18, 2023. A statement says Patricia Egers’ sister went to the house on Augusta Road in Bowdoin, Maine, because she hadn’t heard from her and found one of the bodies. She then called 911.
Police say that the Egers and Cynthia Eaton were found shot and dead inside the house by deputies. David Eaton was discovered dead in a barn on the land. There was also dead dog. The people were shot the day before.
The police found an unsigned note on the kitchen table that said someone had been abused and nothing was done about it. The note was not addressed to anyone in particular. Court papers say the note said that the person who wrote it “wanted a new life” and that the person who wrote it “was freed of pain.”
During the investigation into the four murders, a 911 call came in saying that shots had been fired at several cars on an interstate about 20 miles away. This was a big turn in the case. Police from a number of different agencies reacted.
Four cars were hit by gunshots, according to the police. Three family members in a car were taken to the hospital. A family member later told the AP that they were “passersby in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
An statement said that Eaton was caught near an interstate exit ramp near his parents’ rental after a driver saw him standing in the middle of the road waving his hands and what looked like blood on him.
According to court papers, he told police that he killed his parents and their friends and shot at cars on the highway when he thought police were following him.
Police say Joseph Eaton got out of Windham Correctional Facility on April 14, 2023, just a few days before the killings. He had been there for a while serving a term for aggravated assault. His mom picked him up at the jail and took him to Bowdoin to stay with the Egers.
Law&Crime said that a guy who was thought to be the defendant wrote on Facebook that he was thankful the same day that Eaton got out of jail.
In the video, the man says, “It’s finally over.” “I can’t wait to see so many people.”