A man serving a life sentence for killing his parents and two-family friends in Maine, before wounding three others in a highway shooting spree, died Tuesday at a Massachusetts prison, authorities said.
Joseph Eaton, 36, was found unresponsive at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster around 4:15 a.m., according to the Massachusetts Department of Corrections and the Worcester District Attorney’s Office. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Prison officials said no foul play is suspected. The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death. The incident remains under investigation by State Police assigned to Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early’s office.
Eaton confessed to fatally shooting his parents, David Eaton, 66, and Cynthia Eaton, 62, along with their friends, Robert Eger, 72, and Patricia Eger, 62, at the Egers’ home in Bowdoin, Maine, in April 2023. He also admitted to opening fire on vehicles along Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, about 12 miles from Portland, injuring three people after believing police were pursuing him.
Eaton, who had a lengthy criminal history and documented mental health struggles, pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges, including four counts of murder. A Maine judge sentenced him to life in prison last year.
At his sentencing, Eaton expressed remorse, saying he regretted his actions every day and believed he deserved worse than a life sentence.
Authorities believe the killings occurred on April 17, 2023. The victims’ bodies were discovered the following morning, shortly before Eaton allegedly began shooting at passing cars on the highway.
The violent spree came just days after Eaton’s release from a Maine prison on unrelated charges. His mother, Cynthia Eaton, had picked him up upon his release on April 14.
It was not immediately clear why Eaton was being held in a Massachusetts facility. The Maine Wire reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, but the department did not respond to inquiries regarding Eaton’s transfer or custody status.
